Functionalism

Question 1

What type of theory is functionalism?

Answer 1

Macro, structural consensus theory

Question 2

What does Durkheim believe?

Answer 2

Society has a distinct quality that can’t be reduced due to the motives of individuals, society ultimately exists outside to individuals
Society functions due to its value consensus and everyone agreeing on norms and values therefore relying on equalibrium

Question 3

What is equilibrium?

Answer 3

Each subsystem will adjust to any change in the other subsystem and will continue to do so until any balance is retained
Rapid change will throw society into chaos

Question 4

What is anomie? and examples?

Answer 4

If the value consensus breaks down then anomie occurs which is no norms and values ‘normlesness’
French revelation
Mass protests
War time
Natural disasters

Question 5

What did durkheim think about rapid social change?

Answer 5

Didn’t like it believed it was a change from a social simple structure to a complex division of labour causing anomity

Question 6

Why do people in traditional a society have a strong collective conscious whilst people in modern society have weak social solidarity?

Answer 6

We used to have collective consciousness meaning believed the same things (mechanical solidarity) everyone did the same jobs
Whereas as now we all have different viewpoints and. are seeing the world differently and have different hobes

Question 7

Critics of durkheim kdea that society exists as a separate entity iver and a voice its members?

Answer 7

Bottom up theory
Peiple have free will within society and people doing veil things the same

Question 8

What is mechanic solidarity?

Answer 8

Solidarity achieved because everyone has similar roles in society
Like a machine if something breaks it can be replaced

Question 9

What is Organic solidarity?

Answer 9

Society’s functions like a body solidarity achiever because even though people have different roles they are independent on one another
One one part fails so does everything else

Question 10

What’s collective conscience?

Answer 10

A shared way if behaving and understanding the world

Question 11

What does parsons say about the human body analogy?

Answer 11

Society runs like a human body, if a part of society becomes did functional now then this affects everything, if this can’t be fixed it caused anomie

Question 12

Parson- what does parson believe a system is?

Answer 12

The body and society are systems that have vital organs/ institutions which are indeoerndant

Question 13

Parson- what does he believe are system needs?

Answer 13

Each system has needs e.g. nutrition/socialisation

Question 14

Parsons- what does he believe functions are?

Answer 14

Each part of the system has vital functions to preform to ensure the survival as a whole

Question 15

What is the value consensus and how does parsons say it’s created?

Answer 15

-Shared aims collectively agreed and used by society
-Created by socialisation by primary and secondary

Question 16

What is intergration within the consensus?

Answer 16

It’s like a brige we learn differnt cultures and learn about things bigger

Question 17

How do individuals feel apart if wider society’s?

Answer 17

Through socialisation and social controll individuals feel a part of their wider society
Their behaviour will be predictable and stable leading to social order in society

Question 18

What is parsons social system?

Answer 18

Parson takes a building block approach to explain society as a system

Question 19

Social system diagram?

Answer 19

Social system- All of these things make |up our society
|Sub system- institutions may be part of |larger groups e.g. shops, buisness
|banks are apart if the economy
|Institutions- statius and role are parts of institution’s e.g. teacher student role are part of education institutions
|Status/role clusters- human actions are governed by their statute each status had an associated role e.g. teacher must treat students for quality

Question 20

What is the agil scheme?

Answer 20

Adaptation
Goal attainment
Intergration
Latency pattern latency

Question 21

What is adaptation and institutions involved?

Answer 21

Providing the members of society with their material needs (jobs money and food) and continued to do this even if society changes
For example- economy and family

Question 22

What is goal attainment and institutions?

Answer 22

Shared goals and the means to achieve them
e.g: govt and education

Question 23

What is intergration and institutions involved?

Answer 23

Feeling cohesion in society commuted to achieving the same goals
for example- police family media and religion

Question 24

What is latency and instetituons involved?

Answer 24

Ensuring the system continued by passing on values and norms to next generations, plus providing ways to let off steam to cope with pressure of work etc
For example- family media and religion

Question 25

What is the expressive role and what AGIL scheme is this included in?

Answer 25

Expressive is care for emotional needs
Latency and intergration

Question 26

What is the instrumental role and what AGIL scheme is used?

Answer 26

Practice role and dosent confident emotions just want to get things done
Adaptation and goal attainmnets

Question 27

What’s parsons 6 functions?

Answer 27

Social change

Question 28

Parsons- social change traditional roles?

Answer 28

Ascription- ascribed status, due to family born on
Diffuseness- people enter relationships with others to satisfy a range of needs
Particularism- individuals act differently towards particular people e.g: loyal to their family but not to strangers
Affectivity- gratification is immediate, people act to gratify their desires as soon as possible
Collective orientation- people put the interest of the social groups to which they belong before their own interests

Question 29

Parsons social change, modern roles?

Answer 29

Achievement- status achieved through personal efforts
Specificity- people enter relationships with others in order to satisfy particular needs
Universalism- individuals act according to universal principles
Effective neutrality- defered gratification
Self orientation- people per sue their own interest first rather then those of those or the social group to which they belong

Question 30

Why does parsons believe that evolutionary social change must be gradual?

Answer 30

It’s just like an organism that evolved to suit its environment, society must gradually evolve not rapidly due to anokie

Question 31

What does parsons mean by structural differentiation?

Answer 31

In traditional society institutions provided a range of functions who family’s, economic, emotional, socialisation in modern industrial society funds become specialised and are preformed with specialised institutions like health care and NHS

Question 32

What does Mereton not believe in?

Answer 32

Functional unity
Universal functionalism
Indispensability

Question 33

Mereton what is functional unity?

Answer 33

All parts of society work tobether

Question 34

Mereton what is universal functionalism? and example of institutions failing this

Answer 34

You can’t assume parts of the social system fufills a positive functions
e.g. Media doesn’t provide a universal functions as it causes more harm

Question 35

Mereton what is indispensability? and examples of dispensable?

Answer 35

Cant do without social parts
e.g: religion has less influence on the wider society

Question 36

What does merton distinguish between?

Answer 36

Manifest (intended)
Latent (unintended)

Question 37

Merton what is manifest?

Answer 37

The intended and known consequence of one part of a social system
e.g: a rain dance to encourage rain in times of a drought

Question 38

Merton what is latent?

Answer 38

The unintended consequences of one part of a social system
e.g; a rain dance which creates social solidarity in times of drought

Question 39

What are external criticisms of functionalism- Conflict perspective?

Answer 39

Criticise its inability to explain conflict and change, organic analogy
- Marxists society not harmonious, based on exploration divisions
- Dee it as conservative ideology, legitimise privilege and power

Question 40

What are external criticisms of functionalism- Postmodernist criticism?

Answer 40

Argued it assumes society is stable to order
-a meta narrative( attempt to create model of working society as a whole
-Theory isn’t possible, society’s fragmented

Question 41

What are external criticisms of functionalism- Action perspective?

Answer 41

Dennis Wrong (1951)
Over socialisation/ deterministic view on individuals
- Functionalism reflects society, treats it as a distinct and above individual

Question 42

What are external criticisms of functionalism- Logical?

Answer 42

-Argues functionalism is ideological, this exists because of the effect
-Argues a real explanation is one that identities a cause
-Unscientific