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Functionalism - Coggle Diagram
Functionalism
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External Criticisms
Logical Criticisms
- Critics argue that functionalism is teleological, the idea that things exist because of their effect or function.
- A real explanation has something is one that identify its cause and then an effect.
- This isnt very posivist of them.
Conflict Perspective
- Conflict theorists criticise functionalism for its inability to explain conflict and change.
- Functionalists claim that society runs harmoniously but marxists and feminists would argue otherwise.
- Functionalism is a conservative ideology that legitimates the status quo and exploitation of others e.g. women and the WC and justifys the existing social order.
- It also legitmates the privileged position of powerful groups who have the most to lose from social changes in society.
Non-Scientific
- Functionalism is criticised for being unscientific, they are positvist macro theorists but have no scientific evidence to back their ideas so they aren't falsifiable by testing.
Action Perspective - Wrong
- Wrong argues that functionalism is too determinist and over-socialised, believing that individuals have no free will and are just 'mere puppets' that accept socialisation to shape their behaviours.
- Functionalism believes humans are shaped by society but Wrong argues that individuals shape society by their actions.
- Society is also socially constructed, not a distinct thing that individuals need to feed.
Postmodernism
- Functionalism assumes that society is stable and orderly but now we have shifted into a postmodern time period of fragmentation, diversity and individualisation.
- This makes functionalism no longer applicable in today's society as it is now outdated.
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Social Change - Parsons
2 Types of Society
- Traditional: Individuals are expected to put the collective interests of a group first. Status is ascribed, and people are judges by particularistic standards.
- Modern: Pursuing individual self-interest, achieve our status, people are judged by universalistic standards
- Change for society from traditional to modern is a gradual, evolutionary process of increasing complexity.
- Similar to organisms evolving from single cell structures to complex specialised cells.
- Structural differentiation happens when one institution performed many functions but now mulitple specialised ones have developed to meet each need.
- Social change is gradual, happening in a dynamic equilbrium when one change in society causes a compensatory change in another part.
Overview
- Functionalism is a macro, structural theory.
- Focusing on the needs of the social system and how they shape all the main features of society.
- A consensus theory, society is based on this and everyone shares the same values, goals and rules.
- A modernist theory.
Manifest and Latent Functions
- Merton says how the manifest is the intended function.
- Latency is the unintended consequences of the manifest. It reveals the hidden connections between social phenomena which actors may not be aware of.