OCR AS and A Level Sociology TEP Functionalism · Web viewIt identifies that, as structural theories, functionalism and Marxism share the view that society is powerful in shaping

Topic Exploration Pack

Functionalism

Instructions and answers for teachers..........................................................................................2

Introduction......................................................................................................................................3

Different perspectives on the social world...................................................................................5

Section 1: What are social theories?.............................................................................................5

Task 1: Changes in society (with answers)..............................................................................6

Section 2: What kind of theory is functionalism?........................................................................7

Task 2: Functionalist concepts (with answers).........................................................................7

Task 3: Evaluating functionalism............................................................................................10

Section 3: Key functionalist thinkers...........................................................................................11

Durkheim (including Task 4 with answers).............................................................................11

Parsons (including Tasks 5, 6 and 7 with answers)...............................................................13

Section 4: Applying functionalism to component 1...................................................................16

Task 8: Functionalists and gender roles (with answers)........................................................17

Task 9: Applying functionalist ideas (with answers)...............................................................19

Section 5: Consolidation activity ................................................................................................20

Task 10: Key concepts: word matching activity and fill the gap activities (with answers) .....20

Student activities ..........................................................................................................................22

Different perspectives on the social world ................................................................................22

Section 1: What are social theories? ..........................................................................................22

Task 1: Changes in society worksheet ..................................................................................22

Section 2: What kind of theory is functionalism? .....................................................................24

Task 2: Functionalist concepts worksheet .............................................................................25

Version 1 1 Copyright © OCR 2016

Task 3: Evaluating functionalism ...........................................................................................27

Section 3: Key functionalist thinkers ..........................................................................................28

Task 4: Durkheim ..................................................................................................................28

Task 5, 6, 7: Parsons .............................................................................................................31

Section 4: Applying functionalism to component 1 ..................................................................35

Task 8: Functionalism and gender roles ................................................................................36

Task 9: Applying functionalist ideas ......................................................................................37

Section 5: Consolidation activity ................................................................................................39

Task 10: Key concepts: word matching activity and fill the gap activities .............................39

Instructions and answers for teachersThese instructions cover the student activity section which can be found on page 22. This Topic Exploration Pack supports OCR AS and A Level Sociology.

When distributing the activity section to the students either as a printed copy or as a Word file you will need to remove the teacher instructions section.


ABC – This activity offers an opportunity for English skills development.

IntroductionThis pack introduces students to social theory and allows them to apply their knowledge in different ways to various component 1 topics. It aims to provide a basic understanding of functionalism and also begin to develop these skills in an engaging and interesting way. It should be possible for students to begin to apply their theoretical knowledge to any issue or topic.

Initially this pack locates functionalist ideas both historically – as some of the founding ideas of sociology - and also in terms of the type of theoretical perspective that it is. Essentially, students should be aware that functionalism emerged in the context of huge social changes in society and sought to understand and explain these as part of the 18th century enlightenment movement within which it coincided. The emergence of functionalism is also very much linked with the development of sociology as a distinct and important social science.

In many respects this document works alongside the Marxism Exploration Pack in that it helps students to identify the way in which the theories relate to each other. It identifies that, as structural theories, functionalism and Marxism share the view that society is powerful in shaping the individual. It is important that students begin to appreciate (albeit in a simple way) how the theories emerged and why.

Given that our specification has a stronger focus on globalisation than previous specifications, it is also worth considering the fact that functionalist theories very much reflect the ideas of the various European and Northern American thinkers, who were predominantly male, white and middle aged. This is especially relevant when thinking about the value of applying functionalist ideas to today’s world, which is, by contrast, rich in cultural diversity as well as the fact that we are now entering an era characterised by post-industrial, postmodern ideas. At the same time, whilst we want to encourage students to be critical, it is also important that they appreciate the contribution which functionalism has made - and continues to make - to sociological thought.

Students might like to consider their own responses to the theoretical ideas that they learn about. Students should be aware of the political spectrum along which lie the social theories they are expected to engage with. It is worth students learning about the New Right as an extension of functionalism, showing them various policies or issues which reflect the views that functionalists and the New Right share.

Once the students have understood what kind of social theory functionalism is, and the context from which it emerged, this pack moves on to explore how the theory can be applied to various parts of component 1. Finally they will be asked to explore various higher-level skills through some application activities.

Aims and objectives:


To understand what perspectives and social theories are

To understand the historical context from which functionalism emerged and its role in

defining and developing sociology

To apply functionalist ideas to various topics within component 1: socialisation, culture and

identity.

Formative assessment:

A range of tasks throughout the topic exploration pack to check learning and understanding.

Summative assessment

Examine the usefulness of functionalism in understanding the concept of socialisation within contemporary society.


Different perspectives on the social world

Section 1: What are social theories?A theory is a set of ideas about society, which seek to explain and social changes.

Here are some of the major changes in society which sociologists have tried to understand and explain:


Task 1: Changes in society (with answers)

In small group discuss the changes that you see in the images above.

What are the possible effects of these changes?

Many of the changes that you see above related to the changes that early functionalists were interested in:

UrbanisationThe movement of people living in the countryside (rural areas) to living in towns and cities (urban areas)

Industrialisation The change in economy from agriculture to an economy based on industry

The emergence of the state and the role it plays in social life

The expansion of the welfare state following the Beveridge Report post WW2 as well as the expansion of other areas of the state, education, the law etc.


People working based on a family

agricultural system.

Children being taught skills and

possibly writing/educated

at home.

Older people working without

retirement.

Women working and caring for the

young.

Children working. Care of the

sick at home.

People living in cities and

towns.

Specialised institutions taking over what were roles of the family, for example the NHS and care of the elderly, or

education.

Work and the home become

separate.

Changing roles in the

family.Women experiencing greater burden/power

and autonomy.

Greater affluence.

Section 2: What kind of theory is functionalism?There are different types of theoretical perspective; structural theories argue that society shapes the individual whereas social action theories suggest that the individual has a greater role in shaping society through their thoughts and actions.

Functionalism is a structural theory, which argues that society plays a powerful role in shaping the individual. Below are the concepts which are central to this theoretical perspective.

Task 2: Functionalist concepts (with answers)


In small groups discuss each of the concepts and give an example of each concept, this might relate to your own experience.

Look at the images below. Link each image to a functionalist concept, explaining the link.

Anomie – not being fully integrated into society

Norms

Collective conscience

Primary socialisation


Value consensus

Collective conscience as it is recognition of contribution to society

Consensus versus conflict theories

As well as being a structural theory, functionalists regard society as essentially having positive effects on the individual and the wider social group, which is referred to as a consensus view.

Functionalists argue that in general there is agreement or consensus amongst people in society about what is considered right and wrong, as well as having a shared view about the importance of the wider social group. This makes functionalists different to other theorists who argue that society is made up of different groups with opposing interests and views.


Task 3: Evaluating functionalism When many functionalists wrote, the world was a very different place. It was made up largely of people of similar ethnic backgrounds. Today society is very different, there are many more people from a wide range of different cultural backgrounds living together in UK society. Therefore it can be more difficult to agree on common values. Consider differing views on what is considered ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ among different religious groups. In fact in many cases, these different views can lead to social conflict. This has caused some to question if functionalist ideas are relevant today.

Using the examples below explain how each challenges the functionalist view that there is value consensus within UK society.


The historical conflict between Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland suggests that religion may not in fact be an institution which contributes to shared (religious) values. Rather, religion in this context actually created conflict. This challenges Durkheim's view that society is made up of singular institutions which are based on consensus. In fact religious diversity has brought various groups into conflict with each other.

A lack of social harmony, in this case frustration and economic problems.

These demonstrations are a public rejection of the government's decision to cut state spending on benefits and other public services which has been met with a lot of criticism by different groups and individuals. This suggests that Durkheim's idea that the institution of government which in his view should reflect the views of the people it serves thus creating social harmony, is not, in fact always the case.

Section 3: Key functionalist thinkersEmile Durkheim (1858-1917)

One of the earliest sociologists was the French academic Durkheim who was responsible for developing the discipline in terms of setting it apart from other disciplines and showing how it is possible for the study of society to be rigorous, scientific and relevant.

Durkheim started from the view that people are basically selfish and that they need to be encouraged to think about the wider social group or else there is a danger that they will simply think of themselves and society would break down. Durkheim called this shared set of ideas about the importance of the wider social group the collective conscience.

Durkheim, like Parsons and other social theorists, explored the change in society from small scale, tight knit communities to complex industrialised societies. Durkheim believed that social forces are very important in shaping the individual and that if people are not integrated into society fully, anomie and disorder will occur. Durkheim believed that it is possible to ascertain social facts about society which could be used to understand and overcome social problems.

Task 4: Durkheim

1. What assumptions does Durkheim make about people in general?That they are selfish and will automatically put their interests first unless they are encouraged not to.

2. What is the collective conscience?Shared ideas about the importance of the wider social group.

3. Give some examples of ‘social disorder’The riots in London in 2011, high rates of antisocial behaviour.


Talcott Parsons (1902 – 1979)

The American sociologist Parsons (1970) developed the ideas of Durkheim and argues that it was useful to draw an analogy (or similarities) between society and the human body. This is known as the organic analogy. Parsons argues that the organs within the body are like institutions in society such as the family, education, the law and religion. Parsons argues that if one part of the body fails, then the rest will fail too. This is because the organs are interdependent – they rely on each other.


Task 5: Parsons

1. Look at the diagram above, and explain in your own words what is meant by the organic analogy.

This is where the body is compared with society, and the idea that all the organs work together in order for society to work. If one organ or institution breaks down then the rest will also break down.

2. Can you think of an example of how problems within the family, such as the increase in divorce rate over recent years might lead to problems in other parts of society?

Potentially it means that people are poorer if they are raising children alone, affecting the economy.

3. Think of one other way in which institutions are related to each other, for example, the education system and the economy (the world of work).

The education system provides the appropriately skilled people for the demands of the time. For example, currently IT skills are required in the workforce and so education responds by teaching children IT skills.

Parsons argued that the central question in sociology is how do people cooperate in society and how is social order possible? And the answer he developed is that people share a set of cultural values which allows people to decide what is important and what is not. This set of ideas about what is considered to be important is known as value consensus.

The process by which people learn to be part of society and the value consensus is through their integration into society. Parsons argues that people become integrated through two key processes:

A summary of Parson’s processes through which people become integrated into society.


How does society change?

Parsons argues that society can and does change and this is achieved by a process known as structural differentiation. Parson’s view was that essentially society is becoming more and more complex. Whereas in the past the family carried out a number of important functions (such as learning to write, healthcare and work), nowadays other institutions have replaced these functions and have become specialised institutions themselves. Think of the expansion of the welfare state and the NHS which is where we now turn for healthcare for example, rather than the family.

Structural differentiation: the process through which social change occurs, involving the loss of functions of institutions and the increasingly specialised functions of a wider range of institutions.

4. How do the images above reflect Parson’s theory of structural differentiation?

The idea that older people are being increasingly cared for outside the home by specialist services for the elderly, meaning increasingly specialised institutions taking over functions in the family.

5. How do these images support the idea that social change is possible and desirable?

The idea that the people are better cared for as the service is more specialised.


Evaluation of Parsons

Although Parsons had some very well-known and respected ideas he has been criticised. Parsons argues that social harmony is both possible and desirable, and in reality, it could be argued that there is not harmony but in fact, different groups experience conflict in values. Parsons is therefore criticised for being overly optimistic. Another criticism is that Parsons makes the assumption that people are similar and want society to work together in society. This may or may not have been true for large parts of the society that he wrote in (America in the 1950’s) however today society is even more culturally diverse and this makes some argue that Parson’s ideas are not useful to understanding contemporary society. Parsons was white, middle class and middle aged, living a life of affluence and this too may have made him see society more positively than it might actually be.

Task 6: Evaluating Parson’s ideas


Parsons explored the social changes which occurred as a result of industrialization. Parsons saw the changes as positive, with the loss of functions in the family and the increasing specialisation of other institutions. Parsons argued that society is evolving and improving all the time.

There are problems with Parsons’ views, for example, he is too optimistic as social problems exist and his ideas reflect that he was white and middle class.

Section 4: Applying functionalism to component 1Socialisation

The process of socialisation, for functionalists is a positive experience for both the individual and society.

Functionalists and genderFunctionalists suggest that men and women have different roles based on the biological differences; gender therefore is simply an extension of biological roles. Women, being childbearing, are therefore more likely to take a caring role with the children whilst men, who contribute little to the reproduction of children, are ‘naturally’ more suited to taking a breadwinning role.


Instrumental role(The idea that men take the breadwinning role, they are financially responsible for

the family.)

Expressive role(The idea that the woman is the

caregiver and stays at home with the children rather than going to

work in the public sphere.)

Task 7: Functionalism and gender roles

1. Are the roles of women and men dependent upon biological functions?

No – in fact there is much interchangeability between roles

2. Name some problems with the functionalist view of gender roles, giving examples.

They assume that women want to take caring roles and overlook the fact that many women now work and choose not to have children.

Task 8: Applying functionalist ideas

For each of the formal agencies of social control, suggest how each institution maintains social harmony.


Agency How they maintain social harmony

Government: Ensuring that rules reflect changes within society and that laws ensure social harmony is maintained.

Police:Ensuring that the peace is maintained.

Military:

Ensuring national security.

Law/Courts and legal system: Making sure that rule breaking is dealt with and people can see that anything which threatens social harmony is dealt with swiftly.


Task 9: Applying functionalist ideas

Consider how different agencies of socialisation work according to functionalists.

Agency of socialisationExplanation of how this agency maintains social harmony

Examples

The family

Using positive sanctions such as providing love and support, individuals are encouraged to accept challenging situations and become prepared to tolerate other people beyond the family.

Rewarding good behaviour with praise or punishing bad behaviour such as telling children off.

Peer group

Friends act as a form of social control, both positively and negatively. Very influential among young people.

Excluding those who do not conform to socially accepted ideas about right or wrong behaviour

Media

The media is playing an increasingly important role in socialising both the young and the old.

TV shows present ideas about gender, relationships, norms etc.

Religion

Religion has guidelines about behaviour and norms, for example the 10 commandments in the Bible.

Sanctions such as going to heaven for good behaviour

EducationEducation shapes people’s norms and values through positive and negative sanctions.

Detentions, awards, grades

Workplace

Reinforcing particular values such as hard work and effectiveness which reinforce value consensus which leads to a strong economy.

Pay rises and bonuses for hard work


Section 5: Consolidation activity

Task 10: Key concepts

Match the correct concept to its definition

Concept Definition

Structural differentiation The process through which social change occurs, involving the loss of functions of institutions and the increasingly specialised functions of a wider range of institutions.

Socialisation The process through which the individual internalises norms and values.

Instrumental role The male, breadwinning role.

Secondary socialisation The process through which people internalise norms and values throughout their lives.

Negative sanction A punishment for not conforming to the values of society.

Expressive role The female role which consists of being a caregiver.

Anomie A lack of norms in society – literally normlessness.

Value consensus Shared ideas about what is right and wrong.

Primary socialisation The process through which people internalise norms and values in the early years of life.

Social solidarity A sense of being part of the wider group, society.

Positive sanction A reward for conforming to the values of society.

Institution A part of society which regulates one part of social life.

Dysfunction Where parts of society do not work together and there is conflict or anomie as a result.

Organic analogy Parsons’ idea that society works in similar ways to the human body, with institutions being interdependent.

Collective conscience The idea that the wider social group enforces some pressure over people to behave in particular ways.


Fill the gaps: answers

Functionalism is a structural theory which means that it believes that society plays an important role in shaping the individual. Structural theories assume that the individual passively accepts societal pressures. Functionalism is a consensus theory which means that it sees society as being basically positive and that social harmony is possible and desirable.

Early functionalists such as Durkheim were keen to show how sociology could be a separate academic discipline, and claimed that society could be understood in much the same way as natural sciences understand the world around us. Durkheim argued that social facts could be established about society, meaning that certain ‘truths’ about social forces could be understood, also meaning that the solutions to social problems could be found.

Functionalists take a scientific numerical approach to research, known as positivism. This means that they believe that it is possible for sociologists to be objective, not allowing their own feelings to affect the research. Functionalists favour numerical or quantitative data and argue that from this it is possible to establish cause and effect relationships.

Functionalists take a traditional approach to some aspects of social life. For example, they regard gender roles as being based on biological differences between men and women. They claim that women’s roles as caregivers (the expressive role) are an extension of their biological childbearing role. The male role, on the other hand is based on providing for the family (the instrumental role).

Functionalists have been criticized for being overly optimistic about the extent of social harmony. Feminists have criticised functionalists for their assumptions about gender roles being traditional, arguing that there is no reason why these roles cannot be interchangeable and that traditional gender roles oppress women. Another potential problem with functionalism is that many of the functionalist ideas were developed some time ago when society was different, leading some to question if functionalist ideas are relevant. For example, increasing migration has resulted in far more cultural diversity making the idea of a value consensus more complex and at times challenging.


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Topic Exploration Pack

Themes and Perspectives: A focus on functionalism

Student ActivityDifferent perspectives on the social world

IntroductionSociology, the study of society, has many different parts. Sociologists understand and explain the social world from a particular view of the world. Sociologists are undoubtedly affected by their own life experiences, and these often inform their view. The perspective that a sociologist develops is then built into a social theory. Social theories attempt to explain change.

Section 1: Explaining social changeA theory is a set of ideas about society, which seek to explain social changes.

Task 1: Changes in society

Here are some major changes in society which sociologists have tried to understand and explain:


In small group discuss the changes what you see in the images above.

What are the possible effects of these changes? Write your answer below:

Many of the changes that you can see in the images above related to the changes that early functionalists were interested in:


UrbanisationThe movement of people living in the countryside (rural areas) to living in towns and cities (urban areas)

Industrialisation The change in economy from agriculture to an economy based on industry

The emergence of the state and the role it plays in social life

The expansion of the welfare state following the Beveridge Report post WW2 as well as the expansion of other areas of the state, education, the law etc.

Section 2: What kind of theory is functionalism?There are different types of theoretical perspective; structural theories argue that society shapes the individual whereas social action theories suggest that the individual has a greater role in shaping society through their thoughts and actions.

Functionalism is a structural theory, which argues that society plays a powerful role in shaping the individual. Below are the concepts which are central to this theoretical perspective.


Task 2: Functionalist concepts(1) In small groups discuss each of the concepts above (socialisation, norms, values, social

solidarity, collective conscience, anomie) and give an example of each concept, this might relate to your own experience.

(2) Look at the images below. Link each image to a functionalist concept, explaining the link.



Consensus versus conflict theories

As well as being a structural theory, functionalists regard society as essentially having positive effects on the individual and the wider social group, which is referred to as a consensus view.

Functionalists argue that in general there is agreement or consensus amongst people in society about what is considered right and wrong, as well as having a shared view about the importance of the wider social group. This makes functionalists different to other theorists who argue that society is made up of different groups with opposing interests and views.

Evaluation

When many functionalists wrote, the world was a very different place. It was made up largely of people of similar ethnic backgrounds. Today society is very different, there are many more people from a wide range of different cultural backgrounds living together in UK society. Therefore it can be more difficult to agree on common values. Consider differing views on what is considered ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ among different religious groups. In fact in many cases, these different views can lead to social conflict. This has caused some to question if functionalist ideas are relevant today.

Task 3: Evaluating functionalism

Using the examples below explain how each challenges the functionalist view that there is value consensus within UK society.


Section 3: Key functionalist thinkers Emile Durheim (1858-1917)


One of the earliest sociologists was the French academic Durkheim, who was responsible for developing the discipline, in terms of setting it apart from other disciplines and showing how it is possible for the study of society to be rigorous, scientific and relevant.

Durkheim starts from the view that people are basically selfish and that they need to be encouraged to think about the wider social group or else there is a danger that they will simply think of themselves and society would break down. Durkheim called this shared set of ideas about the importance of the wider social group the collective conscience.

Durkheim, like Parsons and other social theorists, explored the change in society from small scale, tight knit communities to complex industrialised societies. Durkheim believed that social forces are very important in shaping the individual and that if people are not integrated into society fully, anomie and disorder will occur. Durkheim believed that it is possible to ascertain social facts about society which could be used to understand and overcome social problems.

Task 4: Durkheim

1. What assumptions does Durkheim make about people in general?

2. What is the collective conscience?


3. Give some examples of ‘social disorder’


Talcott Parsons (1902 – 1979)

The American sociologist Parsons (1970) developed the ideas of Durkheim and argues that it was useful to draw an analogy (or similarities) between society and the human body. This is known as the organic analogy. Parsons argues that the organs within the body are like institutions in society such as the family, education, the law and religion. Parsons argues that if one part of the body fails, then the rest will fail too. This is because the organs are interdependent – they rely on each other.


Task 5: Parsons

1. Look at the diagram above, and explain in your own words what is meant by the organic analogy.

2. Can you think of an example of how problems within the family, such as the increase in divorce rate over recent years, might lead to problems in other parts of society?

3. Think of one other way in which institutions are related to each other, for example, education and the economy (the world of work).


Parsons argued that the central question in sociology is how do people cooperate in society and how is social order possible? And the answer he developed is that people share a set of cultural values which allows people to decide what is important and what is not. This set of ideas about what is considered to be important is known as value consensus.

The process by which people learn to be part of society and the value consensus is through their integration into society. Parsons argues that people become integrated through two key processes:

A summary of Parson’s processes through which people become integrated into society.


Task 6: How does society change?

Parsons argues that society can and does change and this is achieved by a process known as structural differentiation. Parson’s view was that essentially society is becoming more and more complex. Whereas in the past the family carried out a number of important functions (such as learning to write, healthcare and work), nowadays other institutions have replaced these functions and have become specialised institutions themselves. Think of the expansion of the welfare state and the NHS which is where we now turn for healthcare for example, rather than the family.

Structural differentiation: the process through which social change occurs, involving the loss of functions of institutions and the increasingly specialised functions of a wider range of institutions.

(1) How do the images above reflect Parson’s theory of structural differentiation?

(2) How do these images support the idea that social change is possible and desirable?


Evaluation of Parsons

Although Parsons had some very well-known and respected ideas he has been criticised. Parsons argues that social harmony is both possible and desirable, and in reality, it could be argued that there is not harmony but in fact, different groups experience conflict in values. Parsons is therefore criticized for being overly optimistic. Another criticism is that Parsons makes the assumption that people are similar and want society to work together in society. This may or may not have been true for large parts of the society that he wrote in (America in the 1950’s) however today society is even more culturally diverse and this makes some argue that Parson’s ideas are not useful to understanding contemporary society. Parsons was white, middle class and middle aged, living a life of affluence and this too may have made him see society more positively than it might actually be.

Task 7: Evaluating Parsons’ ideas

In your own words summarise the evaluation of Parsons’ ideas:


Section 4: Applying functionalism to component 1Socialisation

The process of socialisation, for functionalists is a positive experience for both the individual and society.

Functionalists and Gender

Functionalists suggest that men and women have different roles based on the biological differences; gender therefore is simply an extension of biological roles. Women being childbearing are therefore more likely to take a caring role with the children while men, who contribute little to the reproduction of children, are ‘naturally’ more suited to taking a breadwinning role.


Expressive role(The idea that the woman is the caregiver and stays at home with the children rather than going to work in the public sphere.)

Instrumental role(The idea that men take the breadwinning role, they are financially responsible for the

family.)

Task 8: Functionalism and gender roles

1. Are the roles of women and men dependent upon biological functions?

2. Name some problems with the functionalist view of gender roles, giving examples:


Task 9: Applying functionalist ideas to understanding the concept of socialisation

0For each of the formal agencies of social control, suggest how each institution maintains social harmony.

Agency How they maintain social harmony

Government:

Police:

Military:

Law/Courts and legal system:


Consider how different agencies of socialisation work according to functionalists.

The first two have been done for you. Complete the other sections:

Agency of socialisation Explanation of how this agency maintains social harmony

Examples

The family Using positive sanctions such as providing love and support, individuals are encouraged to accept challenging situations and become prepared to tolerate other people beyond the family.

Rewarding good behaviour with praise or punishing bad behaviour such as telling children off.

Peer group Friends act as a form of social control, both positively and negatively. Very influential among young people.

Excluding those who do not conform to socially accepted ideas about right or wrong behaviour.

Media

Religion

Education

Workplace


Section 5: Consolidating learning

Task 10: Key concepts

Match the correct concept to its definition.

Concept Definition

The process through which social change occurs, involving the loss of functions of institutions and the increasingly specialised functions of a wider range of institutions.

The process through which the individual internalises norms and values.

The male, breadwinning role.

The process through which people internalise norms and values throughout their lives.

A punishment for not conforming to the values of society.

The female role which consists of being a caregiver.

A lack of norms in society – literally normlessness.

Shared ideas about what is right and wrong.

The process through which people internalise norms and values in the early years of life.

A sense of being part of the wider group, society.

A reward for conforming to the values of society.

A part of society which regulates one part of social life.

Where parts of society do not work together and there is conflict or anomie as a result.

Parsons’ idea that society works in similar ways to the human body, with institutions being interdependent.

The idea that the wider social group enforces some pressure over people to behave in particular ways.


Fill in the gaps

Functionalism is a , which means that it believes that society plays an important role in shaping the individual. Structural theories assume that the individual passively accepts societal pressures. Functionalism is a consensus theory which means that it sees society as being basically and that is possible and desirable.

Early functionalists such as Durkheim were keen to show how sociology could be a separate academic discipline, and claimed that society could be understood in much the same way as understand the world around us. Durkheim argued that social facts could be established about society, meaning that certain ‘truths’ about social forces could be understood, also meaning that the solutions to social problems could be found.

Functionalists take a scientific numerical approach to research, known as . This means that they believe that it is possible for sociologists to be objective, not allowing their own feelings to affect the research. Functionalists favour numerical or quantitative data and argue that from this it is possible to establish cause and effect relationships.


Value consensus

Organic analogy

Structural differentiation

Primary socialisation

Anomie Collective conscience

Secondary socialisation

Social control Negative sanction

Institution

Social conflict Positive sanction

Expressive role

Dysfunction

Instrumental role

Functionalists take a traditional approach to some aspects of social life. For example, they regard gender roles as being based on biological differences between men and women. They claim that women’s roles as caregivers (the role) is an extension of their biological role. The male role, on the other hand is based on providing for the family (the role).

Functionalists have been criticised for being overly optimistic about the extent of social harmony. have criticised functionalists for their assumptions about gender roles being traditional, arguing that there is no reason why these roles cannot be interchangeable and that traditional oppress women. Another potential problem with functionalism is that many of the functionalist ideas were developed some time ago when society was different, leading some to question if functionalist ideas are relevant. For example, increasing . has resulted in far more cultural diversity making the idea of a more complex and at times challenging.


value consensus

gender roles

expressive

childbearing

social harmony

natural sciences positivism

structural theory

migration

feminists

instrumental

positive

Documents

OCR AS and A Level Sociology TEP Functionalism · Web viewIt identifies that, as structural theories, functionalism and Marxism share the view that society is powerful in shaping