Topic 5: functionalism

Question 1

Briefly explain the organic analogy

Answer 1

society is like a biological organism

organisms are relatively stable and harmonious systems which all parts work together for the common good

Question 2

Briefly outline Parsons’ three similarities between society and a biological organism.
a. System

Answer 2

organisms eg human body and societies are both systems of interrelated independent parts which fit together. In the body this includes organs, cells etc. In society, the parts are institutions eg education system

Question 3

Briefly outline Parsons’ three similarities between society and a biological organism.
System needs

Answer 3

organism have needs eg nutrients and if not the organism will die. Functionalists see the social system as having basic needs that must be met for survival eg members must be socialised if society is to continue

Question 4

Briefly outline Parsons’ three similarities between society and a biological organism.
Functions

Answer 4

for func, the function of any part of the system is to contribute to systems needs and survival. eg the circulatory system of the body which carries nutrients and oxygen to the tissues. Similarly in the economy helps maintain the social system by meeting the needs for food and shelter

Question 5

According to Parsons, how is social order achieved?

Answer 5

through the existence of a shared culture or in his words a central value system.

Question 6

Define the following key terms:

a. Culture

Answer 6

A culture is a set of norms, values and beliefs and goals shared by members of society. It provides a framework about how to behave and what people should expect of them

Question 7

b. Value consensus

Answer 7

social order is only possible so long as members of society agree on set norms and values with value consensus being the agreement (parsons)
glue which holds society together

Question 8

Briefly explain how value consensus makes social order possible.

Answer 8

does by integrating individuals into the social system, thereby directing them towards meeting the systems needs.
eg the system has to ensure that peoples material needs are met, and consensus may include a general value about the need for people to work

Question 9

Briefly outline the following two mechanisms for ensuring that individuals conform to shared norms and meet the system’s needs:
a. Socialisation (parsons)

Answer 9

through the socialisation process, individuals internalise he systems norms and values so that society becomes part of the personality. different agencies of socialisation eg education system and religion contribute to this process

Question 10

Briefly outline the following two mechanisms for ensuring that individuals conform to shared norms and meet the system’s needs:
. Social control (parsons)

Answer 10

positive sanctions reward conformity, while negative ,ones punish deviance. eg if the value system emphasises individual achievement through educational success. Those who conform may be rewarded with degrees while those who deviate will be stigmatised in society

Question 11

How does integration into a shared value system makes orderly social life possible?

Answer 11

this means that there behaviour is orientated towards pursuing society’s shared goals and meeting its needs. The behaviour of each individual will be relatively predictable, allowing cooperation between them

Question 12

Briefly explain the following ‘building blocks’ in Parsons’ model of the social system:
a. Actions

Answer 12

each action we perform is governed by specific norms and rules .

Question 13

Briefly explain the following ‘building blocks’ in Parsons’ model of the social system:
Norms

Answer 13

the specific norms and rules which are governed come in ‘clusters’ called status roles

Question 14

Briefly explain the following ‘building blocks’ in Parsons’ model of the social system:
Status-roles

Answer 14

statuses are the positions that exist in a given social system eg teacher. Roles are sets of norms that tell us how the occupant of a status must carry out their duties eg teacher must not show favouritism

Question 15

Briefly explain the following ‘building blocks’ in Parsons’ model of the social system:
Institutions

Answer 15

status roles also come in clusters, known as institutions. eg the family is an institution made up of the related roles of father, mother etc.

Question 16

Briefly explain the following ‘building blocks’ in Parsons’ model of the social system:
Sub-systems

Answer 16

related institutions are grouped together into sub- systems. eg shops, factories, banks etc are part of the economic sub- system, whose function is to meet society’s material needs
finally, these sub systems together make up the social system as a whole

Question 17

what are the following ‘building blocks’ in parsons model of the social system

Answer 17

actions 
norms 
status- roles 
institutions 
subsystems

Question 18

Briefly outline the four basic system needs (AGIL schema) that Parsons identifies:
a. Adaptation

Answer 18

the social system meets its members material needs through the economic systems

Question 19

Briefly outline the four basic system needs (AGIL schema) that Parsons identifies:
Goal attainment

Answer 19

society needs to set goals and allocate resources to achieve them. This is the function of the political sub system

Question 20

Briefly outline the four basic system needs (AGIL schema) that Parsons identifies:
Integration

Answer 20

the different parts of the system must be integrated together to pursue shared goals. This is the role of the sub - system of religion, education and the media

Question 21

Briefly outline the four basic system needs (AGIL schema) that Parsons identifies:
Latency

Answer 21

refers to the process that maintain society over time. This provides pattern maintenance ( socialising individuals to go on performing the roles society requires) and tension management ( a place to ‘let off steam’ after the stresses of work)

Question 22

Which of these systems needs are instrumental and which expressive?

Answer 22

adaption and goal attainment as instrumental needs
this refers to the means to an end eg producing food to sustain population
integration and latency as expressive needs, this is due to the fact that it involves channelling emotions

Question 23

what do the 4 sub systems needs do

Answer 23

by carrying out their respective functions, the four systems ensure that society’s needs are met and social stability is maintained

Question 24

Briefly outline the norms of the following types of society:
a. Modern society

Answer 24

we pursue our individual self interest, achieve our status and we are all judged by the same universalistic standards eg equality before the law

Question 25

Briefly outline the norms of the following types of society:
Traditional society

Answer 25

individuals are expected to put collective interests first, status is ascribed and they are judged by particularistic standards eg different laws for nobles and commoners

Question 26

According to Parsons, how do societies change from one type to the other?

Answer 26

for parsons change is partial, evolutionary process of increasing complexity and structural differentiation.

Question 27

Briefly explain structural differentiation. Give an example to illustrate this.

Answer 27

a gradual process in which separate, functionally specialised institutions develop through moving equilibrium eg the rise of industry causes a change in the family from extended to nuclear.

Question 28

Briefly outline Merton’s criticism of Parsons’ three key assumptions.
a. Indispensability

Answer 28

parsons assumes that everything in society if functionally indispensable in its existing form eg family. Merton argues that this is an untested assumption and argues the possibility of ‘functional alternatives’ eg parsons assumes that primary socialisation is best in nuclear family’s but lone parent hoods may be better

Question 29

Briefly outline Merton’s criticism of Parsons’ three key assumptions.
b. Functional unity

Answer 29

parsons argues that all parts of society are integrated. He also assumes that change will have a ‘knock on’ effect on all the other parts. But neither are necessarily true.
complex societies have many parts which are not necessarily related. instead of functional unity some may have functional autonomy

Question 30

Briefly outline Merton’s criticism of Parsons’ three key assumptions.
Universal functionalism

Answer 30

parsons assumes that everything in society performs a positive function for society as whole. some may be functional for some groups and dysfunctional for others.

Question 31

Using examples, briefly explain Merton’s two types of function:
a. Manifest functions

Answer 31

example of Hopi Indians who perfrom a rain dance when in drought with the aim of magically producing rain. From a scientific view point this is unlikely to achieve the goal

Question 32

Using examples, briefly explain Merton’s two types of function:
Latent functions

Answer 32

Hopi islands might have unintended latent functions for instance promoting a sense of solidarity in times of hardship, when individuals might be tempted to look after themselves at the expense of others

Question 33

Define teleology.

Answer 33

this is the idea that things exist because of their effect of function. eg functionalist believe that the family exists for the socialisation of children. Explains the existence of the family in terms of its effect

Question 34

Using the example of the family, explain the criticism that functionalism is teleological.

Answer 34

however critics argue that that a real explanation states its cause and not its effect (teleology) for instance logically a cause must come before its effect. Contrastingly functionalists explains the existence of one thing (the family) in terms of something else that can only be its effect (socialisation), since socialisation can only come after we have families

Question 35

Briefly explain why functionalism is unscientific. Give an example to illustrate this.

Answer 35

the reason for this it because it is not falsifiable.
eg functionalists see deviance as both dysfunctional (society’s needs can only be met if individuals conform) and functional (eg reinforcing social solidarity). If functional and dysfunctional, then the theory cannot be disproved and is unscientific

Question 36

Briefly outline the Marxist criticism of functionalism.

Answer 36

for the inability to explain conflict and change. This is partly due to the organic analogy.

Question 37

According to conflict theorists, how does functionalism legitimate the status quo?

Answer 37

one reason is due to its focus on harmony and stability rather than conflict and change
another reason is its assumptions of ‘universal functionalism’ and ‘indispensability’ justify the existing social order as inevitable and desirable

Question 38

Briefly outline Wrong’s action perspective criticism of functionalism.

Answer 38

criticises functionalism for being ‘over socialised’ and deterministic view of the individual. Argues that the functionalist system uses socialisation to shape people behaviour so that they meet the systems needs by performing their prescribed roles. Individuals have no free will or choice they are puppets

Question 39

Briefly explain how functionalism reifies. Why do action approaches see this as a problem?

Answer 39

treats society as a distinct thing over and above individuals, with its own needs. They see this as a problem as to them society is not a ‘thing out there’ with its own independent existence

Question 40

Briefly outline the postmodernist criticism of functionalism.

Answer 40

functionalism assumes that society is stable and orderly. for this reason it cannot account for the diversity and instability in todays postmodern society. In their view functionalism is a meta narrative/ big story.