Functionalism Flashcards
Who origionated the functionalist theory?
Emile Durkheim
What type of theory is functionalism?
consensus and structural theory
What is a consensus theory?
idea that society works best if people agree an a set of principles and share norms,values and beliefs
What is a structural theory?
society linked to form a structure
What did Durkheim argue?
members of society need to feel social solidarity and belonging to a larger community
What is Anomie?
in large modern society people would lose a sense of belonging and feel isolated
What did Parsons have to say about functionalism?
emphasised importance of socialisation amd saw key institutions like family or school as religious organisations working to transmit values to new generations
What is organic analogy?
seeing society as a human body with different organs contributing. If one fails the body shuts down ( if a part of society fails, society as a whole struggles)
What are the strengths of functionalism?
- analyses how society works together
- highlights the importance of cooperation
Why did functionalism face conflict in 1960?
- fails to explain conflicts in society
- assumes society benefits everyone equally
- in multicultural societies there is often conflict so not everyone agrees
- ideas of powerful groups tend to dominate
How does functionalism link to Marxism?
Both focus on structures in society. Particularly in relation to institutions
