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Theories and Methods: Functionalism - Coggle Diagram
Theories and Methods: Functionalism
The basics of Functionalism (DURKHEIM)
Society works like a human society- 'organic analogy'
The body has vital organs whilst society has vital institutions- these 'institutions' work 'interdependently'.
Each institution meets certain functional pre-requisites (basic needs). If parts of society 'malfunction' this helps to reinforce norms + values and reminds us how not to behave.
e.g. pain in the body may be unpleasant, but it helps us to understand if something is wrong.
All the small units of society work as one in order for overall function.
DURKHEIM: Society is more important than any individual and therefore it is everyone's job to ensure it functions and survives- without it we would cease to develop and eventually die out.
It is essential that society is based on a consensus
Collective conscience.
Value consensus.
Social solidarity.
These must be reinforced so that the value consensus does not 'atrophy' and lead to anomie. To do this, individuals are subjected to positive + negative sanctions.
Functionalists emphasise harmony, unity + integration
Consensus structuralist theory.
Examples
Socialisation into value consensus
The family is responsible for primary socialisation of children. Education is a secondary socialisation tool. Religion also develops value consensus by binding people together.
Social integration
The teaching of religion and history in schools encourages social integration and understanding in society. Religion also creates moral communities with which people identify.
Social control
The criminal justice system promotes good behaviour through fear of persecution for bad behaviour. The family uses praise and punishment to help develop good morals and values. Religion uses concepts of 'heaven' and 'hell' to promote conformity.
Role allocation
The education system encourages learning skills and attitudes through exams and qualifications. Families also encourage us to commit to a career to support our family members.
PARSONS
Adds to DURKHEIM's 'Organic analogy'
System: organisms + societies are both self-regulating systems of independent parts, that fit to make things work.
System needs: organisms have basic needs- so does society.
Functions: contribution it makes to meeting the system needs.
Value consensus
Social order is achieved through a value system (shared culture).
Norms + values allow cooperation.
Social order is only possible if people agree on values.
The central value system
Two mechanisms which help provide social order:
Socialisation (norms + values are 'internalised').
Social control (positive sanctions reward conformity + negative ones punish deviance).
GAIL model
All societies have 4 basic needs that are meet by subsystems that work together and are interconnected to make a fully functioning society.
Goal attainment: society has to have decision making procedures.
Subsystem: through institutions such as political system.
Adaption: society has to provide a basic standard of living.
Subsystem: places of work such as factories and banking system.
Integration: society must develop institutions such as shared goals and reduce conflict.
Subsystem: through institutions such as education system, religious institutions and media.
Latency: relates to how individuals are able to cope with society changing over time.
Subsystem: providing kinship through instituions such as family.
PARSONS divided latency into pattern maintenance, such as families socialising their members into acceptable forms of behaviour and roles and tensions management which ensures people are motivated to perform their roles and not oppose society.
Structural Differentiation
Just as an organism may evolve and adapt to its environment over time, so does society.
The instituions in society will adapt and change over time to bring social change (this is called 'structural differentiation').
e.g. in traditional societies, kinship was found in structure of family but now may be found in education system.
Traditional societies vs modern societies:
Traditional societies:
Collective:
Individuals expected to put collective first.
Ascribed status:
Your status in society was decided from birth.
Particularistic standards:
People judged by different standards based on their position.
Modern societies:
Individual:
Individuals pursue their own self-interest.
Achieved status:
Your status is based on your talent and abilities.
Universalistic standards:
Everyone is judged by same standards.
Evaluation
Logical criticism: Functionalists state things exist because of their function (e.g. family exists to socialise children). However, a real explanation should identify something's cause (which has to come before the effect). Why has family come about in the first place? This called teleology.
Conflict (Marxism and Feminism) perspective: society is not harmonious. Functionalism is harmful as it legitimises status quo and inequality.
Social Action (labelling theory) perspective: Functionalists view people as puppets on strings who have no free will. Too deterministic and assumes people will just be shaped by society. However it is the opposite. Individuals create society, not the other way around.
Postmodernist perspective: today's society is so fragmented that no meta-narrative/theory can explain society.
Reasonably successful attempt at providing a general theory of society.
Recognises the importance of social structure.
Provides an explanation for social order + stability and why most people conform to the rules of society.
Over emphasises the positive functions of social institutions + overlooks the negative.
MERTON (functionalist): PARSONS'S structural functionalism is too broad + abstract to be useful in understanding specific social phenomena. Should develop theories that are more specific + can be tested through empirical research.