Functionalism and YC

Question 1

Social solidarity

Answer 1

Standing together as one big community

E.g. the prison system

Question 2

Collective consciousness

Answer 2

Refers to a set of shared beliefs , ideas, attitudes and knowledge that are common to a social group / society
E.g. religon: Durkheim

Question 3

Social integration

Answer 3

Process which newcomers / minorities incorporate into the social construct

Question 4

What theory is functionalism?

Answer 4

Structural theory as it studies on a macro scale

Question 5

What is anomie? (Durkheim)

Answer 5

A child needs to be socialised / integrated with others or they fall into anomie which creates a sense of normlessness

Question 6

What can anomie lead to?

Answer 6

Depression, isolation, suicide and crime

Question 7

What are the origins of youth cultures?

Answer 7

Youth cultures developed after WW2 because of social changes: Disposable income, multicultural, delayed adulthood

Question 8

Parsons

Answer 8

RITE OF PASSAGE

• Try to detach themselves from parents
• Youth culture = a gentle way to integrate to adulthood
• Identities developed in youth cultures which are different to the ones at home
• The shift from comfortable home life to the competitive world of work is difficult
• Youth culture smooths the transition

Question 9

Eisenstadt

Answer 9

ASCRIBED TO ACHIEVED

• Youth = a time of stress / anxiety (changing norms)
• Have to rely on each other which provides outlet for tensions (social solidarity)
• Parents want children to have universal values of adults (respect)
• Conflict at home
• Youth culture soothes rough edges of adulthood

Question 10

Abrams

Answer 10

FUNCTIONAL FOR SOCIETY

• Beneficial for society
• Boosts consumer spending / creates jobs
• Britain = viewed more positively if people want to trade with us
• More jobs = less unemployment = less tax = less crime
• Leading to education improvement
• Youth have a lot of economic power

Question 11

Strengths (2)

Answer 11

• Most young people are quite conformist and don’t want to overthrow society, like Marxists would argue
• Gives an explanation for forms of deviant behaviour (Eisenstadt) as they act as a safety valve preforming a positive function

Question 12

Weaknesses (6)

Answer 12

X Not considered different ethnicities

X Ignores subcultures (skinheads / punks)

X Describing people like themselves: white, middle class Americans = ethnocentric

X Theory = quite old and dated

X Ignores gender - feminists

X Postmodernists like Polemus - there is no such thing as a single youth culture