Social System and Functionalism

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Social System and Functionalism

• Functionalist perspective
• a sociological approach that emphasizes the way
  that parts of society are structured to maintain
  its stability.
• Interdependence and Stability
• Functionalism interprets all social groups as
  systems whose parts are interdependent.
• A change in one element necessarily leads to
  changes in every other element.
• Parts of a society are structured to maintain its
  stability.
• If an aspect of social life does not contribute
  to a societys stability or survival, it will not
  be passed on from one generation to the next.

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Social System and Functionalism

• (2) Manifest functions and latent functions
  (Robert Merton)
• Manifest functions refer to the obvious functions
  we openly intend a social system to perform. They
  involve the intended, recognized, consequences of
  an aspect of society,
• such as the universitys role in certifying
  academic competence and excellence.
• By contrast, latent functions are unconscious or
  unintended and often unrecognized functions a
  social system also provides.
• One latent function of universities is to hold
  down unemployment.
• Another is to serve as a meeting ground for
  people seeking marital partners.

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Social System and Functionalism

• (3) AGIL Model (Talcott Parsons)
• Adaptation the need to relate to the environment
  by taking resources from it
• the economy
• Goal attainment the setting of goals for the
  system
• politics
• Integration the maintenance of internal order
• religion and legal system
• Latency or pattern maintenance the generation of
  sufficient motivation to perform tasks
• education and family socialization

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Social System and Functionalism

• (4) Equilibrium and Dysfunction
• Social systems tend to remain largely unchanged
  so long as all of their parts are functioning
  properly.
• This condition of stability is referred to as
  equilibrium or balance.
• It can be disrupted when elements of the system
  fail to perform their functions properly, often
  due to the intrusion of outside forces.
• These disruptions are referred to as dysfunctions
  because they keep the system from operating
  smoothly and effectively.
• A dysfunction refers to an element or process of
  society that may actually disrupt a social system
  or lead to a decrease in stability.
• Since social systems inherently resist change, if
  dysfunctions arise, internal mechanisms will
  activate to restore equilibrium.

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Social System and Functionalism

• (5) Shared Values
• The functionalist perspective also suggests that
  people in a normally functioning social system
  will share a number of values that help hold the
  society together and maintain a state of
  equilibrium.
• When such consensus does not exist, systems are
  likely not to function very effectively.

6
Social System and Functionalism

• Discussion Question I
• What are the functions of religion? What are the
  dysfunctions of religion?
• Functions of religion
• Social cohesion
• Social support
• Emotional well-being
• Social service function
• Social-control function
• Dysfunctions of Religion
• Conflicts
• Violence

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Social System and Functionalism

• Discussion Question II
• What are the manifest and latent functions of
  education?
• Manifest functions of education
• the transmission of knowledge
• Bestowing status
• Latent functions of education
• Transmitting culture
• promoting social and political integration
• maintaining social control
• serving as agents of change

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Social System and Functionalism

• (6) Social Order and Social Change
• Society as naturally being in a state of
  equilibrium.
• By equilibrium, Parsons meant that society tends
  toward a state of stability or balance.
• Therefore, according to this equilibrium model,
  as changes occur in one part of society, there
  must be adjustments in other parts. If this does
  not take place the societys equilibrium will be
  threatened and strains will occurs.
• Functionalists tend to see most change as slow
  and adaptive. If pressure for social change is
  too great, the system simply collapses.

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Social System and Functionalism

• (6) Social Order and Social Change
• Four Processes of Social Change
• Differentiation refers to the increasing
  complexity of social organization.
• Adaptive upgrading whereby social institutions
  become more specialized in their purposes.
• Inclusion of groups into society that were
  previous excluded because of such factors as
  gender, race, and social class background.
• Value generation refers to the development of new
  values that tolerate and legitimate a greater
  ranger of activities.
• The dominant theme in Parsons model is balance
  and stability. Society may change, but it
  remains stable through new forms of integration.

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Social System and Functionalism

• (6) Social Order and Social Change
• What makes this social differentiation and change
  possible?
• Parsons pointed out that the development of
  science and technology as well as economic growth
  cause societies to change and to move one level
  of differentiation to another.
• Parsons argued that these factors explain the
  short term changes. To explain the long-run
  social changes, Parsons stressed the changes in
  central value systems like religious beliefs.
• Examples of common values include equality of
  opportunity, Christian moral values, materialism,
  democracy, productivity, etc.

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Social System and Functionalism

• Critique
• Functionalism has a conservative bias - e.g., it
  assumes that a society is geared toward
  maintaining equilibrium or harmony.
• By implying that order is more basic than change,
  and by maintaining that change is frequently
  dysfunctional, functionalists seem to be saying
  that the status quo is almost always desirable.
• Functionalist approach virtually disregards the
  use of coercion by the powerful to maintain the
  illusion of a stable, well-integrated society.