DISS

• Structural Functionalism


  A sociological theory that revolves around the notion that society is composed of a system of interconnected parts that have their own particular functions
• Functionalism


  • Views societal living as shaped and guided by social structures, or the patterns of social relationships between groups or individuals
  • Social structures formed among groups or institutions are referred to as macrostructures, which include religion, education, tradition and culture
  • Social structures established among individuals or within groups that result in individual interactions are called microstructures
• Social Functions


  The effects of social structures or their purpose
• Functionalism finds it difficult to explain social change
• Manifest function


  The predicted intended, expected, and knowable effect of a social structure
• Latent function


  The unintended outcome of social structure
• Manifest dysfunction


  The predicted, expected, and knowable disruptions of a social structure
• Latent dysfunction


  The unpredicted and unexpected disruption of social structures
• Auguste Comte


  • Provided an analysis of social evolution through his Law of Three Stages
  • Provided a theory of society and man's cognitive progression from religious and abstract concepts to scientific perspective
  • Comte's ideas are considered as the precursor to structural functionalism, as he identified tradition and other social structures as elements in shaping the society
• Herbert Spencer


  • Known as the first sociological functionalist
  • His comparison of society to the human body is the overarching idea of structural functionalism
  • According to Spencer each social structure just like a body part, has purpose and function in the overall well-being of the society
  • He also compared the society will be determined by how it handles constant problems. This idea of progress and decline is called Spencer's evolutionary model as applied to societies
• Talcott Parsons


  • An American sociologist known as one of the primary contributors to the development of structural functionalism
  • Parsons identified the different systems which make up the structure of society, which he called system levels
  • The systems he expounded on were the cultural system, personality system and biological system. All these works and interact with each other in some level to provide structure to the society
• Kinsley Davis and Wilbert Moore


  • American sociologists known for the functionalist theory of stratification or Davis-Moore hypothesis
  • Their hypothesis suggests that social inequalities are necessary so that the society would function
  • Social inequalities are even viewed desirable as the entire society benefits from them – from the poor, the middle class and the rich
• Robert Merton


  • An American sociologist who was also key contributor to the functionalist theory of society
  • He was the one who developed the concepts of manifest and latent functions and dysfunctions
• Gabriel Almond and Bingham Powell


  • American political scientists who applied structural functionalist theories in comparative politics
  • They argued that the study of political system of different states must be done contextually
  • They highlighted the need to understand the institutions through which political systems were allowed to function
  • The particular function and the historical context which developed and established these institutions must also be taken into account in conducting research