Funcionalist Perspective

Question 1

Functionalism

Answer 1

Modernist consensus structuralist theory, based on the idea of shared morality and a society based on harmony. They believe in social solidarity, people share norms and values and feel like part of a community or single body

Question 2

Key argument 1: Durkheim- Society as a system and maintaining social order

Answer 2

Society as a social system:
Functionalism regards society as a stable harmonious integrated social system. Were social order and cohesion is maintained by a fundamental value consensus. Functionalists such as Durkheim see society as the organic analogy (institutions in society operate together)
Maintaining social order:
Durkheim suggested people are basically selfish and would fall into chaos unless they learnt shared norms and values. He places great value on the collective conscience. A lack of this leads to anomie and egoism (where social integration is made hard)

Question 3

Key argument 2: Parsons- functional prerequisites

Answer 3

Functional prerequisites:
Functionalists argue that like the human body society has what Parsons called functional prerequisites- basic needs or requirements that must be met if society is to survive:
- socialisation of the young, the production of food, the care of the vulnerable. Social institutions like the family, education etc exist to satisfy these needs and meet the functional prerequisites and benefit society as a whole
- argue that all social phenomenon has a function

Question 4

Key argument 3: Merton- the existence of dysfunction

Answer 4

Dysfunction and latent/ manifest functions:
Merton criticised Parsons for his assumption that all social institutions are positive for individuals. He recognised that there is scope for things to go wrong in a complex system. Merton introduced the dysfunction to describe when parts of the social system go wrong eg the growth of technology has been functional and made cheaper better quality products but has also had dysfunctional effects such as pollution, new crimes and climate change
He argued each institution had:
Manifest functions: these are the intended consequences
Latent functions: these are the unintended consequences