Imagine the Green is Red

There are always many different ways to look at things.

In fact, it is not just possible, but probable that people will see the same thing and think of it differently. 

Sociology is no different. There are various ways that someone could look at a sociological situation, or, if you will, perspectives. These different perspectives allow a person different insight into the sociological nature of a situation based on these different ways of perception. The three main ones are Functionalism, Conflict, and Symbolic Interaction. Functionalism can be broken down into three parts: Manifest function (Why does it exist?), Latent Function (Other functions by a social structure, though not it's main one), and Dysfunction (negative "side effects" of a structure.) It's main view point is that social structure exist to fulfill vital functions for society. 

Conflict theory states that everything is a result of conflict over scarce resources, and emphasizes the role of conflict and power, like recrutees competing for spots on a sports team. 

Interactionism is a perspective that believes social interactions are results of meanings we as a society places on aspects of our life; that social structures come about because of repeated interactions.

based off these three different view points on social interactions and social structures, we are able to look at the same situation various ways, allowing us a more holistic idea about how we as a society work.