external critiques of functionalism

• logical criticisms

  • argue functionalism is teleological
  • Teleology is the idea that things exist because of their effect or function.
  • For example, the functionalist claim that the family exists because children need to be socialised is teleological – it explains the existence of the family in terms of its effect.
  • critics argue that a real explanation of something is one that identifies its cause 
  • functionalism only explains something in terms of its effect not the cause
• action perspective criticisms

  • Wrong (1961) criticises functionalism’s ‘over-socialised’ or deterministic view of the individual.
  • individuals are not puppets
  • take the opposite view of society - individuals create society by their interactions
• postmodernist criticisms

  • argue that functionalism assumes that society is stable and orderly.
  • As such, it cannot account for the diversity and instability in today’s postmodern society.
  • see functionalism as an outdated perspective, we have now moved from modern to postmodern society so functionalist views no longer apply