ipl-logo

Structural Functionalism

1117 Words5 Pages

Structural-Functional paradigm. Structural-Functional is also known as Structural Functionalism. What is Structural Functionalism? Structural Functionalism is a macro-level orientation. It concerns broad patterns that shapes society as a whole. If there is a macro-level, there will be a micro-level. Macro-level consists of many types of micro-level. The model of Structural Functionalism is made up of institution. For example, school is a micro which is also a social institution. School is a one of the micro-level. Government is also a micro-level which is also another social institution in our society. There are still a lot of social institutions in our society such as banks, hospitals, shopping malls, church, families, education, religion …show more content…

It is actually talking about a group versus another group and how groups function and work to affect another group. How groups function their group’s behavior to influence another group and vice versa. (Notes on Structural Functionalism and Parsons- 2002, November 15). The definition of Structural Functionalism is viewing the society as a complex system whose parts work together to promote solidarity and stability for our next generation. According to Herbert Spencer, Herbert Spencer’s idea of Structural Functionalism is viewing society as a human body. (Elwick, J. ,2003) He compared society to the human body. His idea is saying that the organs in the human body are interdependent to each other. If one of the organs of the human body dysfunctions or not working well, it will affect the other organs and influence the whole human body. Similarly, we view society as a complex system, complex system is like the human body. There are many social institutions combined together to become a complex system. Each social institutions have their own function, they have their own jobs ,if each social institution function well ,it will produce a smooth running of society and to promote solidarity and …show more content…

According to Robert K Merton, he thinks that something may have consequences that are generally dysfunctional or which are dysfunctional for some and functional for others(R.K Merton). If one of the social institutions dysfunctions or is not working well, it will influence the other social institutions and affect the whole society. If this situation occurred, it will produce a social problem and a social change. The social order will also be disrupted and the society has to generate and achieve a new social order to maintain the smooth running of society. And it will take a very long time to achieve the new social order. For example, nowadays, people in society need pay various taxes to government. Normally people in society just need pay the normal taxes. But If the government decides to include a new tax such as GST, GST will disrupt the social order. Then people in the society will be affected. People in the society need to start

Show More
Related
1452 Words | 6 Pages

“While the books went up in sparkling whirls and blew away on a wind turned dark with burning” (Bradbury, Ray 3). Montag is a fireman that does not put out fires, he starts them. Montag lives in a dystopian society where books are illegal to have and read. Books make people think and question things which can give them opposite sides to choose from which can make people become unhappy and worried.

Read More
1306 Words | 6 Pages

Structural Functionalism Theory Last night I saw an episode of Family Guy where Lois Griffin the mother figure in the show decides to look for a job since her husband Peter Griffin recently lost his job. Lois has never had a job and always has been a housewife while Peter would always work and be the only source of income. Lois would take care of all the house chores and things that needed to be done like picking up the kids and making dinner. Although Family Guy is not the perfect example of a functional family .The

Read More
914 Words | 4 Pages

Societies are built to be a safe, welcoming and an accepting environment, but sometimes end up to be harsh, cruel and irrational places. In John Wyndham’s novel, The Chrysalids, we are introduced to a world we can never imagine being, yet we live in a world that is actually not very different. David Strorm lives in post-apocalyptic world as a telepathic who is regarded as a mutant and goes on a tough journey with his cousin Rosalind to escape from their non-accepting community. The Waknuk society is indeed very similar to our world considering that today’s society also fears things they do not know about, do not always accept differences and has major issues with dealing with sexism. By comparing Waknuk to our world, the similarities

Read More
1443 Words | 6 Pages

Through sociological perspective, we can view the society by the way it was set up and how it affects us. This paper consists of four different points or section that I saw in the movie that displays social issues and can be compared on how society works in real life. The first section in this paper discusses about the controlling administration which countenances the actions of a person. The second section which is euthanasia shows a system of emitting life when a society observed a single person as functionless. The third section explains how a family became a part of impersonal social group.

Read More
678 Words | 3 Pages

The beginning of the chapter discusses how individuals are involved in different institutions which help describe the person and his/her interests. The book depicts social institutions as “social powers” that affect individual’s lives as well as their behavior, norms and ideologies. Social institutions impact an individual because they shape interactions with others and one’s social life in general. These institutions share common norms that make up individuals’ lives socially. Through institutions, there is social cohesion, which means individuals share common ideas and they come together to form perspectives of the world socially.

Read More
513 Words | 3 Pages

The three main Sociological Perspectives are Structural Functionalist, Social Conflict Theory, and Symbolic Interactionist, all of which are quite different but also similar in many ways. The study of sociology began when humans began to wonder about human social relationships and institutions during the nineteenth-century revolutions. As sociology has grown in popularity, many different sociologists have developed diverse perspectives on human social relationships and institutions. Structural functionalists study the existence of humans in society as part of sociology and many other social sciences such as relationships, institutions, and roles that make up a society. The main point of structural functionalists is that society works together to build structures and institutions such as education, family, economy, religion, and health care for them to evolve towards increased differentiation, where institutions become increasingly specialized in the functions they perform.

Read More
386 Words | 2 Pages

Looking at society as a whole with individual units that work together to make society function efficiently is the structural functionalism concept. Each unit has a part and is describe as institutions such as family, religion, education, politics, economy and inequality. Because structural functionalism looks at social structure and patterns of behavior it is able to create values for society. As well as, distinguish between visible and suppressed problems within the social structures that may need to be addressed. For instance, homelessness is indication of dysfunction in structural functionalism system.

Read More
1057 Words | 5 Pages

Functionalism Functionalism emphasizes how social structures maintain or undermine social stability in macrostructures (Brym,

Read More
854 Words | 4 Pages

Structural-functionalism or functionalism, are groups of individuals who advocate, or work according to the principles of functionalism. The show however, portrays behavior that is clearly not functional and could be considered dysfunctional for society. But, there are examples of groups of people or individuals who work together for the well-being of the town. For instance, Quahogs news crew which consist of anchors and reporters work together the provide news for the town. The Quahog Police Department.

Read More
762 Words | 4 Pages

The functionalism theory is a macro-level theory. It sees society as a complex system whose parts work together to promote equilibrium and stability. These parts may be functional, which means that the society has beneficial consequences. They may also be dysfunctional, which means that society will have negative consequences. Both of these together will create equilibrium among the society, which

Read More
809 Words | 4 Pages

By way of example, all three of the theoretical perspectives notably have idiosyncrasies about one another. As an illustration, structural functionalism is defined as Due to the fact that society consists of vital parts and systems they work in unison with each other to run smoothly. The people in the society contribute in myriad areas of interest in the process of structural functionalism. David Claerbaut states that these areas of interest, incorporate into society with: religion, economics, education, politics and family. On the other hand of living among each other actively working to create a seamless community we have the conflict theory.

Read More
716 Words | 3 Pages

Introduction Norms, values and socialisation are undoubtedly one of the most important fundamentals in sociology, and I have been fascinated by how these social factors affect and influence the “little man.” (Mills 1946) Throughout this short essay, I will explore these social factors influence the individual and society in the world in which we live. Norms Norms are an expectation about appropriate behaviour in a society.

Read More
1148 Words | 5 Pages

It has its origins in the works of Emile Durkheim, who was especially interested in how social order is possible or how society remains relatively stable. As such, it is a theory that focuses on the macro-level of social structure, rather than the micro-level of everyday life. Notable theorists include Herbert Spencer, Talcott Parsons, and Robert K. Merton. Functionalism interprets each part of society in terms of how it contributes to the stability of the whole

Read More
1013 Words | 5 Pages

Structural Functionalism is a sociological theory that tries to clarify why society functions the way it does by concentrating on the connection between the different social institutions that make up society (e.g., government, law, education, religion, etc.). In Animal Farm the first example of structural functionalism is when the boar thinks the ordinances of their society are ruled by the oppressor humans. The second example is when the traditional structure is arranged to keep the animals in captivity. Lastly, the third example is when the arrangement allows humans to always be on the receiving end.

Read More
784 Words | 4 Pages

Structural Functional Theory Structural functional theory is a macro sociological theory that is based on the characteristics of structures, social patterns, social systems and institutions such as education, religion, leisure, media, economy and politics. If all these social institutions are organized and co-operate with one another around a set of core values functionalist theorists assume that the entire social system will function properly and efficiently. Society in structural functional theory has a view that it is an organized system of interrelated parts that are held together by shared values and established social arrangements that help maintain the system to be in a state of balance and equilibrium. Structural functional theory is a broad perspective in sociology and anthropology which sets out to interpret society as a structure with interrelated parts. Functionalism addresses society as a whole in terms of the function of its constituent elements; namely norms, customs, traditions and institutions (Vibha Desai, 2013).

Read More

More about Structural Functionalism

Related Topics

Open Document