Functionalism

1. Functionalism www.educationforum.co.uk

2. Durkheim “consider social facts as things” Society exists over and above individuals. A social fact is both external to individuals and something which exerts some form of constraint over individuals – a good example is language – language is both separate from us and constrains our expression in many ways.

3. Social Facts • Functionalists like Durkheim say sociologists should study social facts – specifically the causes of social facts and the functionality of social facts for society.

4. Morality • Moral codes are seen as ‘social facts’ – they are external to us and exert constraint over us • Moral codes (norms and values) have the essential function of maintaining social order. • Durkheim says humans have a ‘Dual Nature’ – on the one hand they want to maximise their own pleasure and on the other they desire social order (the ‘collective conscience’) • Moral codes (norms and values) stop the former from destroying the latter

5. Anomie • Durkheim introduces the idea of anomie (normlessness) – this is when the collective conscience breaks down and egotism rules – anomie leads to social disintegration. • Norms and values and their transmission therefore essential to the maintenance of social order

6. Evaluation of Durkheim • The idea of human nature – society morally regulates the individual is the polar opposite of the Marxist view that ‘good’ human nature is corrupted by capitalist society • Determinism – Durkheim and the early functionalists can be criticised for seeing social forces as the only determinants of human behaviour (interactionists would disagree!) • Inequality – Functionalists tend to ignore inequalities in society. ‘Norms and values’ might simply reflect class ideology rather than being shared throughout society

7. Parsons • Says there are 4 functional pre requisites for a successful social system AGIL • A = ADAPTION • G = GOAL ATTAINMENT • I = INTERGRATION • L = LATENCY

8. ADAPTION • Refers to societies ability to adapt to the environment and meet the material needs of the people – an economic function

9. GOAL ATTAINMENT • Refers to society’s ability to set and meet gals for future development e.g. to make profits, raise taxes, plan and manage services – the political function

10. INTERGRATION • Refers to societies ability to maintain cohesion by defining and dealing with deviance – social control and socialisation

11. LATENCY • Refers to societies need to have norms and values internalised by its members through families, schools, religion etc.

12. Society as an Organic Whole • Parsons asserts that any part of society can be placed in one of the AGIL classification. • All parts of society are interconnected and work for the benefit of the whole

13. Merton Criticises Parsons from within a recognisably functionalist position: • Merton says it is wrong to assume that everything within society right now is functionally indispensable – society is not static there are functional alternatives to existing modes e.g. reconstituted family maybe just as ‘functional’ as the nuclear family • Merton claims society is becoming more and more complex and can’t be treated like some big organic whole – some parts of society are only distantly related to other parts and have what he calls ‘functional autonomy’ • Dysfunction – not everything is functional – some things are dysfunctional, some things are functional for one group and dysfunctional for others – e.g. capitalism