Sees society as a structure with

interrelated parts designed to meet the

biological and social needs of individuals

 Sees society as complex system whose

parts work together to promote
solidarity and stability
 It is also called as “FUNCTIONALISM”
 According to Hebert Spencer (1820-1903), society
is similar to human body.

 He argued that just as the various organs of the

body work together to keep the body functioning,
the various parts of society work together to keep
society functioning.
 The parts of society that Spencer referred were the
social institutions
_____________

Social institution: pattern of beliefs and behaviors

focused on meeting social needs, such as
government, education, family, health care, religion
and the economy.
 According to Emile Durkheim, society is
a complex system of interrelated and
interdependent par ts that work
to gether to maintain stability.

 Social f acts: laws, morals, values,

religious beliefs and all of the cultural
rules that govern social lif e.
 According to Alfred R adclif f -Brown, it
is any recurrent activity as the par t it
played in social lif e as a whole, and
theref ore the contribution it nakes to
social stability and continuity.

 In a healthy society, all par ts work

to gether to maintain stability, a state
called dynamic equilibrium.
 According to Rober t Mer ton, structural -
functional has its own social processes.

A. Manif est Functions: consequences of a

social process that are sought or
anticipated.

B. Latent Functions: unsought

consequences of a social process.