Functionalism/NR/Marxism (P1/3) Flashcards
(22 cards)
Describe functionalism (what types of theory is it?)
a macro, structural theory- argues that the structure of society shapes our behaviour.
also a consensus theory- believes that society is based on an agreement between members and the goals, n+vs of society (value consensus).
Who describes society to a living thing and what is this called?
Parsons
Organic Analogy
Parsons says there’s 3 similarities between society and organisms, what are they (system, system needs & functions)
System: Both organisms and societies are systems made up of parts which are dependent on each other (organs in organisms and social institutions in societies).
System needs: Organisms need nutrition, etc. or they will die. Society has needs too, if it is to survive, such as members being socialised.
Functions: Organs function to help the body survive (e.g. the lungs provide oxygen for the blood) and institutions help society to survive (e.g. education teaches skills for people to work and socialises us).
Who argues the basic function of value consensus is to make sure social order is possible?
Parsons
How does value consensus ensure social order is possible? (Who makes the argument and what is involved : Socialisation and Social control)
Parsons
Socialisation: Passing on the n+vs of society so they become part of our personality (they’re internalised). Different agencies of socialisation, such as the fam, education system, media and religion, all contribute to this process.
Social control: Positive sanctions (e.g. qualifications to encourage educational success) and negative sanctions (e.g. being negatively labelled for educational failure).
Fs - if everyone has the same n+vs, their behaviour will be fairly predictable and stable, creating social order.
Parsons believed that society has four needs, what are they? (remember GAIL):
Goal attainment- having goals and using resources to meet them, met through the political system e.g. to provide free healthcare, the gov taxes citizens.
Adaptation- material needs (e.g. food and shelter) met through the economy e.g. factories produce goods, shops sell them.
Integration- making sure society as a whole is working together/has the same goals, met through religion, education and the media, which socialise us into shared n+vs.
Latency- maintaining society over time and minimising social tensions, met by the fam. It socialises children and provides a place for fam members to relax.
Describe the idea of social change in society (Parsons)
Parsons - society changed from trad society to modern society through a process of gradual change (like evolution- thing of the organic analogy!).
In the past, the fam performed many functions (e.g. providing work and education), but over time lost them to factories, schools, religion, etc = structural differentiation- a process in which specialised institutions develop over time. As this happens, a change in one part of society causes changes in others e.g. functional fit- the fam changed from ext to n as society changed from pre-industrial to industrial society.
Who criticises Parsons’ 3 assumptions and what is said (Indispensability, Functional unity, Universal functionalism)?
Merton
Indispensability: believing that everything in society is indispensable in their existing forms (i.e. society couldn’t survive without them). However, there may be functional alternatives: the n fam provides socialisation, but it could be done just as well or maybe better by SPFs.
Functional unity: assuming all parts of society work to help each other, and that changing one will cause a change in others. However, parts may have functional autonomy (independence) from each other- it’s hard to see connections between the structure of banking and the rules of netball.
Universal functionalism: assuming that everything in society performs a positive function for all of society- some things may be functional for some groups but dysfunctional for others e.g. some groups having the power to keep society as it is to benefit them at the expense of others. This is a similar idea to Marxism.
He therefore shows how Parsons is wrong to assume that society is always a smooth-running, well-integrated system.
Describe Merton’s manifest and latent functions
e.g. in times of drought, the Hopi Indians perform a rain dance to try and produce rain. This is the manifest (intended) function of the dance. However, it may also have a latent (unintended) function, such as bringing people together in times of hardship.
Give 2 strengths of functionalism
recognises the importance of social structures in understanding society e.g. how they shape behaviour, and how various social institutions have links between them e.g. how by teaching specialist skills, education supports the economy, and by people working and paying tax, the economy supports the education system.
provides an explanation for social order and stability, and why most people generally follow the rules of social life.
Give 3 criticisms of functionalism
Wrong (1967), a social action theorist, argues Parsons’ theory has an over socialised view of the individual- emphasising shared values assumes people automatically accept them = deterministic (shown by Willis’ ‘lads’ who rejected the values of the education system).
Conflict theorists such as Marxists and feminists- ignores conflict in society e.g. Parsons’ idea that the n fam benefits everyone would be criticised by fems who argue it is patriarchal, while Ms would challenge the functionalist view that society is meritocratic due to the impact social class has on educational achievement.
If fails to explain rapid social change, as socialisation, value consensus and social stability should limit social change
Describe New Rights
were a group of political commentators and theorists whose views became popular in the 1980s.
their main ideas are for individuals to take responsibility for their own actions, less state involvement in people’s lives, and strong control of crime
How have the New Right had an influence on the family ?
Murray
n.fam = best for socialising children, as it contains a male and female role model, w/ a natural division of labour in which the man = breadwinner (instrumental role) and the woman = homemaker who looks after the emotional needs of the family (expressive role).
the availability of benefits for SPFs = breakdown of the n.fams = fathers + women can leave relationships as they think the state will look after their children -> dependency culture in which people believe the state will pay for them + underclass- a group of people reliant on benefits whose children turn to crime as they lack a male role model.
solution: to severely cut or scrap benefits for single parents.
How have the New Right had an influence on education
believe education should run along free market principles through marketisation-> raise standards and lead to parentocracy.
Some New Right ideas have been introduced into the British education system, such as OFSTED inspections, league tables, formula funding (where schools get money per students) and open enrolment (parents applying to several schools with one first choice) which were introduced by the 1988 Education Reform Act. More recent policies incl allowing schools to become academies and free schools
How have the New Right had an influence on crime & deviance
linked to Right Realism - argues crime is the result of biological differences (e.g. inherited low IQ), poor socialisation (linked to the rise in single parent families) and the benefits of crime outweighing the costs (rational choice theory).
crime should be tackled through zero tolerance policing, situational crime prevention (e.g. CCTV), environmental crime prevention (e.g. tackling graffiti to prevent more) and harsher punishments/prison sentences.
Evaluate the New Right’s view on family
Feminists - roles in the n. fam are not natural, but are socially constructed, as can be shown by the increase in women working.
Others- it’s wrong to cut benefits for single parents as this may cause women to stay in abusive relationships, and will also cause greater poverty and therefore may cause an increase in crime.
Evaluate the New Right’s view on education
Both Ball and Gerwitz argue that parentocracy is a ‘myth’ and that marketisation benefits MC parents who use their EC (money/wealth) and CC (knowledge of the education system) to get their children into the best state schools.
League tables also mean the top schools can become more selective over students, meaning they cream skim the most desirable (middle class) students (BARLETT), causing working class students to go to underperforming sink schools
Evaluate the New Right’s view on crime
zero tolerance policies give the police more power which is used to discriminate against groups like the WC and EMs.
Right Realist approaches to tackling crime are criticised for failing to address the root causes of crime such as poverty, and in the case of rational choice theory/situational crime prevention are criticised for not considering that many crimes aren’t rationally considered.
Describe Marxism (theory type and their beliefs)
macro, structural theory- society’s structure helps to shape the behaviour of individuals in that society.
conflict theory - believes society is based on a conflict between different social classes (bourgeoisie & proletariat) of unequal wealth and power.
Also, Marxists reject functionalism’s view of society as stable, and stress the possibility of sudden revolutionary change. Stability is merely the result of the dominant class (RC) being able to impose their will on society.
Describe Marxist views on class systems
society- divided into 2 classes: bourgeoisie & proletariat- societal change occurs through conflicts between these classes. Starting from ancient society (slave owners and slaves), progressing to feudalism (peasants and landowners), and then capitalism, Marx noted that in capitalism, workers are paid less than the value of what they produce, with the bourgeoisie profiting from this surplus value.
RC controls the economy (base) and uses institutions (superstructure) to reinforce ideologies that keep the WC in a state of false consciousness, accepting inequality.
e alienation workers face in capitalist society, where routine and repetitive tasks disconnect them from their creativity and individuality. As conditions worsen, workers would become aware of their exploitation, develop class consciousness, and eventually unite in revolution. Marx believed revolution was inevitable as the only solution to inequality, exploitation, and alienation.
Marx’s theory proposed that society progresses through stages: primitive communism, ancient society, feudalism, capitalism, and ultimately communism. In each stage, conflict between opposing groups leads to social change, with communism offering the solution to capitalist exploitation.
Give the strengths of Marxism
It recognises the importance of the economy and how changes in it can affect other social institutions (it is similar to functionalism in this respect e.g. Parsons’ functional fit idea).
It shows how the structure of society can affect the consciousness and behaviour of individuals and groups e.g. how RC ideology prevents the working class from revolting
Give the criticisms of Marxism
Functionalists - since society is generally stable, there must be some shared values in it. The fact that Marx’s prediction of revolution has failed to happen in Western societies supports this criticism.
His focus on class inequality means he neglects over inequalities e.g. feminists argue that gender is a more important source of inequality than class
