Functionalism

Question 1

Functionalism

Answer 1

-structural consensus
-society shaped by social institutions
-norms and values
-society harmonious, value consensus, collective conscience
-conservative

Question 2

Durkheim

Answer 2

-positivist
-sociology as scientific discipline
-social order and cohesion
-religion and education maintain society
-reject of norms and values drove people together
-boundary maintenance society comes together
-modern society of division of labour

Question 3

Parsons

Answer 3

Biological organism/interconnected institutions
4 functional prerequisites:
-goal attainment/politicians
-adaption/economy provide for people
-integration of norms and values/education, family and media
-latent: Pattern maintenance prepare people for future roles and meritocracy, Tension management is when social change happens in one area likely to happen in another so universal functionalism e.g. British Values

Question 4

Mertons dislikes

Answer 4

-criticised Parsons for the idea of universal functionalism
-there is some dysfunctional areas

Question 5

Merton

Answer 5

-suggested functional autonomy/ not everything changes with one another
-strain theory, structural inequality root of criminal behaviour
-different to other functionalists
-suggested that social institutions can be replaced unlike Parson, family education and religion

Question 6

Evaluation

Answer 6

-teleology, working backwards, explanation for something that has already happended e.g act of suicide not the cause, not falsifibale therefore not scientific
-overly deterministic, assuming human behaviour is stable and react in the same way
-ignores conflict, not equilibrium and doesn’t explain who’s norms and values its serving

Question 7

Contributions

Answer 7

-first grand narrative
-still relevant to todays society
-had an influence on new right