Functionalism Flashcards
Who were the key theorists for Functionalism?
Emile Durkheim (1858-1917) and Talcott Parsons (1902-1979)
Who created Functionalism?
Emile Durkheim
What are the core beliefs of Functionalism?
The core belief is that society is a system much like the human body and every organ has a part to play (like the body) to keep it functioning.
Society is like a system where different institutions e.g. family, education, and religion, work simultaneously to maintain stability.
What are the key differences between Durkheim and Parson beliefs regarding Funcionalism?
Durkheim emphasises social solidarity and the collective conscience, while Parsons believed that society functions through shared norms and values, ensuring equilibrium.
What are values?
Values are beliefs and ideas that society sees as important, and that are accepted by the majority of society.
Values are things we believe in, strive to achieve, and that guide our behaviour.
For example, in the UK we value life, success, honesty, loyalty, hygiene, family and more!
What are norms?
Norms are expected patterns of patterns of behaviour that are based on the values of a culture.
For example, in the UK it is a norm to wear clothes in public (based on the value of modesty), to eat food with a knife and fork (based on the values of hygiene and manners), to join the back of a queue (based on the value of order, politeness and fairness)
What did Margaret Mead study in 1935?
Margaret Mead was an American anthropologist who studied several different tribal cultures in Samoa and New Guinea in the first half of the 20th Century. One area she studied was male and female behaviour and gender role expectations.
She studied 3 tribes: Arapesh tribe both genders were gentle and cooperative, Mundugumor tribe were violent and aggressive, and the Chambri tribe had roles that were completely the opposite of that expected in the UK and US - females were dominant and aggressive, males were timid, emotionally dependent and spent time decorating themselves.
Can norms change over time?
Yes - for example, it used to be acceptable to smoke in public places (e.g. pubs), but now smoking is banned.
What is a Functionalist view on education?
Functionalists see education as essential for maintaining social order.
Durkheim believed education teaches social solidarity and social norms.
Parsons argued that school acts as a bridge between family and wider society, thus promoting a meritocracy.
More recently, Davis and Moore have introduced the idea of ‘role allocation’, which suggests that education sorts individuals into roles that best suit their abilities, thus allowing them to make the greatest contribution to society as possible.
What is a meritocracy?
Is a system that completely disregards social and cultural backgrounds, instead argues merit (e.g. qualification) deserves the best jobs.
What is a Functionalists view on Family?
Functionalists view the Family as a positive institution.
Murdoch identified 4 key functions:
Sexual, Reproductive, Economic, Education.
Parsons later introduced the ‘warm bath theory’, arguing family stabilises adult personalities whilst also socialising children with the correct social norms which in turn allowed children to grow up and become successful members of society.
What is a Functionalist view on Media?
Functionalists view media as a key component in reinforcing social norms, for example: news depicting crime in a negative way will lead to less people turning to a life of crime which keeps members of society to keep contributing to society in a positive way.
What is a Functionalist view on crime and deviance?
Durkheim believed that crime is inevitable and thus through its punishment can be used to reinforce social norms that portray crime and deviance as having a negative effect on the individual who commits the crime and society as a whole.
Strain’s theory contrasts Durkheim’s by suggesting that crime only occurs when people cannot achieve societal goals through legitimate means and thus people adapt to fulfil their goals using illegal methods.
What is Functionalists view on Social Inequality?
Davis and Moore argued that inequality is inevitable as the people earning the highest salaries and alternative rewards are earning these because they are the people making the greater contributions to society. For example, judges and doctors who are perceived to contribute more to society are paid more than steelworkers or bin men.
