Functionalist

• 1. The Organic Analogy

  In describing society, functionalists often use an organic analogy – in other words they say that society is like a biological organism
• System Organisms such as the human body, and societies are both self-regulating systems of interrelated, interdependent parts that fit together in fixed ways. In the body these parts are organs, cells, etc. In society, the parts are institutions (the education system, the family) and individual roles (such as teacher, mother)
• 1. System needs

  Organisms have needs, such as nutrition for example. If these needs are not met, the organism will die. Functionalists see the social system as having basic needs that must be met if it is to survive. For example, its members must be socialised if society is to continue.
• 1. Functions

  For functionalists, the function of any part of a system is the contribution it makes to meeting the system’s needs and thus ensuring its survival. For example, the circulatory system of the body carries nutrients and oxygen to the tissues. Similarly, the economy helps to maintain the social system by meeting the need for food and shelter.
• Value Consensus and Social Order

  • Parsons argues that social order is achieved through the existence of shared culture or in his words a central value system.
  • Cultire provides a framework that allows individuals to cooperate by laying down rules about how they should behave and what others may expect of them
• Value Consensus and Social Order (2)

  • Basic function of value consensus is therefore to make social order possible. It does this by integrating individuals into the social system -> thus directing them to meet systems needs.
• For parsons the system has two mechanisms for ensuring that individuals conform to shared norms

  1. Socialisation
  2. Social control
• Socialisation

  Through the socialisation process, individuals internalise the system’s norms and values so that society becomes part of their personality structure. Different agencies of socialisation, such as the family, media and religion, all contribute to this process.
• Social Control

  Social control can be formal or informal. Positive sanctions reward conformity, while negative ones punish deviance. For example, if the value system stresses individual achievement through educational success, those who conform are rewarded with qualifications, while those who deviate by dropping out or failing are stigmatised at lazy.
• Social Control (2)

  Through socialisation and social control into a shared value system their behaviour is oriented towards pushing society’s shared goals.

  Behaviour of each individual will be relatively predicted and stable allowing cooperation between them.
• Social Change

  Parsosns identifies two types of society - tradional and modern. Each has its own set of norms for example in modern society we pursue ourindividal self interest, achieve our status and are all judged by the same universalistic standards

  By contrast is tradional society individuals are expected to put collective interests first and status is ascribed