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Functionalism
Functionalism
Functionalism
Reigned as the dominant theoretical
perspective.
Often referred to as structural
functionalism
Two leading functionalist
Talcott Parsons
Robert Merton
Concept of differentiation
is very important.
Parole
Actual speech such as facial expressions and body
language.
Claude Levi-Strauss
Applied structuralism
more broadly to all
forms of
communication.
Major innovation was
to reconceptualized
social phenomena.
A.R. Radcliffe-Brown
Organismic
analogizing presents
teleological
implications.
Attempted to
eliminate problems.
Bronislaw Malinowski
Malinowski and
Radcliffe-Brown both
committed to scientific
methodology.
Focused attention of
existing societies.
Defining Functionalism
A macro sociological theory that examines social
patterns and structures.
Views society as having interrelated parts.
Explains social change by variables such as
population growth and increased technology.
Two basic assumptions:
1) Idea of interdependent parts
2) Consensus of values.
Anomie Theory
Initially developed by Durkheim.
The success goal in American culture leads many
feelings of anomie.
It is the conflict between cultural goals and
availability of institutional means.
Theory on the study of social deviance.
Two most important elements of structures:
(1) culturally defined goals
(2) Institutionalized Means
2) Latent Functions
-consequences that are not intended
Dysfunctions
A performance with disrupting
consequences.
Dysfunctional events lessen the effective
equilibrium of society.
Mertons concept of dysfunctions is central
to his argument that functionalism is not
conservative.
Empirical Research
Different research methods are necessary
for different empirical problems.
Consistently drew links between theory
and research.
For Merton theorizing was always
important.
Smelser is considered
a top level theorist in
neofunctionalism.
Believes people seek
to avoid experience of
ambivalence.
Ambivalence refers to
such phenomena as
death and seperation.
Relevancy
Every sociologist is a functionalist because
sociology IS functionalism.
Functionalism fails to explain social change.
Functionalism fails to explain most important
terms:
1) Structure
2) Function
3) Social system