Theory - Functionalism Flashcards
Parsons (1970) and organisms:
Functionalists often use an ‘organic analogy’, comparing society to a biological organism, Parsons (1970) has three points of comparison:
- System: both are self-regulating systems of interdependent and interrelated parts that fit together in fixed manners (like institutions or individual roles)
- System needs: both have needs (like order and solidarity), the absence of which will lead to death
- Functions: the parts of a system all serve to meet its needs and ensure survival (like the justic system aiding order)
To Parsons, how is social order possible?
The existence of value consensus (a set of shared norms, values and beliefs decided by the needs of the system) within society sets out a framework for cooperation and social interaction, through a system of rules of ‘normal’ behaivour.
What are the 2 mechnaisms for conforming to the value consensus?
- Socialisation: individuals are taught to internalise the system’s norms and values by institutions like the family and school, the society then becomes a part of their personality structure
- Social control: by rewarding conformity and punishing deviance, people learn that conforming is best for them
To Parsons, what are the parts of the social system?
- At the lowest level are the specific norms that guide our actions
- Norms come in clusters, known as status-roles, essentially the norms for specific statuses like teacher
- Status-roles come in clusters, known as institutions, like the combination of the roles ‘student’ and ‘teacher’ making up ‘schools’
- Institutions come in clusters, known as sub-systems, like ‘the economy’
- Sub-systems come together to form the whole ‘social system’
What is AGIL?
Parsons identifies 4 basic needs of the social system, each met by a seperate sub-system:
- Adaptation: member’s material needs are met by the economic sub-system
- Goal attainment: setting of goals and allocation of resources on that basis is met by political sub-system
- Integration: integration of members into the value consensus is met by the religious, educational, and media sub-systems
- Latency: the maintenance of society is met by the kinship sub-system, which performs pattern maintenance and tension management
How does the social system meet latency needs?
The kinship sub-system does this in two ways:
- Pattern maintenance: socialising individuals to go on performing the roles society requires
- Tension management: releasing frustration individuals may have at the system
What are the two types of needs of the social system?
Parsons argues that adaptation and goal attainment are ‘instrumental’ needs as they are simply means to an end; on the other hand, integration and latency are ‘expressive’ needs as they involve the expression of emotion.
What are the two types of society?
Parsons distinguishes between traditional societies (based on collective interest, ascribed status and particularistic standards) and modern societies (based on individualistic interest, meritocratic status and universalistic standards).
We move from the former to the latter via a slow process of ‘structural differentiation’ (reflecting evolution) and ‘dynamic equilibrium’ where different parts of a system will change to compensate.
What are the three grounds that Merton criticises Parsons?
Merton’s internal critique of functionalism argues that Parsons has three assumptions
- Indispensability
- Functional unity
- Universal functionalism
How does Merton argue that Parsons assumes ‘Indispensability’?
Parsons makes the untested assumption that society is functionally indispensable as it is, with other possible institutions (‘functional alternatives’) being equally functional, if not more, when meeting system needs - nuclear families aren’t necessarily the best at socialising, maybe communes would be better
How does Merton argue that Parsons assume society is a ‘functional unit’?
Parsons assumes that society is a tightly woven machine, where each part is functional for the rest and changes in any part will have ‘knock-on’ effects on all other parts - Merton argues that some parts have ‘functional autonomy’ from others as they are distinct enough to not affectone another.
How does Merton argue that Parsons assumes ‘universal functionalism’?
Parsons assumes that everything in society performs a positive function for society as a whole, ignoring that some things are overall ‘dysfunctional’ for society or that some things are more functional for certain groups (like men).
What are Merton’s two types of functions?
- Manifest functions: Hopi Indians perform magical ‘rain-dances’ with the aim of producing rain
- Latent functions: the dances have the unintended effect of promoting group solidarity
What are the four kinds of external criticisms against functionalism?
- Logical
- Conflict
- Action
- Postmodern
What is the logical criticism of functionalism?
Functionalism is ‘teleological’, it assumes that things happen or exist because they have function - critics argue that the cause muct come before the effect. Additionally, it is unscientific as, because something like crime can be both functional and dysfunctional, its principles are unfalsifiable via testing
What is the conflict criticism of functionalism?
Linking to the organic analogy, parts of organic systems all work together for the common good - conflict theorists like Marxists argue that society is not harmonious and that functionalism fails to explain things like conflict and change.
What do conflict theorists see functionalism as?
Functionalism is a ‘conservative ideology’ that legitimate the status quo by focussing on the functions of different institutions and their indispensability, thus providing reasoning against social change.
What is the action perspective criticism of functionalism?
Wrong (1961) argues that functionalism is ‘deterministic’ in its view of individuals, treating us as socialisation puppets to be controlled by society for its own needs - action perspectives, disagree, arguing that individuals are the ones to create influence society, not the other way around. Functionalism also ‘reifies’ society, treating it as something seperate and above, rather than something that we internally construct.
What is the postmodern criticism of functionalism?
Postmodernists argue that social order has broken down as fragmentation has led to the loss of value consensus. Additionally, functionalism is just another meta-narrative that claims the sole truth despite fragmentation.
