1. Lesson 1 – functionalism
Theory and methods
Lesson 1 – functionalism

2. By the end of this lesson you will be able to...
Identify and define the main features of functionalist view of the social system,
Identify and define Merton’s contribution of the development of functionalism,
Identify and evaluate the strengths and limitations of the functionalist perspective on society.

3. Symbolic interactionism
Sociology
Structural Theory
Action Theory
(Interpretivism)
Consensus
Conflict
Symbolic interactionism
Functionalism
Marxism
Feminism
Theory can be said to be like looking at society through different lenses – each give it a different perspective or appearance.

4. STRUCTURAL THEORY

5. Parsons (1970)
Identifies 3 similarities between society and a biological organism:
System (organism such as the human body and societies are both self regulating systems of inter- related interdependent parts that fit together in fixed ways),
System needs (organism have needs such as nutrition and if those are not met the organism will die),
Functions ( for functionalist the function of any part of a system is the contribution it makes to meeting the systems needs thus ensuring its survival)

6. Have a think ?
What other features do organisms have ? Do societies have these features too ?

7. Value consensus and social order
Parsons' key question: “ How is social order possible? How are individual able to cooperate harmoniously?”
Parsons argues that societal order is achieved through the existence of a shared culture, or in his words a central value system,
Culture provides a framework that allows individuals to cooperate by laying down the rules about how they should behave and what others may expect of them. This defines the goals they should pursue and so on.

8. Integration of individuals
Integration of all members of a society is crucial in order to make social order possible.
Parsons believes that the system has two mechanism for ensuring that individuals conform and meet the systems needs:
SOCIALISATION
SOCIAL CONTROL
How do those two concepts contribute to the integration of individuals within a society ?

9. Parts of the social system
We can take a building block approach to describing Parsons’ model of the social system:
Individual’s actions
Governed by norms
Governed by values
Status – roles
Positions held in society
Norms which tell is how to carry out our role
Society as a whole
Institutions (family)
Sub-systems (shops, farms, factories)

10. Reading task Read box 4.1 of page 221 of the A2 Sociology course book
What do you make of Durkheim’s views ?

11. The systems needs
Parsons believes that society is a system with its own needs, the shared culture system coordinates the different parts of society to ensure the needs are met.
Parsons identified 4 basic needs:
Adaptation,
Goal attainment,
Integration,
Latency
Read pages 222 of your book on the system’s needs and write a summary of the four basic needs.

12. Traditional societies
Types of societies
Parsons identifies 2 types of societies with different set of norms (traditional and modern),
Traditional societies
Modern societies
Ascription : status based on fixed characteristics
Achievement: status based on performance
Diffuseness: relationships are broad with a range of purpose
Specificity: relationships are narrow and limited
Paricularism: norms emphasis treating people differently
Universalism: norms emphasise everyone being treated the same
Affectivity: immediate gratification of desires ( quitting school to start earning)
Affective neutrality: deferred gratification (staying on at school)
Collective orientation: putting group interest first
Self orientation: individualism

13. Read page 223 – social change and summarise it
Reading task
Read page 223 – social change and summarise it

14. How might Merton criticise the concept of functionalism ?
Merton criticism
How might Merton criticise the concept of functionalism ?

15. A few criticism
Indispensability – untested assumption of Parsons that everything in society is indispensable,
Functional unity – assumptions that all part of society are integrated/ avoids the functional autonomy of some institutions,
Universal functionalism – assumption that everything has a positive function for everybody however that is not the truth.

16. WDYT
Does unemployment have a positive function for (a) society as a whole, (b) the unemployed, (c) other groups ?
If so, what is it ?

17. Manifest and latent functions

18. WDYT
In pairs suggest at least one latent function for each of the following: homework, holidays, criminal trials, saying your prayers, playing in an amateur football team.

19. External criticism - Running dictation

20. Home Improvement How can the functionalist perspective be improved?
Why would your changes be an improvement?
Who for?
How long would they last?