What are the Three theoretical frameworks that developed in contemporary sociology?

Firstly, there's Functionalism (Emilie Durkheim) which is based around the concept that society is composed of many interrelated parts, each serving a particular purpose, with the intention of achieving social order, stability and productivity. It has been criticised on the grounds of neglecting negative functions of an event such as divorce. It generally tends to be against active social change, as Functionalists tend to believe that society will naturally compensate for any problems that may arise.

The Symbolic Interactionalism perspective (George H. Mead) is based on the idea that people attach meanings to symbols. This can be effectively applied to conversation where subjective interpretation is evident, and relies largely on intention of the sender and the interpretation of the receiver. This approach has been criticised for failing to adequately account for the macro level of social interpretation ("the big picture").

The Conflict Perspective originated from Karl Marx's work on class struggles. Contrary to the Functionalist perspective which emphasise the positive aspects of society, The Conflict Perspective focusses on the negative, constantly changing and conflicted nature of society. Conflict theorists challenge the status quo and encourage active social change. They tend to hold the view that the higher classes force social older on the poor and the weak. They find social conflict between any groups where inequality may arise, e.g. class, race, gender, religious, political, economic. This perspective has been criticised for its "overly negative view of society".