Functionalism

• Social solidarity


  The feeling of being a part of a larger social group
• Durkheim said that social institutions provide individuals with a sense of social solidarity
• Social consensus


  The shared norms and values of society, including shared practices, traditions, customs and beliefs that maintain and reinforce social solidarity
• Functionalism


  • A structural theory that sees society as a system with certain needs that must be met for it to function properly
  • Durkheim believed the main way to achieve social consensus is through socialisation in societal institutions like the education system
• Durkheim believed that individual freedom is bad for society as it leads to anomie, which can disrupt social solidarity
• Durkheim believed that society is a social fact that can be studied using scientific methods like observation, data collection and analysis
• Durkheim believed that too much anomie (normlessness) is harmful to social solidarity, and that social institutions help reinforce social solidarity
• Talcott Parsons


  • Identified 4 key needs of society: Adaptation, Goal Attainment, Integration, and Pattern Maintenance
  • Argued that society is like a human body, with different institutions as organs that work together to maintain a healthy, functioning whole
• Parsons expanded on Durkheim's work, but criticised the over-emphasis on individual interpretation in Weber's social action theory
• Functionalism


  A sociological theory that examines how social structures and institutions meet the needs of society as a whole, emphasizing interconnectedness and interdependence.
• Naivety about Group Life


  ont>Naivety about Group Life</front> <back(Functionalist Limitation 1) Neglects the role of power struggles and social inequality, assuming social order is maintained without conflict.
• Functionalist Limitations


  A critique of functionalism, highlighting its limitations, including NGL, oversimplification, lack of empirical evidence, teleology, and ignoring conflict and change.
• Robert Merton


  Sociologist who developed ideas about the functions of social institutions
• Merton's idea


  • Institutions have different functions that help keep society running smoothly
• Manifest functions


  The intended functions or outcomes of an institution or activity
• Manifest function of going to school

  • To get an education, which helps children get good exam results and move to higher education or work
• Manifest function of religious gatherings


  • To provide a place of worship where people can practice their religion
• Manifest function of the Hopi Tribe performing dances

  • To produce rain
• Latent functions


  The unintended functions or outcomes of an institution or activity
• Latent functions of attending school

  • Preparing children for the real world by giving them knowledge and skills
  • Enabling children to develop social and communication skills by encouraging them to make friends
  • Promoting hope and solidarity in difficult times
• Merton's Strain Theory


  Crime is a reaction to a lack of opportunities to achieve legitimate goals in society
• Merton argued the American dream of a meritocratic and equal society is a delusion, as the structural organisation prevents everyone from having the same opportunities and achieving the same goals due to their race, gender, class or ethnicity
• According to Merton, anomie occurs due to an imbalance between an individual's goals and an individual's status (usually related to wealth and material possession), causing a 'strain' that may lead to crime and deviance