Function a List Theory - SAC

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Functionalist

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Theorists

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Who Was Emile Durkheim? A French Sociologist (who was also Jewish) who was born April 15, 1858 in Epinal,

France and passes away at age 59 on November 15, 1917 in Paris, France.

He was the originator of Structural Functionalism which influenced contemporaryfunctionalists (e.g. Radcliffe-Brown, Malinowski and Parsons) by his work.

A key contributor to the formation of sociology and anthropology.

He was considered the father or sociology.

The first sociology teacher in France ever.

He wanted to understand and theorise the impact of the large scale structures ofsociety and society itself on the thoughts and actions of individuals

He used the term social facts to describe the social structures and cultural normsthat are external to and coercive of actors

Was a committed social activist (particularly with respect to the Dreyfus Affair)and deeply interested in progress and social change.

the purpose of education is not the same across all societies, butthat its purpose in any given society will instead be

whatever it needs to be in order tomaintain that society.

- Emile Durkheim

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Who Were the Contemporary

theorists and their theories?Bronislaw Malinowski

(1884 - 1942)

Malinowski is a father of social anthropology

Malinowski was convinced that every detail ofa culture, and this most certainly wouldinclude its folklore, had a function.

Malinowski's functionalism is based onhuman biology and psychology

Malinowski functionalism is a metamorphosisof the seven needs of the individual nutrition,reproduction, bodily comforts, safety, relation,movement, and growth into the secondaryneeds of society.

A.R. Radcliffe-Brown

(1881 - 1855)

Was a founding father of functionalismassociated with the branch known asstructural-functionalism.

Radcliffe-Brown's emphasis on examining

the contribution of phenomena to themaintenance of the social structure reflectsthe influence of French sociologist EmileDurkheim

He particularly focused on the institutions ofkinship and descent and suggested that, atleast in tribal societies, they determined thecharacter of family organisation, politics,economy, and inter-group relations

Talcott Parsons

(1902 - 1979)

He conceptualises society as a collection ofsystems within systems: the personalitysystem within the small-group system withinthe community system within society

He viewed the whole world as a system ofsocieties.

Parsons explicitly wrote that the term"functional" or "structural functionalist

were inappropriate ways to describe thecharacter of his theory

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What is the

FunctionalistTheory?

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Functionalism interprets each part of society in terms of how it contributes to the stability of the whole society. Society ismore than the sum of its parts; rather, each part of society is functional for the stability of the whole society. The different

parts are primarily the institutions of society, each of which is organised to fill different needs and each of which has

particular consequences for the form and shape of society.

For example, the government, or state, provides education for the children of the family, which in turn pays taxes onwhich the state depends to keep itself running. The family is dependent upon the school to help children grow up to have

good jobs so that they can raise and support their own families. In the process, the children become law-abiding,taxpaying citizens, who in turn support the state. If all goes well, the parts of society produce order, stability, and

productivity.

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Strengths

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Usefulness

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Strengths + Usefulness One of the strengths of Functionalism is that it asserts that there are purposes for social conditions or facts. For

example, under a functionalist point of view the newspaper deliverer and the sewer worker all contribute to thefunction of the entire unit--without serving these purposes, the social structure would not function properly.

It is the framework for building theories that envisions society as a complex system whose parts work together topromote solidarity and stability.

It begins with the observation that society is structured : relationship organised in terms of rules.

It regards society as a system: the various parts are linked together in one form or another.

It believes that basic needs are to be met in order for society to survive.

Order and stability is brought about by value consensus.

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Weaknesses

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Limitations

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Functionalism has received criticism for neglecting the negative functions of an event such as divorce.

Critics also claim that the perspective justifies the status quo and complacency on the part of society's members.

Functionalism does not encourage people to take an active role in changing their social environment, even whensuch change may benefit them.

Functionalism sees active social change as undesirable because the various parts of society will compensate

naturally for any problems that may arise.

Some could arguably assert that poverty serves a function in such a society. But as Durkheim saw "function", hewas much more optimistic and may have argued that poverty was more a product of "anomie" than actuallyserving a function.

Functionalists have problem explaining social change. They believe if society exists to fulfil needs, when theseneeds are met there is no need to change.

It draws an anology between an organism and society. Organisms are biological with a natural life process andsocieties are not.

Functionalist theories have very often been criticised as teleological, that is, reversing the usual order of causeand effect by explaining things in terms of what happens afterward, not what went before.

Anomie: lack of the usual social or ethical standards in an individual or group

Weaknesses + Limitations

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The following

Answer is

unavailable, dueto minimal

understandingand knowledge!

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The End.By

Kate Liddy

Katrina Walker

Ambarose Carter

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Function a List Theory - SAC