Structural-Functional Approach | Sociology

• The Structural-Functional Approach evolved from Auguste Comte's Positivism.
• This theory views society as a living organism, where each part contributes to its survival.
• Societal structures like families, work, school, and community guide our lives.
• It operates at the macro-level, examining social structures and their functions.
• Commonly called Functionalism, it is a conservative approach focused on understanding how society operates.
• Emile Durkheim is considered the founding father of Structural-Functionalism.

Herbert Spencer

• Herbert Spencer, an English sociologist, is also considered a founder of functionalism.
• Spencer compared society to the human body, with social structures working together for survival.
• Societies develop and grow in similar ways, despite cultural differences.
• Spencer incorporated Charles Darwin's evolution theory, suggesting a "survival of the fittest" within society.
• Structures or roles with the most necessary functions survive societal evolution.

Robert Merton's Functions

• Robert Merton refined Durkheim's and Spencer's work by stating that social structures have multiple functions.
• In 1949, Merton published "Social Theory and Social Structure".
• His book is considered the third most important sociological book of the 20th century by the International Sociological Association

Popularity Decline

• The Structural-Functionalist Approach was most popular in the mid-20th century.
• Sociologists used it to explain individual roles and society's reliance on social stratification.
• The approach's focus on stable behavior patterns made it difficult to explain social change.
• Social change in the latter half of the 20th century led sociologists to other theoretical perspectives.