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Functionalism The Basics

Functionalism The Basics. Functionalism is mainly associated with the work of two sociologists . Emile Durkheim 1858-1917. … and Talcott Parsons 1902-1979. Sociological theories always have to be understood in terms of the time in which they were developed.

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Functionalism The Basics

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  1. Functionalism The Basics

  2. Functionalism is mainly associated with the work of two sociologists

  3. Emile Durkheim 1858-1917

  4. … and Talcott Parsons 1902-1979

  5. Sociological theories always have to be understood in terms of the time in which they were developed

  6. For Durkheim key features of the C19 were: Industrialisation - the specialised division of labour

  7. ..and the movement of people from country to city –urban life …and it’s still going on in other parts of the world

  8. For Parsons two particular things struck him about life in 1950s USA The considerable affluence enjoyed by many

  9. ..and the vast scale of urban society Downtown Los Angeles – early 1900s and 2010 Times of progress and improvement ? Functionalists thought so.

  10. Both sociologists developed a view which focuses on the idea that societies EVOLVE , grow or develop - a bit like living organisms

  11. Societies are simply organised to start with, but over time they grow and become more complex

  12. Like an organism, societies have certain needs

  13. Needs are called ‘functional prerequisites’

  14. All societies have these needs – but they can achieve them in different ways

  15. Systems are developed to meet the needs

  16. An education system

  17. A political system….. .. And so on

  18. The systems and the society are held together because everyone shares the same values There is a shared culture

  19. The shared culture is transmitted through socialisation into common norms and values

  20. Social order is created through the use of sanctions

  21. Society changes as systems or structures become more complex

  22. In large scale industrial society new ways have to be found to meet functional prerequisites

  23. The need for specialised workers and professionals means the old system of aristocratic elites will not work

  24. industrial society therefore becomes meritocratic Functional Necessity

  25. ..anyone can make it – if they have talent

  26. But things don’t always work so smoothly

  27. Robert Merton said industrial societies could be Dysfunctional

  28. …if essential needs are not being met or if some groups cannot achieve the goals of the whole society

  29. So don’t think that all functionalists are the same – it’s a complex body of theory

  30. Not a bad theory But how could you criticise it?

  31. it assumes value consensus Clockwise Taiwan, Turkey, UK, Ukraine Political discussions around the world

  32. It generally has an inadequate view of power – everyone seems fairly equal Do we all start from the same position with equal power and resources?

  33. it seems deterministic – as with Marxism, people still seem very much at the mercy of social structures

  34. Over to you Like all theories it has strengths and weaknesses But one point worth remembering is that even sociologists who don’t likefunctionalism much, usually recognise the importance of Durkheim – he believed in the idea of social structures.

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