Functionalism

Question 1

What is organic analogy?

Answer 1

How, like a human body, society is a system that needs its needs met in order to perform its functions

Question 2

Which sociologist noted the three similarities between society and a biological organism?

Answer 2

Parsons (1970)

Question 3

What are the three similarities between society and the human organism?

Answer 3

System - body and society have interdependent parts that fit together in different ways - society = institutions (education system, family, religion)

System needs - basic needs that must be met for society to survive e.g. members have to be socialised in order for it to continue

Functions - the function of any part of society is the contribution it makes to meet society’s needs and help it survive e.g. economy for food and shelter

Question 4

What is a value consensus?

Answer 4

Society agreeing with and abiding by society’s shared norms and values

Question 5

How is social order maintained?

Answer 5

Socialisation and social control (awarding conformity and punishing deviance); allowing for the predictability and stability of people’s behaviour

Question 6

What are the building blocks of the social system?

Answer 6

Individual actions - status-roles (norms and rules) - sub-systems (institutions) - social system (sub-systems)

Question 7

What are Parson’s four basic needs?

Answer 7

Adaptation (meeting member’s material needs through the economic subsystem)

Goal-attainment (Setting goals and allocating resources to achieve them through the political sub-system)

Integration (Pursuing shared goals through religion and education)

Latency (Maintaining society over time - pattern maintenance (socialising individuals to go on performing the roles society requires) and tension management (let off steam after work)

Question 8

What is different between traditional and modern societies?

Answer 8

Traditional - collective > individual; ascribed status; judged by particularistic standards (different laws for nobles and peasants)

Modern - individual > collective; achieved status; judged by universal standards (rule of law)

Question 9

True or false - Durkheim came up with structural differentiation

Answer 9

False - it was Parsons

Question 10

What is structural differentiation?

Answer 10

Separate, functionally specialised institutions develop, each meeting a different need e.g. schools fulfilling the integration role

Question 11

According to Parsons, how is gradual change occurring?

Answer 11

Through moving equilibrium - change happening in one part of society affects the other e.g. rise of industry changing the family structure from extended to