Which one of the Conflict, Functionalist, and Interactionist Theories Can Be Applied to the Yanomamo Society?

The several theories can be used to explore the Yanomamo culture in depth. Since most of the existing theoretical frameworks were designed to explore the nature of a particular phenomenon and were created based on scientific observations, they are very likely to fit the framework of the specified civilization as well. Because of the general similarities between the development of the Yanomamo civilization and the rest of the global societies, most of the conflict, functionalist, and interactionist theories can be utilized to study the nature of the Yanomamo culture. For example, the Conflict Theory designed by Marx can be utilized as the lens through which the Yanomamo society is scrutinized. According to the key tenets of the theory, the presence of social stratification and the tendency to divide people into social classes leads to the creation of conflicts within society. Applying the specified framework to the Yanomamo culture, one will be able to explain why present-day relationships within the society are comparatively peaceful and devoid of any semblance of warfare. Specifically, the unwillingness of the Yanomamo people to follow a rigid social hierarchy and stratify their society has led to rather peaceful interactions and absolved them of major societal confrontations based on the tenets of the Conflict theory suggested by Marx (Ritzer and Stepnisky 28). In this regard, the Yanomamo culture is unique when compared to other Amazon tribes since it appreciates the idea of individuality and focuses on an individual rather than on society, in general. As a result, there is no oppressed class and, consequently, no need for internalized class discrimination followed by social conflicts. The Functionalist Theory suggested by Davis and Moore is another possible framework for exploring the Yanomamo tribe since it posits that social conflicts are unnecessary for the successful evolution of society. According to Davis and Moore, with the promotion of peaceful operations as the basis for social interactions, conflicts will be unnecessary and, thus, will become obsolete (Jokic 17). The specified assumption can be applied to the Yanomamo culture due to its focus on peaceful negotiations and the promotion of individual growth as opposed to placing one within the social hierarchy. However, herein also lies the primary inconsistency between the Functionalist Theory and the framework according to which the Yanomamo society works. Specifically, the Functionalist approach implies that every individual should have a specific role in the social hierarchy, which is not the case in the Yanomamo culture. Therefore, the specified framework also requires the support of other theoretical frameworks that may help explore the phenomenon of the Yanomamo civilization. Finally, the Interactionist Theory can be regarded as one of the most efficient tools for studying the Yanomamo society. According to the existing description, the theory implies that social life has to be interpreted as the outcome of communication between individuals within the context of a particular society (Trevino 23). The described approach seems to be the best way to approach the Yanomamo culture since it represents the social life within the specified community better than the other two frameworks. Indeed, the Interactionist theory helps to understand how a particular society can uphold the ideas of individualism while remaining a community (Trevino 26). The identified phenomenon is very close to what takes place in the Yanomamo culture, with the significant amount of independence that an individual receives in the identified society. At the same time, the theory provides a profound analysis of the impact that interactions have on the development of individuals within the Yanomamo culture (Trevino 67). Thus, the Interactionist Theory offers a means of understanding how the Yanomamo society functions. The Yanomamo civilization might be seen as primitive, yet some of its aspects are rather intricate, signifying the presence of advanced ideas and principles of interacting. Therefore, a complex theoretical framework is needed for developing an in-depth insight into the nature of the Yanomamo culture and its aspects that make it an entirely original and indigenous civilization. When viewed from the perspective of various theories, the Yanomamo civilization reveals hidden layers of social interactions and their effects on internal relationships, particularly the absence of conflicts and the focus on an individual as opposed to the creation of a uniform standard for society as a whole. Therefore, the culture should be regarded as very complex and, thus, worth exploring as a specimen of unique social interactions. Having no rigid structure and yet remaining cohesive, the Yanomamo society is a unique phenomenon that needs further examination.