STRUCTURAL

FUNCTIONALISM
 Structural functionalism, especially in the work of
Talcott Parsons, Robert Merton, and their
students and followers, was for many years the
dominant sociological theory. However, in the
last three decades it has declined dramatically
in importance (Chriss, 1995) and, in at least
some senses, has receded into the recent
history of sociological theory.
Parsons ‘ structural functionalism has four functional
imperatives for all “action” systems, embodied in his
famous AGIL scheme. These functional imperatives
that are necessary for all systems are:
 1.Adaptaion - A system must cope with external situational
exigencies. It must adapt to its environment and adapt
environment to its needs.
 2.Goal attainment - A system must define and achieve its primary
goals.
 3.Integration – A system must regulate the interrelationship of its
component parts. It must also manage the relationship among the
other three functional imperatives (A, G, L)
 4. Latency – (pattern maintenance) : A system must furnish ,
maintain, and renew both the motivation of individuals and the
cultural patterns that create and sustain the motivation.
 Parsons designed the AGIL scheme to be used at all
levels in this theoretical system. The behavioral organism
is the ACTION SYSTEM that handles the adaptation
function by adjusting to and transforming the external
word.
 PERSONALITY SYSTEM performs the goal attainment
function by defining system goals and mobilizing
resources to attain them.
 SOCIAL SYSTEM copes with the integration function by
controlling its component parts. Finally , the CULTURAL
SYSTEM performs the latency function by providing
actors with the norms and values that motivate them for
action.
The heart of parsons’ work is found in his four action
systems.
In the assumptions that parson made regarding his
action system we encounter the problem of order
which was his overwhelming concern and that has
become a major source of critism of his work. Parsons
found his answer to the problem of order in structural
functionalism, which operates in his view with the
following sets of assumptions:
 1.System have the property of order and interdependence of parts.
 2.System tend toward self-maintaining order, or equilibrium.
 3.The system may be static or involved in an ordered process of
change.
 4.The nature of one part of the system has an impact on the form
that the other parts can take.
 5.System maintain boundaries with their environments.
 6.Allocation and integration are two fundamental processes
necessary for a given state of equilibrium of a system.
 7.Systems tend toward self-maintenance involving the
maintenance of the relationships of parts to the whole, control of
environmental variations, and control of tendencies to change the
system from within.
 These assumptions led Parsons to make the analysis of the ordered
structure of society his priority.
FUNCTIONAL REQUISITES OF A SOCIAL
SYSTEM
 Social system must be structured so that they operate compatibly
with other systems.
 To survive , the social system must have the requisite from other
system.
 The system must meet a significant proportion of the needs of its
actors.
 The system must elicit adequate participation from its members.
 It must have at least a minimum of control over potentially disruptive
behavior.
 If conflict becomes sufficiently disruptive , it must be controlled.
 Finally, a social system requires a language in order to survive.
The key principals of the functionalist
perspective include the following;
 1.Interdependecy- One of the most important principles of
functionalist theory is that society is made up of interdependent
parts. This means that every part of society is dependent to some
extent on other parts of society, so that what happens at one place
in society has important effects elsewhere.
 2. Functions of Social Structure and Culture- Closely related to
interdependency is the idea that each part of the social system
exists because it serves some function. This principle is applied by
functionalist to both social structure and culture. SOCIAL STRUCTURE
refers to the organization of society, including its institutions its social
positions and its distribution of resources. CULTURE refers to a set of
beliefs, language, rules, values, and knowledge held in common by
members of a society.
 3.Consensus and cooperation- Another key principle in
functionalist theory is that societies have a tendency
toward consensus; that is to have certain basic values
that nearly everyone in the society agrees upon.
 4.Equilibrium -is a characteristic of a society when it has
achieved the form that is best adapted to its situation.
The component parts of a social
structure:
 *Families
 *Neighbor
 *Associations
 *School
 *Churches
 *banks
 *countries