PRESENTATION OF

SOCIOLOGY
FUNCTIONALISM
 Contents
• Meaning
• Notable Persons
• Features
• Importance
• Criticism
• A related Video
Functionalism
 Meaning of Function
• Function refers to the act of working mechanism
of different parts (social institutions) to
accomplish its own functional needs but
unknowingly performs different function in a
unison.
• Functionalist assume every social institution as
single functional unit. Family, Economy,
Religion and Polity performs its own function,
 Meaning of Functionalism
• According to a functionalist perspective, differences
in power, wealth, and other rewards within the social
structure are justified, because they motivate the most
qualified people to exercise their talents in the most
important jobs.
• All functional unit performs its own specific function,
• The functionalist perspective attempts to explain
social institutions as collective means to meet
individual and social needs,
 Meaning of Functionalism
• Why functionalism is also called Structural
Functionalism?
• It often focuses on how the social structure
perform their basic function to meet the social
need.
• How family, polity, economy, religion, and
education works,
 Meaning of Functionalism
• Family: Small unit, helps in production,
consumption and exchange,
• Economy: Regulates production, consumption,
and exchange activities
• Religion: Religion is also a phenomena that
creates stratification in people through its own
unique practices and concept of purity.
• Polity: Polity is the game of acquiring and
exercising power. It govern the state mechanism.
Meaning of Functionalism

Polity Economy
Law making, Production,
Governance Consumption,
Exchange
Social
Institution
Education Religion
Enlightenment Religion binds,
Makes people Unique practices,
Higher or lower Purity
 Notable Persons
• Emile Durkheim
• Influential Figure in functionalism,
• the unity that derives from the fact that the
relationships between its parts are exactly regulated,
that unity resulting from the harmonious articulation
of its various functions assured by effective discipline
• Concept of social facts: According to
Durkheim, social facts are the values, cultural norms,
and social structures which transcend the individual
and are capable of exercising a social constraint.
 Notable Persons
• Emile Durkheim
• Integrity and coherence in the society.
• Lays down the concept of Mechanical solidarity
and organic solidarity
• Religion: Religion is the unified system of belief
and practices; religion binds people;
• Sacred and Profane
• Suicide: Suicide is also a social act. It is the
phenomena of social activity. Catholic ethics and
Protestant ethics.
 Notable Persons
• Talcott Parson
• Influential Figure in functionalism,
• Influenced by Durkheim and Max Weber,
• He stresses on the unity and unison of the social
institution,
• According to Parson’s, “ all parts of social
system are interrelated, however, different part
of society have different function.”
 Notable Persons
• Talcott Parson
1. Adaption to the environment
2. Goal Attainment
3. Integrating members to the harmonious unit
4. Latency or maintaining basic cultural pattern
Called as AGIL scheme
 Notable Persons
• Herbert Spenser
• Stresses on Darwin's theory and how societies
change and evolve over time.
• Spencer did not feel the need to correct or improve
society, for he felt that societies were bound to
change automatically.
• No need of revolution as evolution takes in the
society automatically,
 Characteristics of Functionalism
1. Society consists of a number of interdependent
parts
• Every part of society performs its own function,
• Every aspect of society is interdependent to each-
other,
• Family influences economy vice-versa,
• No any agent of society is independent,
• The defragmentation in one of the social institution
causes whole society to suffer,
• Discard of religious philosophy, defragmentation of
family,
 Characteristics of Functionalism
2. Functional Unity
• Every element performs some common function,
• Family performs its own function, however, all
family performs three basic functions socialization,
harmonious integration , and consumption,
• Functional unity in religion, economy, and polity,
• All Hindus follows same norms, people guided by
protestant ethics are motivated to work,
• Economy in every part of the world focuses on
production, consumption and
 Characteristics of Functionalism
2. Functional Unity

Polity Economy
Law making, Production,
Governance Consumption,
Exchange
Social
Institution
Education Religion
Enlightenment Religion binds,
Makes people Unique practices,
Higher or lower Purity
 Characteristics of Functionalism
3. Manifest, Dysfunction, and Latent Function
• Robert K. Merton has described about manifest, and
latent function,
• Latent function refers to the element of a behavior
that is not explicitly stated, recognized, or
intended, and is thereby hidden,
• Manifest function refers to the element of behavior
that is stated, recognized or intended by the society
and is thereby the primary function of society,
• Dysfunction is the opposite of manifest function,
 Characteristics of Functionalism
4. Stability and Equilibrium
• Society is itself a complete system,
• There is stability in society,
• There is state of equilibrium in the society,
• Rich and Poor are the phenomenon of society and
these phenomenon makes society in balance,
• Social Dynamic and Social Static; Social static is
based on stability and equilibrium
 Characteristics of Functionalism
5. Social Facts
• Social facts are the values, cultural norms,
and social structures which transcend the
individual and are capable of exercising a
social constraint.
• Values, and norms controls the individuals,
 Characteristics of Functionalism
5. Society tends towards consensus
• Consensus is necessary but conflict destroys
consensus.
• Nearly every one in the society is guided by some
basic rules,
• According to Durkheim, “ People are likely to
cooperate when they feel that they share things in
common with one another.
 Characteristics of Functionalism
6. Perfect Equality is impossible
• Perfect equality is impossible,
• Inequality in the society makes a society to run,
• Unbalance in the society creates social stratification
which in turns forms societal balance,
• If all are affluent, no one would will to be laborer,
Thinks all changes as evolutionary and
automatically intuitive
Renaissance

Scientific Inventions

British Revolution

American Revolution

French Revolution

Industrial Revolution and Female empowerment

Technological Advancement

World Wars

Changing Law, Religious Views

 Importance of Functionalism
1. Basic Foundation of Sociology,
1. Lays down the basic concept of society,
2. The way the society functions,
3. The interconnectedness between the elements of society
2. Functioning mechanism of society,
1. No any element is independent,
2. Human is social animal, and social facts make them more social-able,
3. Makes unity in society,
1. Views society as a system of unity that works in complete harmony,
2. Religion is the greatest source of unitedness,
4. Interconnects the roles of various elements of society,
5. Power, and wealth are the motivating factor,
6. Qualification determines the distribution of power, wealth and
prestige
 Criticism of Functionalism
1. No any society is stable
2. No condition of equilibrium and satisfaction,
3. Treats society as alive like human
4. Revolution as a complete dysfunction
5. Power, wealth, and other rewards motivate the
qualified people might not be always true,
6. Religion binds and contributes in unity of people
might be a lop-sided view,
7. Conflict and competition as the inalienable elements
of society,
 KEY POINTS
• In the functionalist perspective, societies are thought
to function like organisms, with various social
institutions working together like organs to maintain
and reproduce societies.
• According to functionalist theories, institutions
come about and persist because they play a function
in society, promoting stability and integration.
• Functionalism takes society as self-regulating, self
guided, and stable unit with the persistence of
equilibrium,
• Functionalism has been criticized for its failure to
account for social change,
 KEY POINTS

• Functionalism has been criticized for attributing

human-like needs to society.
• Emile Durkheim’s work is considered the foundation
of functionalist theory in sociology.
• Merton observed that institutions could have both
manifest and latent function.