Functionalism Vocab Flashcards
Particularistic values
Children learn particularistic values through primary socialisation in the family. The child’s status is ascribed
Universalistic values
Through school and other institutions, children learn the norms and values of wider society through which a value consensus can be achieved, leading to social cohesion and solidarity.
Ascribed status
Refers to the social status a person is assigned at birth.
Anomie
A lack of the usual social or ethical standards in an individual or group.
Organic analogy
-Emile Durkheim used this and argued that society was like a human body
-society was made up of various institutions that acted like organs in a body
They all need to function properly for society to function properly
Equality of opportunity
The idea that people ought to be able to compete on equal terms for jobs and positions.
Meritocracy
Describes a society whereby jobs and pay are allocated based on an individual’s talent rather than by social status
Social solidarity
Durkheim
Individuals must feel part of a single community
Consensus theory
those that see people in society as having shared interests and society functioning on the basis of there being broad consensus on its norms and values.
Achieved status
A social position that a person can acquire on the basis of merit. It is a position earned or chosen.
Social order
Refers to the way the various components of society work together to maintain status quo
Determinism
social interactions and constructs alone determine individual behavior (as opposed to biological or objective factors).
Collective consciousness
A group’s or society’s commonly shared fundamental beliefs, customs, norms, and values.
