This document discusses the structural-functional approach in sociology. It explains that society can be viewed as a complex system with different parts that work together to promote stability. Social structures like families and communities give shape to people's lives. The structure of a society refers to the interrelationships between individuals and their roles. Functionalism sees society as a system where all parts contribute to maintaining society as a whole through social consensus and order. However, limitations include social patterns changing over time and place, and structures sometimes creating barriers between groups.

1. I M D R
Institute of Management Development & Research
SOCIOLOGY
Structure and Functionalism of Society:
Implication & Limitation

2. Structure and Functionalism of
Society: Implication & Limitations
Introduction:
• Sociology is defined as science of society.
• Herbert Spencer said that society is like biological
organism, is composed of number of parts which
performs different functions.
• To simplify the study of social interactions there are
two concepts
1. Structure
2. Function

3. Society with Structural and
Functional Approach
• The structural-functional approach is a perspective
in sociology that sees society as a complex system
whose parts work together to promote solidarity
and stability.
• It asserts that our lives are guided by social
structures, which are relatively stable patterns of
social behavior.
• Social structures give shape to our lives –
Ex. Families, Community, Religion

4. Structure of the Society
• The structure of a social systems refers to the
pattern of interrelationship between individuals i.e
the interrelated act of the people.
Ex. Farmers- Labors- Drivers- Traders- Consumer
• Roles of various types, within the larger system and
within the subgroups.
• Each role system and the subgroup is also
connected with others through relational norms.
• The cultural values can be defined as conception or
as a standard by which things can be compared or
disapproved relative to each other

5. Culture Social Structure
Social Position
Roles
Social Interactions
Non Material Culture
Values
Norms
Material Culture
Technology

6. What Is Structural Functionalism?
• Structural functionalism, or simply functionalism, is
a framework for building theory that sees society as
an interlinked system whose each element practice
together to run the social system smoothly
• Herbert Spencer and Robert Merton, were major
contributors to this perspective.

8. Functionalism of Society
• A good way to understand the functional analysis
is to start with a biological analog.
• Functional analysis explains a given pattern of
activity by defining its contribution, or function to
the group or society of which it is a part.
• Each social structure has social functions, or
consequences for the operation of society as a
whole. Education, for example, has several
important functions in a society, such as
socialization, learning, and social placement.

9. •Functionalism sees society as a system; a set of
interconnected parts which together form a whole.
There is a relationship between all these parts and
agents of socialization and together they all
contribute to the maintenance of society as a
whole.
• Social consensus, order and integration are key
beliefs of functionalism as this allows society to
continue and progress because there are shared
norms and values that mean all individuals have a
common goal and have a vested interest in
conforming and thus conflict is minimal.

10. Methodology of Functionalism
• Bredemeier summarized the subjective feelings of
the functionalism to describe the consequences of
given cultural usage or social elements
• Productive analysis
• Motivational conditions
• Motivational Patterns
• Comparison
• Assessment

11. Social Implication
• Something implied or suggested as naturally to be
inferred or understood
• The conclusion that can be drawn from something
although it is not explicitly stated

12. Implications of social structure
• The implication of the social structure is critical and
positive in some extent
• Biased view of the society depending on the gender,
caste, creed, religion, territorial significance

13. Limitation of Structure and
Functionalism of Society
• There is a huge gap between the rich and the poor.
• The systems like casts, Religions, communities
becomes the barrier between the people.
• Social patterns change, what is true in one time or
place may not hold true in another.

14. Any Questions
Presented by-
Name Roll No.
Akansha Bansal 85
Amit Bhagwat 86
Simran Boparai 87
Madhura Chilka 88