FUNCTIONALISM THEORY

PAULA JANE ESCASINAS MICHELLE DUGUIL

FUNCTIONALISM
This perspective focuses on social systems as a whole, how they operate, how they change, and the social consequences they produce. Society is more than the sum of its parts; rather, each part of society is functional for the stability of the whole society.
government/state children of the family family school children state Purpose: ORDER, STABILITY, & PRODUCTIVITY Examples:

 The view that social institutionsboth FORMAL organizational sets (law, religion, politics) and INFORMAL but commonly recurring

social actions (crime, volunteerism, suicide, love)have consequential

effects upon society (functions that they serve). Effects may be:
Explicit and deliberate (manifest) Surprising and unintended (latent)

DAVID MILE DURKHEIM

1858-1917 April 15, 1858 November 15, 1917 French sociologist, social psychologist & philosopher. Principal architect of modern social science FATHER OF SOCIOLOGY

TALCOTT PARSONS
1902-1979 December 13, 1902 May 8, 1979 20th centurys most influential American sociologist Laid the foundation for what was to become the modern Functionalist Perspective. Developed a general theory for the study of society called action theory.

S O C I O L O G I C A L T H E O R I E S A L W A Y S H AV E TO BE UNDERSTOOD IN TERMS OF THE TIME IN WHICH THEY WERE DEVELOPED

FOR DURKHEIM KEY FEATURES OF T H E 1 9 TH C E N T U RY W E R E : INDUSTRIALISATION - THE SPECIALIZED DIVISION

OF LABOUR

..and the movement of people from country to city urban life

and its still going on in other parts of the world

F O R PA R S O N S T W O PA R T I C U L A R THINGS STRUCK HIM ABOUT LIFE IN 1950S USA THE CONSIDERABLE AFFLUENCE ENJOYED BY MANY

..and the vast scale of urban society

(Downtown Los Angeles early 1900s and 2010) Times of progress and improvement ? Functionalists thought so.

Both sociologists developed a view which focuses on the idea that societies EVOLVE , grow or develop - a bit like living organisms

Societies are simply organised to start with, but over time they grow and become more complex

Like an organism, societies have certain NEEDS

Needs are called functional prerequisites

All societies have these needs but they can achieve them in different ways.

Systems are developed to meet the needs

EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM POLITICAL SYSTEM

The systems and the society are held together because everyone shares the same values

There is a shared culture

The shared culture is transmitted through SOCIALIZATION into common norms and values

Social order is created through the use of sanctions

Society changes as SYSTEMS or STRUCTURES become more complex.

In large scale industrial society new ways

have to be found to meet functional

prerequisites.

Industrial societies could be DYSFUNCTIONAL if essential needs are not being met or if some groups cannot achieve the goals of the whole society. - ROBERT MERTON