Structural Functionalism Quiz

Structural Functionalism in Sociological Theory

• Structural functionalism is a theoretical framework that sees society as a complex system whose parts work together to promote solidarity and stability.

• This approach looks at society through a macro-level orientation, which is a broad focus on the social structures that shape society as a whole.

• It believes that society has evolved like organisms and looks at both social structure and social functions.

• Functionalism addresses society as a whole in terms of the function of its constituent elements; namely norms, customs, traditions, and institutions.

• Auguste Comte believed that society constitutes a separate "level" of reality, distinct from both biological and inorganic matter.

• Émile Durkheim proposed that societies tend to be segmented, with equivalent parts held together by shared values, common symbols or systems of exchanges.

• Structural functionalism may be regarded as a continuation of the Durkheimian task of explaining the apparent stability and internal cohesion needed by societies to endure over time.

• Herbert Spencer was the first true sociological functionalist and alluded to the analogy of a human body to describe society.

• Spencer recognized three functional needs or prerequisites that produce selection pressures: regulatory, operative, and distributive.

• Talcott Parsons contributed to sociology, political science, anthropology, and psychology and was heavily influenced by Durkheim and Max Weber.

• Parsons believed that the social system is made up of the actions of individuals and that social norms were always problematic.

• Kingsley Davis and Wilbert E. Moore gave an argument for social stratification based on the idea of functional necessity.The Limitations in Parsons' Thinking: Summary

• Merton identified three main limitations of functional unity, universal functionalism, and indispensability in Parsons' thinking.

• Merton developed the concept of deviance and made the distinction between manifest and latent functions.

• Merton criticized functional unity, stating that not all parts of complex society work towards the functional unity of society.

• Merton believed that some institutions and structures may have other functions or be dysfunctional for some while being functional for others.

• Merton discussed two types of functions: manifest functions and latent functions.

• Merton recognized social dysfunction as any undesirable consequence that disrupts the operation of society.

• Merton believed that there may be functional alternatives to the institutions and structures currently fulfilling the functions of society.

• Gabriel Almond and Bingham Powell introduced a structural-functionalist approach to comparing political systems.

• Almond and Powell argued that in order to understand a political system, it is necessary to understand its institutions and their respective functions.

• Unilineal descent is a theory that African "primitive" stateless societies are primarily organized around unilineal descent groups.

• Structural functionalism reached the peak of its influence in the 1940s and 1950s and was in rapid decline by the 1960s.

• Functionalism was criticized for being unable to account for social change, ignoring inequalities, and containing no sense of agency.Functionalism in Sociology

• Functionalism is a theoretical perspective in sociology that focuses on the role of social structures in society and how they function to maintain social order.

• It emphasizes the importance of social institutions, such as the family, religion, and education, in regulating and controlling behavior.

• Talcott Parsons was one of the key figures associated with functionalism, and his work emphasized the importance of social systems and the ways in which they contributed to social order.

• Parsons argued that social systems had four key functional imperatives: adaptation, goal attainment, integration, and latency.

• Functionalism was criticized for being too deterministic and for neglecting issues of power, conflict, and inequality.

• Feminist theorists in particular criticized functionalism for ignoring the ways in which women were oppressed and exploited within the family structure.

• Postmodernism, a more recent theoretical perspective, challenges the idea of grand narratives and claims of objectivity in sociology.

• Jeffrey Alexander sees functionalism as a broad school of thought, rather than a specific method or system, and advocates for a more flexible and nuanced approach to understanding social systems.

• Some theorists argue that rather than needs, societies have dispositional facts that support the existence of particular social institutions.

• Other influential theorists associated with functionalism include Robert Merton, Emile Durkheim, and Herbert Spencer.

• Functionalism remains an important perspective in sociology, but has been subject to ongoing critique and revision over time.

• Critics argue that it has tended to overemphasize stability and order at the expense of recognizing the ways in which social structures can be sources of conflict and inequality.