Structural functionalism looks at society as a whole and describes its norms, customs, tradition and institutions. Herbert Spencer described it as the organs that make up a body, the organs are norms and institutions, and the body is society. This is the underlying structure of all society. This is why in some situations we feel comfortable, while in others things can be awkward, like standing too close to someone. Structural functionalism organizes the ideas that create our society and keeps it running smoothly. Structural functionalism helped me rethink society by taking a step back and seeing why people do certain things. Some rules that I thought were strange are now just there for my safety. I've never tried to look at another culture and understand why they do what they do, or worship their deities. With this approach I will be able to question more and also question the norms. I too have started to challenge the norms, once you know what they are, you can do things slightly outside the norms to have fun with people. Just because you're told something helps doesn't always mean it does. We are always told that prison is useful and that there are no problems with the system, even though the Bureau of Justice states: "Among the nearly 300,000 prisoners released in 15 states in 1994, 67.5 percent were rearrested within 3 years". Does prison really work? I also learned that we have been told a lot of things that we think are true, but in reality it is a lot of misinformation. We were told by all our teachers and the Bill of Rights that we have the right to a speedy trial, yet it was 18 months before I could be charged with anything. I knew I was going to court for a charge and for those 18 months I had gone back and forth every month. Then on......middle of paper......to understand who the other person is. As Professor Stern said, you could be a world-famous doctor who created a cure for cancer, and one day you go out, kill two people, and now you're a murderer. You have lost your hero status and are now the scum of the earth. Depending on why they were killed, it may have been for his protection because they were trying to harm him. This is sadly overlooked because it has killed people and there is a stigma around this. Society is something that is constantly changing, and it is always changing depending on your location and the culture you are a part of. People will never understand other people because of ignorance and their ability to look the other way and ignore others. For world peace and for the good of humanity we must unite, because diversity is the best way to improve technology and our overall happiness..