Functionalism

• Structuralist theory-

  Durkheim argued that most social phenomenas can only be explained by looking at the ways societies are socially organised
• Successful socialisation into value consensus-

  -Learning basic norms and values during primary socialisation in the family

  -secondary agents of socialisation such as education systems transmit shared cultural values to produce conformity and consensus

  -parsons- education forms a bridge between family and wider society

  -Durkheim-religion socialises members into value consensus by investing certain values with a sacred quality (they become moral codes)
• Social inegration-

  -refers to a sense of belonging to society

  -socialisation agents such as education, function to bring a sense of social integration through the teaching of history and religion
• Social control-

  -Once members of society have been socialised into values, their behaviour needs to be regulated and values reinforced by informal agencies of control such as the family e.g.- through praise and punishment

  -formal agencies of control such as the CJS (police, the law) also encourage people to conform
• Evaluation-

  -Overly deterministic - suggesting that behaviour is wholly determined by social factors and doesnt consider free will

  -it presents an over socialised picture of pexpel being turning into conformist citizens

  -fails to account for social conflict

  -fails to consider the possible social dysfunctions of key social institutions
• The 4 basic needs of society (GAIL)

  Goal attainment- society makes its own goals and decides who gets economic assets

  Adaption- society has to adapt and change so it meets the needs of all members

  Integration- institutions in society work together to teach us social norms and values

  Latency- pattern maintenance -> maintaining value consensus through socialisation
• what type of theory is functionalism

  macro, consensus and structual
• organic analogy (Parsons)

  • society is a system of independent parts
  • each part carries out a function to help meet the needs of the system
• Society is beneficial for its members

  • even things that appear negative like crime has benefits for society
  • Durkheim - crime leads to social change and boundary maintanence