Structural -

Functionalism and
its Importance in Examining
Socio - Cultural, Economic, and
Political Conditions
Prepared by: MS. ELAMY C. QUIAN
 Structural Functionalism
The structural-functional approach is a
perspective in sociology that sees society
as a complex system whose parts work
together to promote solidarity and
stability. It asserts that our lives are guided
by social structures, which are relatively
stable patterns of social behavior.
 Emile Durkheim
A French philosopher, named Emile
Durkheim, noticed this and started to think
that society was made up of building blocks
that were focused towards a common goal.
If people stopped agreeing on those
common goals, then society would
disintegrate. However, as long as most
people agreed, society would be fine
Structural functionalism assumed
that all of society's groups are
always equal, which is simply not
the case. Just turn on the news
or watch any political debate and
you'll see that many groups of
society are anything but equal.
In the structural functionalism
approach, society, its
institutions and roles, was the
appropriate thing to study.
Cultural traits supported or
helped to preserve social
structures.
Functionalism emphasizes the
importance of the economy for
any society, and the income and
self-fulfilment that work often
provides. Conflict theory highlights
the control of the economy by the
economic elite, the alienation of
work, and various problems in the
workplace.
The structural-functional approach
is based on the view that a
political system is made up of
several key components, including
interest groups, political parties
and branches of government.
The parts of society that Spencer
referred to were the social institutions, or
patterns of beliefs and behaviors focused
on meeting social needs, such as
government, education, family,
healthcare, religion, and the economy
 SOME SOCIAL BEHAVIORS
BEHAVIOR CONCEPTS

Occurs when an individual continues to

Ritualism do things as prescribed by society but
forfeits the achievement of the goals.

Involves the rejection of both the

Retreatism culturally prescribed goals as well as the
conventional means of attaining them.
 SOME SOCIAL BEHAVIORS
BEHAVIOR CONCEPTS

Occurs when an individual has the means

Conformity and desire to achieve the cultural goals
socialized into him.

A combination of the rejection of societal

Rebellion goals and means and a substitution of
other goals and means.
Talcott Parson (1902 - 1979) was an
American sociologist and functionalist
who attempted to develop and perfect a
general analytic model suitable for
analyzing all types of collectivities.
 TABLE 2: TALCOTT PARSON’S FIVE PATTERN
VARIABLES OF ROLE-DEFINITION

PATTERNS CONCEPTS

Dilemma: deciding whether to express

1st - one’s own orientation in terms of
Affectivity vs. immediate gratification (affectivity) or
Affective whether to renounce immediate
Neutrality gratification in favor of moral interests
(affective neutrality).
 TABLE 2: TALCOTT PARSON’S FIVE PATTERN
VARIABLES OF ROLE-DEFINITION

PATTERNS CONCEPTS

2nd - Self
orientation One’s role orientation is either in
vs. terms of his/her own interests or in
Collectivity terms of the interests of a group.
orientation
 TABLE 2: TALCOTT PARSON’S FIVE PATTERN
VARIABLES OF ROLE-DEFINITION
PATTERNS CONCEPTS

Dilemma: There is an issue on

3rd - whether to react to a certain social
Universalism interaction “on the basis of a general
vs. norm” or reacting “on the basis of
Particularism someone’s particular relationship to
you”.
 TABLE 2: TALCOTT PARSON’S FIVE PATTERN
VARIABLES OF ROLE-DEFINITION

PATTERNS CONCEPTS

4th - Achievement- orientation places an

importance on the performance and
Achievement
emphasizes individual achievement
vs. while Ascription-orientation refers to
Ascription the innate qualities of individuals.
 TABLE 2: TALCOTT PARSON’S FIVE PATTERN
VARIABLES OF ROLE-DEFINITION
PATTERNS CONCEPTS

This refers to the nature of social

contracts and how extensive or how
5th - narrow are the obligations in any
interaction. Specificity, is when the
Specificity vs. definition of a role is in specific terms
Diffuseness while diffuseness is when role obligations
are extended outside the defined role -
expectations.
GENERAL CONCEPTUAL DIAGRAM; DURK ET
AL. (2007)
The diagram below is a general
conceptual diagram of Structural
functionalism. It shows that all of the
different organizations and institutions in
society are interdependent. When one
institution in society changes, other
institutions accommodate that change by
changing as well, though the ultimate
effect is to slow overall change.
SPECIFIC CONCEPTUAL DIAGRAM DURK ET AL.
(2007)
Below is a chart depicting how deviance
is functional for society and how society
responds to deviance. A "deviant"
individual commits an act that is deemed
by the rest of society as criminal,
because it leads to public outrage and
punishments. Because a large portion of
society respond to the action as though it
is deviant, this draws a boundary
between what is and is not deviant.
SPECIFIC CONCEPTUAL DIAGRAM DURK ET AL.
(2007)

Thus, deviance actually helps to indicate

what is not deviant, or, the function of
labelling behaviors or ideas as deviance is
to insure that most people do not
engage in those behaviors.
A STRUCTURAL - FUNCTIONALIST
UNDERSTANDING OF DEVIANCE
 ACTIVITY: FILL, FILL, FILL!
Directions: Fill each box with the correct
letter to form the correct answer.
1. AN APPROACH IN SOCIOLOGY THAT VIEWS
SOCIETY AS A COMPLEX SYSTEM WHOSE PARTS
WORK TOGETHER TO PROMOTE SOLIDARITY AND
STABILITY.
 ACTIVITY: FILL, FILL, FILL!

2. A FRENCH PHILOSOPHER NOTICED AND

STARTED TO THINK THAT SOCIETY WAS MADE
UP OF BUILDING BLOCKS THAT WERE FOCUSED
TOWARDS A COMMON GOAL.
 ACTIVITY: FILL, FILL, FILL!

3. OCCURS WHEN AN INDIVIDUAL CONTINUES TO

DO THINGS AS PRESCRIBED BY SOCIETY
BUT FORFEITS THE ACHIEVEMENT OF THE
GOALS.
 ACTIVITY: FILL, FILL, FILL!

4. A COMBINATION OF THE REJECTION OF

SOCIETAL GOALS AND MEANS AND A
SUBSTITUTION OF OTHER GOALS AND MEANS.
 ACTIVITY: FILL, FILL, FILL!

5. INVOLVES THE REJECTION OF BOTH THE

CULTURALLY PRESCRIBED GOALS AS WELL AS
THE CONVENTIONAL MEANS OF ATTAINING
THEM.
 ACTIVITY: FILL, FILL, FILL!

6. OCCURS WHEN AN INDIVIDUAL HAS THE

MEANS AND DESIRE TO ACHIEVE THE CULTURAL
GOALS SOCIALISED INTO HIM.
 ACTIVITY: FILL, FILL, FILL!

7. AN AMERICAN SOCIOLOGIST AND

FUNCTIONALIST WHO ATTEMPTED TO
DEVELOP AND PERFECT A GENERAL
ANALYTIC MODEL SUITABLE FOR ANALYZING
ALL TYPES OF COLLECTIVITIES.
 ACTIVITY: FILL, FILL, FILL!

8. PLACES AN IMPORTANCE ON THE

PERFORMANCE AND EMPHASIZES INDIVIDUAL
ACHIEVEMENT.
 ACTIVITY: FILL, FILL, FILL!

9. IT REFERS TO THE INNATE QUALITIES OF

INDIVIDUALS.
 ACTIVITY: FILL, FILL, FILL!

10. WHEN ROLE OBLIGATIONS ARE EXTENDED

OUTSIDE THE DEFINED ROLE - EXPECTATIONS.
 ACTIVITY: WRITE ME A LETTER
DIRECTION: YOU ARE GIVEN A CHANCE TO
WRITE A LETTER ADDRESSED TO THE
PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES. WHAT
WOULD YOU TELL HIM ABOUT THE STRUCTURE
OF OUR POLITICAL CONDITION AND
GOVERNMENT AS WE FACE THIS CRISIS?

A4 (TIMES NEW ROMAN 11)

1 MARGIN ALL SIDES
 ACTIVITY: WRITE ME A LETTER
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Malacañang Palace
1005 J.P. Laurel St., San Miguel
Manila, Philippines

______________ (Date)
Dear Mr. President:
____________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________

Sincerely,
_______________________
Thank
you