Functionalism

Question 1

What type of theory is Functionalism?

Answer 1

-Macro
-Structural

Question 2

What is society based on according to Functionalists?

Answer 2

-Value consensus about it’s members values, goals and rules

Question 3

Who is a traditional Functionalist?

Answer 3

Durkheim-positivist

Question 4

What are social facts?

Answer 4

Things such as institutions, norms and values which exist external to the individual and shape people’s behaviours

Question 5

What has society undergone a change from?

Answer 5

-Change from a simple society i.e. strong collective conscience to a complex division of labour i.e. weaker social solidarity

Question 6

What does this increase the risk of?

Answer 6

Anomie= normlessness

Question 7

What did Durkheim study

Answer 7

-Suicide= social fact
-Suicide rates varied between different countries
-Suicide= higher in Protestant countries
-Patterns were due to two factors:
1. Level of integration- altruistic= too much integration, egoistic= too little integration
2. Level of regulation = fatalistic= too much regulation, anomic= too little regulation

Question 8

What does Parson’s talk about?

Answer 8

Organic analogy

Question 9

What is the Organic Analogy made up of?

Answer 9

1. Systems- institutions work together like organs
2. System needs- What society needs in order to survive
3. Functions- the function of any part of a system contributes to society’s survival

Question 10

What are functional prerequisites?

Answer 10

Basic needs for society’s survival
1. Adaption= meeting a person’s economic needs
2. Goal attainment= collective goals to be achieved (political subsystem)
3. Integration= ensures social cohesion
4. Latency= processes to maintain society over-time

Question 11

What are the two types of society according to Parsons?

Answer 11

1. Traditional= collective interests, ascribed status, particularistic standards
2. Modern= self-interest, achieved status, universalistic standards

Question 12

What is Merton’s strain theory?

Answer 12

-Despite having a shared goal of the ‘American Dream’, not everyone in society has equal opportunities to achieve these goals- experience a strain to anomie

Question 13

What is the first key criticism Merton has of Parsons?

Answer 13

Indispensability= Unlike Parsons, who assumes everything in society is functionally indispensable, Merton argues that not everything if functionally indispensable in it’s original form- ‘functional alternatives’ e.g. one-parent families may be better for socialising than the nuclear family

Question 14

What is the second key criticism Merton has of Parsons?

Answer 14

Functional unity= Parson’s assumes all parts of society are tightly integrated into a single whole, however Merton argues complex societies have many parts e.g. ‘functional autonomy’

Question 15

What is the third key criticism Merton has of Parsons?

Answer 15

Universal functionalism= Parson’s assumes everything in society performs a positive function for the whole of society, however Merton argues that something may be functional for some groups and dysfunctional for others

Question 16

What is the central point behind Merton’s criticisms pf Parson’s?

Answer 16

-We cannot assume that society is a smooth-running, well-integrated system

Question 17

What is the difference between Manifest and Latent functions? (what example does Merton use?)

Answer 17

Hopi Indians- rain dance to magically produce rain
-Manifest= Intended function= rain
-Latent= Unintended function= promote social cohesion

Question 18

What are the strengths of Functionalism?

Answer 18

1. Seek’s to answer how social order is possible
2. Provides a useful starting point for other researchers who can research the independent parts in society
3. Craib: Functionalism is a theory of the whole of society

Question 19

What are the criticisms of Functionalism?

Answer 19

1. Marxists: Class conflict is ignored- ‘rose-tinted view’ e.g. only powerful groups values are shared
2. Feminists: Ignores patriarchy and women’s oppression
3. Postmodernists: Society is characterised by diversity and fragmentisation and so its not suitable to say there is harmony and consensus in society