Functionalism Flashcards
What is functionalism?
the idea of everything in society operating to their functions to ensure society works best
Norms
the guidelines in society for accepted behaviour
Values
the ideas behind these behaviours
Consenous
to agree with one another
Social Solidarity
the feeling of belonging to something such as a bigger community and possible sharing an identity
Anomie
someone who has no feeling of belonging and are therefore unsure on how to act
Organic analogy
the analogy that key institutions in society play a role for individuals as how an organ would play a role in the human body ; for example , the brains would be seen as a family in society as families are the place for primary socialisation
What is the first criticism for functionalism?
Fails to explain conflict. Functionalism assumes that society operates for everyone’s benefit equally
What is the second criticism for functionalism?
Does everything in society have a function? Functionalism ignores that there may be many institutions in society which exist even though they are dysfunctional.
