INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGICAL THEORIES - CRITCISMS OF FUNCTIONALISM

What does "rose tinted glass" mean?

Functionalism view society through rose tinted glasses and they believe that everyone in society works together towards a collective goal, they ignore issues (racism, gender inequalities)

What does deterministic mean?

Functionalism belonged that individuals are products of their environment and that individuals do not have free will and are puppets of society

What does Michael Mann argue?

Mann argued that social stability may occur because of a lack of consensus rather then because of it, Mann explains that if everyone believed in the value of meritocracy then disorder may occur

Are institutions beneficial to society?

Not all institutions are beneficial to society for example if there is domestic abuse in the family then it becomes dysfunctional to the family members

Can some social problems be a bad thing?

Functionalist argue that when social problems happen it can cause society to break down (anomie)

Why can social problems be a good thing?

Social problems such as crime ceaa was ted hundreds of jobs in law enforcement

• detectives/investgators

• police

• paramedics

• army

• lawyers

• journalists

What did Gans argue?

Gans argues that poverty coerces poor people into jobs that other people may not want to do, poverty also provides jobs for those who work in social services/help the poor