Functionalism sees society as based on value consensus. That is, it sees members of society as sharing a common culture. A culture is a set of shared norms (rules), values, beliefs and goals. Sharing the same culture produces social solidarity - it binds individuals together, telling them what to strive for and how to conduct themselves.
Functionalists argue that in order to achieve this solidarity, society has two key mechanisms:
Socialisation instils the shared culture into its members.This helps to ensure that individuals internalise the same norms and values, and that they feel it right to act in the ways that society requires.
Social control mechanisms include rewards (or positive sanctions) for conformity, and punishments (negative sanctions) for deviance. These help to ensure that individuals behave in the way society expects.
