theory and methods - functionalism Flashcards
Around what time was the Enlightenment?
1715-1789 approx
What period is referred to as modernity?
1700s to 1960 approx
What period is referred to as postmodernity?
1960 - present day
What characterises the period of modernity?
- development of sociology
- growth in rational, scientific understanding and explanations
Who are some key sociological thinkers during the period of modernity?
- Auguste Comte
- Emile Durkheim
- Max Weber
- Karl Marx
What did early sociologists attempt to do?
- apply the same scientific principles which were being applied to nature to the organisation of human societies
- sociology emerges as a ’science’
What is meant by consensus theory?
- society is harmonious/ social order is maintained through widespread agreement, consensus
- functionalism
What is meant by conflict theory?
- society is conflict ridden and unstable/ emphasises social differences
- inequalities/ power and control by dominant groups
- elite rule/ dominant ideologies
- marxism
What are the three main approaches to sociology?
- structuralism
- social action/ interpretivist
- integrated approaches
What is meant by structuralism?
- overall structure of society - family, education, mass media and the economy, laws - act as a constraint to limit and control individual behaviour
- individual behaviour is moulded by social institutions
- macro approach, positivist methodological approach
e.g. functionalism and marxism
What is the functionalist view of society?
- sees society as stable, harmonious and integrated held together through social cohesion and value consensus
What was Emile Durkheim concerned with?
- rapid social change in society
- he identified that society was moving from a simple social structure to one with a complex, specialised division of labour
- argued that it was moving away from a traditional ‘mechanical solidarity’ with little division of labour
- modern society = division of labour promotes differences + weakens social solidarity
What is meant by anomie?
- in times where there is too much rapid change which undermines old norms creates a state of normlessness which can threaten social cohesion
What are social facts?
- institutions, statuses, roles, laws, beliefs, population distribution, urbanisation, etc
- aspects of social life that shape the behaviour of individuals
What did Durkheim’s study of suicide find?
- using the comparative method he concluded that people were more likely to commit suicide if they were male, Protestant and unmarried
What did Parsons argue?
- There are two types of society: traditional and modern
What characterises a traditional society?
put collective needs first, status is ascribed
What characterises a modern society?
The pursuit of individual needs – status is more likely to be achieved
what are the two needs of society according to Parsons?
Instrumental needs and expressive needs
What is meant by adaptation?
The social system meets its members material needs through an economic subsystem
What is meant by goal attainment?
Society needs to set goals and allocate resources to achieve them. This is the function of the political subsystem through institutions such as parliament.
What is meant by integration?
The different parts of the system must be integrated together to pursue shared goals – the function of religion, media education, et cetera
What is meant by latency?
The processes that maintain society overtime – kinship subsystem provides pattern maintenance – socialising individuals to go on performing the roles society requires and tension management – let steam off after the stresses of work
what does Merton say about indispensability?
Parsons is wrong to assume that everything in society is functionally indispensable – nuclear families are presumed to give primary socialisation but a different type of family could equally do it
