deeper functionalism

definition of Functionalism

view that regards society as a stable, harmonious integrated social system, with social order and cohesion maintained by a fundamental value consensus

Durkheim views on society and value consensus

• ppl are fundamentally selfish - society would fall into chaos and disorder without value consensus.

• emphasis on institutions to use socialisation - collective conscience.

• human body analogy

Durkheim's body analogy overview

All social processes have a function, just as all parts of the body have a specific function. Without these we experience anomie (social alienation).

Functional prerequisites - Parson's GAIL Theory overview

Parson’s suggests that to survive in a healthy state all societies have to satisfy 4 functional prerequisites (requirements) in in order to sustain/survive.

4 Functional prerequisites GAIL:

Goal attainment

Adaptation

Integration

Latency

Adaptation (Economic)

Applies principles of natural selection to society - organisms that aren't flexible/ quick to react will die out. therefore every society has to be willing to accept change to provide an adequate standard of life for the survival of its members.

• Example arguments: Industrialisation destroyed green spaces but produced the modern world.

Goal Attainment (Political)

Political function.
Ways society develops ways of making decisions bc society needs everyone to be focused on the same big goals or we risk doing everything badly.

• Eg. austerity was seen as a national goal after the financial crisis but arguments came when many felt the policy was prolonged and there was a failure of adaptation.

Integration (Legal/Social)

Social Harmony.
Each institution in society develops in response to a particular function in which ppl can find belonging and feel fuffiled. They develop to limit potential conflict.

Latency (Moral)

believed in individual freedom and once we’ve been shown the value consensus and solidarity, we need to be left alone by government because a functional society mostly runs itself because members are aligned.

Merton’s Criticism - Dysfunction (Manifest vs. Latent)

Merton suggested manifest and latent functions can be “dysfunctional”.

• Manifest Function: The intended outcome of the action of an individual/ institution. Eg. a school has the manifest function of providing education.

  • Dysfunction: schools may teach incorrect content

• Latent Function: The unintended outcome of the action of an individual/institution. Eg. school has the latent function of helping those who work/study there to find friends/partners.

  • Dysfunction:bullying in school/work can ruin our relationships

Advantages of Functionalism

Research support (de Soysa & Noel, 2020) - there is an “bell curve” relationship between cultural diversity and social outcomes (eg. hate crime, violence, homicide) -suggests too little or too much similarity can lead to “social friction”. Having a common set of values (integration) while accepting productive differences (latency) seems to work best.

Disadvantages of Functionalism

Ignoring the margins - conflict theorists often criticise the consensus-building aim of functionalism for its lack of focus on people society leaves behind

• postmodernists criticise functionalists desire to promote consensus because we might lose individuality in the process.

• new right and feminist criticise what they see as a naive belief that everyone can get along.