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1. Functionalism
IFY Social Science
Term 1

2. Content
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• What is functionalism?
• What are the key ideas and concepts of functionalism?
• What are the key criticisms of functionalism?

3. Theories of society: A reminder
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A theory is a set of ideas that claims to explain how something works.
A social theory is a set of ideas that explain how society or aspects of society work.
Image source: jcomp

4. Functionalism: A definition
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Image source: Macrovector
Functionalism is a theoretical perspective, based on the idea that social institutions
perform different functions that contribute to stability and wellbeing of a society.

5. Functionalism: An overview
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• Functionalism has a long history in social science, particularly in sociology.
• Functionalist ideas are prominent in works of Auguste Comte (1798 – 1857),
Herbert Spencer (1820 – 1903) and Emile Durkheim (1858 – 1917). These ideas
were later refined by Talcott Parsons (1902- 79), and functionalism became
dominant social theory in American sociology in 1940s and 1950s.
• Functionalism was influenced by Darwin’s Evolution Theory (‘the natural selection’)
in the natural science, particularly the tautological idea that whatever we find
today is an evolutionary outcome that helped us survive as a species
(‘retrospective fallacy’).
• It has since lost its popularity – in part due to prominent criticisms towards
functionalism and in part because other approaches are seen as answering certain
question more successfully.

6. Why do we study functionalism?
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• Despite the criticism of functionalism, it remains a useful starting point for exploration of
theoretical perspectives in social science.
• The early thinkers have conceptualised several ideas that remain key in all the social sciences
today, like: social institutions, social fact, norms, etc., and the importance of culture and
religion.
• Works of Emile Durkheim in particular continue to provide insights that help modern day
sociologists to understand contemporary societies.
• Many of its basic assumptions still guide social research:
 That society should be seen as an integral whole;
 That its parts are interdependent;
 That social institutions exist;
 That society is structured and directs human behaviour.

7. The human body analogy
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• Functionalists, including Comte, Spencer and Durkheim,
often used organic analogy, comparing the operation of
society to a human body.
• They argued that the parts of society work together, just as
various parts of the human body do, for the benefit of the
society as a whole.
• To study a bodily organ, such as heart, you need to show
how it relates to the rest of the body. Similarly, analysing
the function of a social institution, such as education
system, needs to consider the part it plays in the running of
society. Image source: vilmosvarga
The
law
Religion The workplace
Mass
media
Schools
The
family

8. The human body analogy
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• Continuing the analogy, functionalists
argue that just as an organism has certain
needs that must be satisfied for it to
survive, so does society has needs that
must be met to continue to exist, and be
collectively successful, ‘stable’ and
‘healthy.’
• The social institutions (e.g. family, religion)
are thus part of a system, they are not
isolated.
• In addition to social institutions, we also
need rules (both formal, like laws, as well
as informal), norms and values.
Image source: goconqr (edited)

9. Functionalism: Key Concepts
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Key
Concepts
Structure
Functions
Value consensus
Social order
Functionalism begins with an observation that behaviour in society
is structured. The relationship between members are organised by
rules that dictate how people are to behave
Functionalists are interested in more than just the structures – they
are interested in the functions that they perform, and what effect
these functions have on the society as a whole.
Functionalists argue that for a society to survive as a united system,
its various parts need to be integrated and compatible. This will rely
upon value consensus – an agreement about social values.
Functionalists are interested in how social order is possible. The
theory assumes that a certain amount of stability is needed for
social systems to survive and is therefore concerned with explaining
origin and maintenance of social order.

10. Functionalism: Key Concepts
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Key
Concepts
Social institutions
Social cohesion
Stratification
Dysfunction
Anomie
Social institutions are well-defined, human-made, persistent structures,
rules and traditions, that help organise and maintain society. Famous
examples include: family, economy, religion, education and government.
What keeps society together is a sense of being a society, with similar
experiences, beliefs, values and goals.
Also called integration.
Like in the animal kingdom, society has a ‘natural’ division of labour,
utilizing all skills in society hierarchically for the greater good. Therefore,
inequality is desirable.
A breakdown or weakening of moral values, manifesting in a
dysfunctional inability to integrate socially (e.g. work, successful
relationships, etc.).
Dysfunction is when a social institution (e.g. family, or religion) does not
positively contribute to the maintenance and stability of society but cause
disharmony and conflict rather than coherence and integration.

11. Functionalism: Key Criticisms
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Overemphasising ‘stability’
Functionalism tends to ignore
coercion and conflict and
encourages conformity. They
largely ignore the possibility that
some groups in society may act in
their own personal interest and
dominate others. From this
perspective, social order is imposed
by the powerful, and value
consensus is merely a legitimation
of the position of dominant groups.
Determinism
Functionalism has a deterministic
view of human action. It portrays
human behaviour as determined by
the system (the social system has
needs, and this is what shapes the
behaviour of its members). People,
and particularly individuals, are not
seen as creating the social world –
they are seen as creations of it.
Value consensus and social order
1 - consensus is being assumed,
rather than shown to exist.
2 - The stability of society may owe
more to the absence, rather than
the presence of value consensus.
3 - Consensus does not necessarily
result in social order. In fact, it may
produce the opposite effect.

12. Summary
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• Functionalism has a long history in social science, particularly in sociology. Key authors
include Comte, Spencer and Durkheim. The theory lost its popularity during the 1970s,
as critical theories were considered more convincing.
• Functionalists, including Comte, Spencer and Durkheim, often compared society to a
human body. They argued that the parts of society work together, just as various parts of
the human body do, for the benefit of the society as a whole.
• Functionalists believe that a society is held together by rules, norms and values and that
different social institutions work together for the benefit of the society as a whole.
• Critics of the theory argue that functionalists take for granted that stability and social
order are good and should be maintained, and ignore the importance of conflict, abuse,
dominance of the powerful and oppression of the powerless.