Functionalism Flashcards
What is the organic analogy in functionalism according to Parsons?
Parsons identifies 3 similarities between society and a biological organism: 1) a system made up of interrelated, interdependent parts, 2) system needs similar to biological needs, and 3) functions that meet system needs.
What are the 4 basic needs identified by Parsons?
1) Adaptation: meets members’ material needs through the economic subsystem. 2) Goal attainment: society must set goals and allocate resources for people to achieve them. 3) Integration: different parts of a system must integrate through shared goals. 4) Latency: processes that maintain society over time.
What does Merton criticize about Parsons’ assumptions?
Merton critiques 3 assumptions: 1) Everything is indispensable in its existing form; 2) Society is tightly integrated with knock-on effects; 3) Everything performs a positive function.
What is an example of Merton’s critique regarding functional alternatives?
Merton points to ‘functional alternatives’, such as primary socialization being efficiently carried out by a lone parent family.
What does Merton mean by ‘functional autonomy’?
Merton explains that modern complex societies have many parts, and some have ‘functional autonomy’ from others.
What is the postmodernist critique of functionalism?
Postmodernists argue that functionalism doesn’t account for the diversity and instability in today’s postmodern society, as it attempts to create a model of society’s workings as a whole.
