Main features of Functionalism.

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FUNCTIONALISM.

Functionalism's origins lie in the wake of Comte, Spencer and Durkheim. Comte aimed to combine philosophy with the scientific and systematic study of social phenomena. He wanted to create a science of society, a scientific approach to study objective facts about the social world and use such findings as the basis for reconstructive society. Comte described this positive scientific approach as 'positivism.' Spencer is a British sociologist who extensively used the biological analogy to describe human society. His philosophy is centered around the concept of evolution.

Durkhiem is often cited as the dominant influence on the development of sociological functionalism for his argument that social institutions exist solely to fulfil specific social needs. Durkhiem's functionalism sought to explain social facts, not only by focusing on the cause on which they depended but by showing their function in the establishment of general harmony. He was particularly concerned to show that social institutions normally worked to promote social solidarity. Education, religion and even crime function to reinforce collective sentiments. (Major formative influence on functionalism not really a functionalist because he looks at facts that functionalists don't.)

Malinowsky and Radcliff-Brown were early 20th century anthropologists. In their studies of Pacific tribal communities: Trobriand and Andaman islanders, reject the question of origin altogether and concentrate purely on function, i.e. how the part relates to the whole. There is emphasis on societies as integrated systems. Sociological functionalism, developed as a major theoretical perspective in the Chicago school due mainly to the work of Talcott-Parsons. By the 1950's, functionalism was regarded increasingly, not as 'one of many sociological approaches,' but rather, THE approach.

Kingsley Davis claims that functionalism was the method employed by all sociologists, regardless of whether they called themselves functionalists or not. Critics like Goldener, however, have suggested that functionalism is nothing more than the expression of conservative ideology that favors the preservation of previlege. R.K. Merton, a later functionalist has argued, however, that far from embodying a conservative ideology, functionalism can be radical and critical by pointing to the malfunctioning of specific institutions of satisfying the collective needs of a society. The introduction of concepts such as dysfunctions and the positive functions of social conflict in its role

in systematic change have tended to weaken the general criticism of functionalism as a theory promoting the status quo.

MAIN FEATURES OF FUNCTIONALISM.

  1. Societies are wholes, systems of inter-related parts. Each part has meanings only in terms of its relation with the whole, performing a specific function within the system. Society is thus a system of independent elements, all of which contribute to the integration and adaptation of the system as a whole.
  2. All elements which make up the social system are indispensable to the extent that they perform special functions related to the needs of the system as a system. Parsonian functionalism has developed the notion of functional prerequisites of the social systems which refer broadly to the things that must get done in any society if it is to continue as a going concern, e.g. modes of socialization, language, communication etc…
  3. Nevertheless, integration of all parts of the system is never perfect. Durkheim's work, for example, stressed that that fragile nature of social solidarity within advanced societies and the consequent problems of integration of the individual into the social whole. The basic tendency of social systems is towards equilibrium and a harmonious balance between its various institutions. Elements of mal-integration will, however, always be present, and hence the importance of social control mechanisms.
  4. Social change is adaptive and evolutionary, even rapid social change has the tendency to leave the basic institutional framework intact.
  5. Social integration is achieved essentially through 'value consensus' i.e. a pervasive set of principles which legitimize the existing political, social and economic structure.
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INTERPRETIVISM.

The school created by Weber. They are the least scientific of all sociologists.

SOCIAL ACTION THEORY.

Action is to be distinguished from behavior in that it involves meaning or intention. Action theory is then, analysis of action starting with the individual actor. Action theory originates in the work of Max Weber. He distinguishes 4 types of actions.

  1. Traditional actions are those performed simply because they have been performed in the past.
  2. Affectual actions are those performed simply to express an emotion. (Weber is most concerned with the remaining 2 types.) ...

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