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Structural Functionalism

Structural functionalism views society as a system of interconnected parts that work together to maintain stability. Each social structure or institution, such as religion, education, or family, serves particular functions. When structures function properly, they contribute to social stability; however, dysfunctions can disrupt society. Theorists like Comte, Spencer, Parsons, and Merton analyzed how social structures shape human behavior and society through both manifest and latent functions and dysfunctions.

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14K views17 pages

Structural Functionalism

Structural functionalism views society as a system of interconnected parts that work together to maintain stability. Each social structure or institution, such as religion, education, or family, serves particular functions. When structures function properly, they contribute to social stability; however, dysfunctions can disrupt society. Theorists like Comte, Spencer, Parsons, and Merton analyzed how social structures shape human behavior and society through both manifest and latent functions and dysfunctions.

Uploaded by

MaRvz Nonat Montelibano
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Structural

Functionalism
Structural functionalism, or simply
functionalism is essentially a sociology
theory that revolves around the notion that
a society is composed of a system of
interconnected parts that have their own
particular functions.
Functionalism views societal living as
shaped and guided by social structures, or
the patterns of social relationships between
groups or individuals.
Social structures formed among groups or
institutions are refered to as
macrostructures, which include religion,
education, tradition, and culture.
Social structures established among
individuals or within groups that result in
individual interactions are called
microstructures.
Education, as an example of a
macrostructure, shapes the minds of
students to become productive members of
Addressing elders with respect, as an example
of a microstructure, patterns and shapes the
younger generation to promote social values.
The effects of social structures or their
purpose are called social functions.
Every social structure has a corresponding
social function.
This relationship between social structures
and social functions are the parts of system
which structural functionalism identifies and
investigates it perceives the city as
composed of structures and functions.
The end product of social structures is not
always what it was originally intended for
even immediately knowledge.
To better understand functionalism, one can
use the human body as a point of analysis.
- Humans subsist through the various organs
that function differently yet symbiotically
with one another.
- These functions are often exclusive, such that
the stomach’s role is to process sensory
stimuli.
- When one function does not perform
properly, the entire organisms experiences
the effects of such malfunction.
In the same manner, society is composed of
various parts (institutions and structures) that
functions under certain rules (norms).
When structures of society do not function as
the experienced chaos.
Key Concepts In Structural Functionalism
 Manifest and Latent Functions
- A manifest function is the predicted, intended,
expected and knowable effect of a social structure.
For example, people go to churches inorder to pray
and hear mass.
- A latent function is the unintended outcome of
social structure. So if the manifest function of
going to church is to pray and hear mass, its latent
function is to gather people together in one place
to reinforce the sense of community.
Manifest and Latent Dysfunction
- A manifest dysfunction is the predicted,
expected, and knowable disruptions of a
social structure.
• For example, a large gathering of people
such as concerts and other events disrupts
traffic flow within the vicinity of the
event, even though it was not intended to
do so.
- A latent dysfunction is the unpredicted and
unexpected disruptions of social structures.
• For example, these are customers who
usually take pictures of their food in social
media. But since these customers are not only
doing so , the average time spent by customers
in tables increased. The latent dysfunction in
this example is that the next customers will
likewise have an increased waiting period.
 Manifest and Latent Dysfunctions bring negative
effects of outcomes.
 For the sociologist, studying manifest and latent
functions is a wat to promote the benefits of such
functions and further develop social structures.
 But because manifest and latent dysfunctions are
contrary to the idea of systems in society,
sociologist to promote social stability and
solidarity.
 Understanding manifest and latent dysfunction
helps sociologist assess risks and prepare
accordingly.
Important Theories
Auguste Comte
• Provided an analysis of social evolution
through his Law of Three Stages.
• Comte provided a theory of society and man’s
cognitive progression from religious and
abstract concepts to a scientific perspective.
• Comte’s ideas are considered as the precusor
to strucural functionalism, as he identified
tradition
and social structures as elements in shaping
the society.
• The law of three Stages itself is a critique
of yhe social structures and of how humans
were shaped by progressive thinking.
Herbert Spencer
• Who is known as the first sociological
functionalist.
• His comparison of society to the human
body is
the overarching idea of structural
functionalism.
• Each social structure, just like a body part,
has a purpose and function in the overall well
being of the society.
Talcott Parsons
•Talcott Parsons viewed society as a system.
•He argued that any social system has four
basic functional prerequisites: adaptation,
•These can be seen as problems that society
must solve if it is to survive.
• The function of any part of the social system
is understood as its contribution to meeting
the functional prerequisites.
Davies and Moore
Davis and Moore
In 1945, sociologists Kingsley Davis and
Wilbert Moore published the Davis-Moore
thesis, which argued that the greater the
functional importance of a social role, the
greater must be the reward.
The theory posits that social stratification
represents the inherently unequal value of
different work.
Robert Merton
Merton developed the concept of ‘anomie’
to describe this imbalance between cultural
goals and institutionalised means.
He argued that such an imbalanced society
produces anomie – there is a strain or
tension between the goals and means which
produce unsatisfied aspirations.

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