Lesson 1 – functionalism
1.
Identify and define the main features of
functionalist view of the social system,
2.
Identify and define Merton’s contribution of
the development of functionalism,
3.
Identify and evaluate the strengths and
limitations of the functionalist perspective on
society.
Sociology
Structural Theory
Action Theory
(Interpretivism)
Consensus
Conflict
Functionalism
Marxism
Symbolic
interactionism
Feminism
Theory can be said to be like looking at
society through different lenses – each
give it a different perspective or
appearance.
STRUCTURAL THEORY
 Identifies
3 similarities between society and a
biological organism:



System (organism such as the human body and
societies are both self regulating systems of interrelated interdependent parts that fit together in fixed
ways),
System needs (organism have needs such as
nutrition and if those are not met the organism will
die),
Functions ( for functionalist the function of any part
of a system is the contribution it makes to meeting
the systems needs thus ensuring its survival)
What other
features do
organisms have ?
Do societies have
these features too
?
 Parsons'
key question: “ How is social order
possible? How are individual able to cooperate
harmoniously?”
 Parsons argues that societal order is achieved
through the existence of a shared culture, or in
his words a central value system,
 Culture provides a framework that allows
individuals to cooperate by laying down the rules
about how they should behave and what others
may expect of them. This defines the goals they
should pursue and so on.
 Integration
of all members of a society is crucial
in order to make social order possible.
 Parsons believes that the system has two
mechanism for ensuring that individuals
conform and meet the systems needs:
SOCIALISATION
SOCIAL
CONTROL
How do those two concepts contribute to the
integration of individuals within a society ?

We can take a building block approach to describing
Parsons’ model of the social system:
Society as a whole
Sub-systems (shops, farms,
factories)
Institutions (family)
Status – roles
Positions held in society
Norms which tell is how to carry out
our role
Individual’s actions
Governed by norms
Governed by values
Read box 4.1 of
page 221 of the
A2 Sociology
course book
What do you make
of Durkheim’s
views ?
 Parsons
believes that society is a system with its
own needs, the shared culture system
coordinates the different parts of society to
ensure the needs are met.
Read pages 222 of your book on the
 Parsons
identified
4 basic
needs:
system’s
needs and
write
a summary
1. Adaptation,
of the four basic needs.
2.
3.
4.
Goal attainment,
Integration,
Latency
 Parsons
identifies 2 types of societies with
different set of norms (traditional and modern),
Traditional societies
Modern societies
Ascription : status based on fixed
characteristics
Achievement: status based on
performance
Diffuseness: relationships are broad
with a range of purpose
Specificity: relationships are narrow
and limited
Paricularism: norms emphasis
treating people differently
Universalism: norms emphasise
everyone being treated the same
Affectivity: immediate gratification of
desires ( quitting school to start
earning)
Affective neutrality: deferred
gratification (staying on at school)
Collective orientation: putting group
interest first
Self orientation: individualism
 Read
page 223 – social change and summarise
it
How might
Merton criticise
the concept of
functionalism ?
 Indispensability
– untested assumption of
Parsons that everything in society is
indispensable,
 Functional
unity – assumptions that all part of
society are integrated/ avoids the functional
autonomy of some institutions,
 Universal
functionalism – assumption that
everything has a positive function for everybody
however that is not the truth.
Does unemployment have a positive
function for (a) society as a whole,
(b) the unemployed, (c) other groups
?
If so, what is it ?
 Manifest:
 Latent:
 In
pairs suggest at least one latent function for
each of the following: homework, holidays,
criminal trials, saying your prayers, playing in an
amateur football team.
How can the functionalist perspective be improved?
Why would your changes be an improvement?
Who for?
How long would they last?