Functionalism

Functionalism

• Society is functional - each institution and person has their role that contributes towards the smooth running of society

• They are interdependent on each other

Functional pre-requisites

• Basic requirements needed for society to function

  • Socialisation of new generations

  • Food production

Organic analogy

• Comparison - society to a human body

• Vital organs (institutions) meet functional prerequisites

• Small units work as one for the body to function healthily

• Small units and vital organs work interdependently

Value consensus

• Agreement on the main values and norms of society

• Absence → anomie (normlessness)

Social facts

• Values, cultural norms, and social structures that transcend individuals and exert social control

• More complex definition: consist of manners of acting, thinking and feeling external to the indivifual, which are invested with a coercive power, by virtue of which they exercise control over him

• E.g.: politics, holiday celebrations, beliefs about right and wrong, laws

Social control

• Extent to which individuals are prevented from engaging in anti-social behavior

Social solidarity

• Members of a cohesive society are socialised into shared norms and values

Primary socialisation

• Process of learning particularistic values from family and community during early childhood.

Secondary socialisation

• Process of learning universalistic values from education, media etc. during later childhood and adolescence.

Émile Durkheim (1858-1917)

• Functionalist

• Structuralist: studied social structures (not individuals)

• Lived through most stable time in France’s history 

• Used statistics as primary source in ‘Suicide’

• Son died fighting, he died of a stroke/broken heart

Findings of ‘Sucide’

• Protestants - individualistic - higher rate of suicide than C

• Catholics - collectivist - lower rate of suicide than P

Social dysfunction

• Society ceasing to function properly, similar to a disease

Role of crime

• Crime is inevitable

• Can contribute to societal functioning by establishing boundaries

• Excessive crime → social dysfunction

5 functions of the family

1. Provide support

2. Primary socialisation

3. Care for basic needs

4. Set boundaries

5. Speech aquisition

5 functions of the education system

1. Respect for authority

2. Accepting hierarchy

3. Literacy

4. Numeracy

5. Social interactions

4 functions of the workplace

1. Importance of dedication

2. Importance of reliability

3. Provide stability

4. Importance of obeying authority