Functionalism Flashcards
Functionalism(theory)
-Macro,structural theory
-Focuses on the needs of the social system as a whole,society shapes individuals
-how the needs are met
-Society based on consensus/agreement among its members about values
-modernists()we can obtain true knowledge -study society
Society as a system-society described by organic analogy
-Parson identifies 3 similarities between society and a biological organism
-System:society is self-regulating system of institutions/units/organs/cells(institutions-family,school,mother,education etc)
-System needs:things that the system(organs) /instituitons needs to function properly(ie)members must be socialised for society to continue
-Functions:the organs must work together to help the body survive,so institutions must work together to help society flourish
Values consensus and social order
-Parson:social order is achieved through a shared culture
-culture provides norms,values/rules or a framework for people to interact through allowing individuals to cooperate with the rules about how they should behave and what is expected of them
-How is social order possible?
-Through Social solidarity: a shared culture which provides framework for individuals in terms of behaviour.
-We need value consensus in order to glue society together and make social order possible
-Social order only possibly if all member of society agree on norms and values=CALLED AGREEMENT CONSESUS
Parson:The system has TWO FUNCTIONS to ensure individuals conform to shared values and meet the systems needs
-through integrating individuals into the social system by making them meet the system needs
-Individuals integrated through:
-Socialisation:individuals being taught what the system needs them to do-individuals internalize the norms & values so society becomes part of their personality
-Social control: either sanctioned for incorrect behaviour(any if dont work hard-punished)/rewarded for correct behaviour(work hard-rewards-promotion).This helps maintain control and order in society
-integration into shared order-makes social order possible
-These make’s individuals behaviour predictable & stable allowing cooperation and their behaviour being oriented towards meeting societies needs and goals
A02:Education provides secondary socialization thus integrating individuals into society giving them a sense of belonging and identity
A03 of the system has TWO FUNCTIONS to ensure individuals conform to shared values and meet the systems needs
Postmodernist:would argue that these functions are harder to perform-there’s more freedom & diversity
-we now persue self-interests-fragmented lifestyle(it’s impossible to unite us all to socialise the same way)
-functionalist idea outdated,no more social solidarity
Marxist:legitimise inequality
Althusser argues that social control as simply being ISAs/RSAs.These institutions are ruled by the RC and keep WC under control to prevent revolution
The parts of the social system
Parson:Building Block approach to describing the social system
Bottom part:Individuals actions governed by society norms & values
-socialised into behaving a certain way
Medium part:gain status role (expectations of behaviour of individuals)EG.learn actions the meed to become teachers,shouldn’t have favourites
Bottom up: subsystems all status roles are clustered to become institutions(family,school etc)
Top:institutions grouped together are social systems(eg)shops,banks,factories etc make the economic sub-system
System
-Examples of subsystems:
-ECONOMIC:shops,banks,business
-POLITICAL:government,local gov(council)
-LEGAL:laws,police,courts
CULTURAL:family,religion,media,school
Then society is a big bubble that contains these subsystems that are made by institutions and the subsystems make society
The systems needs
-Parsons identifies 4 basic needs,known as AGIL SCHEME
-there are societies functional requirements which need to be met to survive
1.)ADAPTATIONS:meet material needs through the economic subsystem
2.)GOAL ATTAINMENT:decide the goals through political sub systems-goverment
3.)INTEGRATION:society must reinforce this goals and shared values to achieve cohesion-agencies of control will create community
4.)LATENCY:socialise the young-education,family-ease tensions and support us
Social Change
-Parson identifies two type of society-traditional and modern-each has its own norms
Society moves from simple to complex structures similar to the evolutionary process of humans
-single-cell organism evolved into animals
-Structural differentiation:institutions in simple society have been replaced or forgotten and developed to to meet each different need ie religion
-extended to nuclear family
modern society
had a complex division of labour which promotes differences between groups, this weakens social solidarity.
all judged the same-universalistic standards-
-achieved status
-individualism-We peruse individual self-interest,
specificity(relationships narrowed)
deferred gratification-put off joy for pleasure for later)
Traditional Society
a society based on solidarity
status ascribed-born with
-immediate gratification(have pleasure now,rather for greater joy later)
-collectivism-it has strong collective consensus together
-particularism(diff people treated diff based on their status-you should know your place)
social order
is achieved through a central value or shared culture; a set of norms and values or beliefs that are shared by members of society.
kinship system
relationships within a community or family
social control
the techniques and strategies for preventing deviant human behaviour in any society
Merton’s internal critique of functionalism
Indispensability: Parsons ignores the fact that there may be functional alternatives as he believes all institutions are essential
eg One parent families can perform socialization and not only nuclear families.
Functional Unity: Parson assumes that all parts of the society are integrated into a whole unity and that change some part of institutions will have a knock effect on all other parts but ignores the fact that some institutions have functional autonomy(independence) so its hard to see connections between sgtructures
Universal Functionalism: Parson assumes that all things in society perform a positive function for society as a whole but ignores the idea that some things may be functional for some but dysfunctional for othersit woill benefit some groups and some wont)
Merton Manifest & latent functions
-critics Parson-too narrow- not everything is necessary,not all institutions are interconnected & some arent working
-broader definistions needed
Manifest functions:are actions that are pre-planned/intended
Latent functions:are unintended & unconscious consequences
Ao3
-ignore gender inequalities-ignores conflict
-deterministic-assumes human behavior is stable and controlled by extreme forces
External critics of functionalism
-Logical criticisms
-Postmodernist criticism
-Conflict perspective criticism
-Action perspective criticism
-Conflict perspective criticism
-ignores conflict in society and ignores how change argue that society is not harmonious-based on exploitation & divided into classes-unequal power-stbility is the result of the dominant class being able to prevent change by coercion(force)/ideological manipulation-prevent revolution
-feminists believe that society is based on conflict:class & patriarchy
-shared values are just covering the interest that MC gains from exploitation
-Action perspective criticism
Ignores free will-puppets whose strings are pulled by the social system and is overly- deterministic(social system uses socilaisation to shape peoples behaviour so the system needs by performing their prescribed roles.Individuals shapes society(bottom-up)
Postmodernist criticisms
functionalism assumes society is stable and orderly
— cannot account for diversity and instability in postmodern society.
Functionalism is an example of a meta-narrative that attempts to create a model of the workings of society as a whole; an overall theory is no longer possible because society is increasingly fragmented
Applying functionalism
-Education
-Family
Education:Schools socialize students into society to create social solidarity
-provide students with skills for work and teach meritocracy
allocate roles for individuals within society
Family:primary socialisation leads to stable personalities
teaches traditional gender roles
nuclear family is the best
Durkheim-society is shaped by social facts such as norms and values that are passed on and shared
-too much freedom=anomie(lack of norms and values) therefore society needs social solidarity=people need to feel part of something bigger to stay together=social stability
The organic analogy-parson
-Society works like a human body
-institutions in society are like organs-they are interdependent but must work together
-each is important to maintain social solidarity
-social solidarity to be achieved=social order and social cohesion need to be balanced-through socialization
