The functionalist view of culture sees culture as essential for holding society together. It views culture as composed of beliefs, values, and norms that dictate social behaviors and link individuals to the wider society. Functionalists believe that all aspects of culture serve important functions that contribute to social stability and solidarity.

1. WALT: Assess the
Functionalist view of
culture.
WILFs:
E – Describe the functionalist view of culture.
C – Explain the functionalist view of culture
A – Evaluate the functionalist view of culture.

2. Culture
• Links individual to wider society via culture…
• Cultures vary across societies…
• Cultures vary over time…
• Cultures are composed of three main elements: Beliefs,
Values, Norms
• Larger and more socially complex the society, the greater
the likelihood is that there will be a range of different
values. These variations are known as subcultures.

3. (Remote indian tribe in Brazil)
• The Indians sit next to him [the leader of the
anthropolgists], laughing with him. The chief, Shishu, puts
his arm around him for half an hour. Shishu makes us tea by
grating a vine over a club encrusted with monkey-teeth, and
then wetting and squeezing the result. One man pulls up my
shirt to see if I have breasts and looks down the trousers of
Possuelo’s long haired teenage son.
• 1. What do you think the significance of making tea?
• 2. The tribe

4. Question
• Shared culture that really holds society together.
• No cultures could exist without societies. But equally, no societies
could exist without culture. Without culture no one can be human
at all.
• Society is made up of all the formal and informal social institutions
that people create (marriage etc)
• Culture dictates how those institutions work by setting behavioral
rules (norms) and by shaping expectations about the social roles
people should play in those institutions.
• Narrower alternative ways in which the concept of culture has
been used by sociologists. IE High Culture – affects identity …

5. Sociobiology.
• Social biologists generally believe that culture is the product
of biology or nature as opposed to the idea that it is
learned.
• Morris (1968) argues that biology shapes culture, because
sharing culture is based on the in-built or genetic need to
continue the life of the social group over time.
• Sociologists argue that if human behaviour is affected by
biology it is only reflex. E.g. we feel hungry. Culture
determines what is eaten.
• IE UK disproves of cannibalism, eating horses, insects and
dogs.

6. Functionalism
• Functionalism says that the individual is the product of
society.
• Emile Durkheim (1858-1917) was one of the founders of
sociology. In his view, society is made up of various
institutions, each of which has a useful function. So
Durkheim and his followers are known as functionalists.
• They looked at how society was structured (Functionalism is
a structural theory).

7. Functionalism
• Functionalists looked at how institutions in society work and
how they affect individuals;
- The Family – has the function of socializing children.
- Education – has the function of preparing young people for
adult society.
- Religion – has the function of uniting society through
shared beliefs.

8. Functionalist. 34
• What is meant by value consensus?
• What is the functionalist view on culture?
• What is the functionalist view on culture in pre-industrial
societies?
• What is anomie?
• How would social order be maintained?
• How does specialized division of labor maintain this?

9. Structure:
The way society operates as a
whole. Individuals have almost no
control over this.
Society:
Social system made up of social
institutions such as family,
education etc
Values:
Important general beliefs that
some things are worthwhile. E.g.
Wrong to hurt people.
Deviance: Rule-Breaking behavior.
Norms:
Socially approved ways of
behaving. E.g.
Globalization
The influence on British culture
of cultural products and
activities produced outside the
UK.
Mass
Culture:
Cultural products and activities
that are consumed by large
numbers of people.
Functionalism
A sociological perspective that focuses
on understanding how the different
parts of society work together to keep it
running smoothly
Culture:
A way of life of a particular
society or social group.
High
Culture:
Cultural products and activities
that are defined as superior to
mass & folk.