Sociologists tend to examine society's influence on behavior through the lens of a theoretical perspective. The three main theoretical perspectives in sociology are the Structural Functionalist perspective, the Conflict perspective, and the Symbolic Interactionist perspective.

The first of these perspectives, Structural Functionalism, contains theories that focus on values, norms, social change, and social cohesion. Herbert Spencer, one of the early Structuralist theorists, argued that society was like a biological organism in which the parts contribute to the overall stability of the whole. Talcott Parsons added that each part has a 'function' and is inherently good for society.

Another key Structural theorist, Emile Durkheim, believed that rapid social change leads to a state of anomie(normlessness), characterized by a breakdown in traditional values and beliefs that encourage social solidarity, provide a sense of purpose, and motivate adherence to social norms.

Robert Merton added to the perspective the concepts of manifest and latent functions. He argued that, at times, there can be unrecognized or unintended functions of social structures. He also rejected the notion that social structure was inherently good, claiming instead that social institutions (one of the main elements of social structure) can be functional for some groups of people yet 'dysfunctional' for others.

Another important point about Structural Functionalists is they believed social institutions were created to serve certain functions that would provide members of society with what they needed to survive. For example, the social institution of the family has the function of procreation and the social institution of education has the function of transmitting knowledge. Note, however, that these are simplistic examples. In truth, each institution has multiple functions, both manifest and latent, and, as Merton pointed out, also has dysfunctions.

How do Structural theories explain human behavior? From this perspective, society exists outside of the individual and exerts control over their behavior. Rapid social change leads to breakdowns in social institutions and prevailing values. Without these controls, individuals engage in deviant behaviors, such as crime or suicide. This perspective is criticized for not taking into account the individual circumstances of individuals nor the effects of social forces such as prejudice, racism, or sexism.

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