Structural FunctionalismCris A. Capilayan, MA. Ed.

Structural Functionalism

Work of Talcott Parsons, Robert Merton, their students and their followers, was for many years the dominant sociological theory However, in the last three decades, it has declined dramatically in importance and, in at least some senses, has receded into the recent history of sociological theory.

Parsons’ structural functionalism has 4 functional imperatives for all “action” systems, embodied in his famous AGIL scheme.

Talcott Parsons

Parsons designed the AGIL scheme to be used at all levels in this theoretical system.

The behavioral organism is the action system that handles the adaptation function by adjusting to and transforming the external world.

Action system

Behavioral system that handles the adaptation function by adjusting to and transforming the external world.

Personality system

Performs the goal-attainment function by defining system goals and mobilizing resources to attain them.

Social system

Copes with the integration function by controlling its component parts.

Cultural system

Performs the latency function by providing actors with the norms and values that motivate them for action.

Parson’s 4 action systems are shown:

CULTURAL SYSTEM SOCIAL SYSTEM

ACTION SYSTEM PERSONALITY SYSTEM

In his analysis of the social system, Parsons was primarily interested in his structural components. In addition to a concern with the status role, he was interested in such large-scale components of social systems such as collectives, norms and values

He was not simply a structuralist but also a functionalist.

Functionalist perspective

Functional requisites of a social system (Talcott Parsons)1. Social system must have structured so that they

operate compatibly with other systems2. To survive, the social system must have the

requisite from other systems.3. The system must meet a significant proportion of

the needs of its actors. 4. The system must elicit adequate participation from

its members.

5. It must have at least a minimum of control over potentially disruptive behavior.6. If conflict becomes sufficiently disruptive, it must be controlled.7. Finally, a social system requires a language in order to survive.

Functionalist perspectiveIt is primarily concerned with why a society assumes a particular form. This perspective assumes that any society takes its particular form because that form works well for the society given its particular situation.

Societies exist under a wide range of environmental situations.

Such societies have highly advanced technologies and they also differ in terms of their interactions with other societies. Thus what works for one society cannot be expected to work for another.

In any society, the functionalist perspective makes one basic argument. Whatever are the characteristics of a society, those characteristics developed because they met the needs of that society in particular situation.

Key principles of the functionalist perspective

1. Interdependency.

One of the most important principles of functionalist theory is that society is made up of interdependent parts.

It means that every part of the society is dependent to some extent on other parts of society, so that what happens at one place in society has important effects elsewhere.

Ex. a class requires a faculty member to teach a subject and the stsudents to learn it.

2. Function of Social structure and culture

Closely related to interdependency is the idea that each part of the social exists because it serves some function.

This principle is applied by functionalists to both social structure and culture.

Social structure- refers to the organization of society , including its institutions, its social positions, and its distribution of resources.

Culture- refers to a set of beliefs , language, rules, values, and knowledge, held in common by members of a society.

3. CONSENSUS AND COOPERATION

We all believe in the principles of democracy & freedom.

Societies tend toward consensus in order to achieve cooperation.

Functionalists believe that inability to cooperate will paralyze the society, and people will devote more and more effort to fighting one another rather than getting anything done.

4. EQUILIBRIUM

This view holds that once a society has achieved the form that is best adapted to its situation , it has reached a state of balance or equilibrium, and it will remain in that condition until it was forced to change by some new condition.

Ex. new technology, change in climate, a contact with an outside society are all conditions to which society might have to adapt.

When such conditions occur, social change will take place. Society will change just to adapt a new situation.

However, once that adaptation has been made, the society has attained a new state of balance or equilibrium with its environment, and it will not change gain until new situation requires further adaptation.

Structural-functional model (Ritzer, 2000)

Social structures provide preset patterns which evolve to meet human needs

Stability, order, and harmony Maintenance of society

The structural functional model addresses the question of social organization and how it is maintainedIt has roots in natural sciences and the analogy between a society and an organization.In the analysis of living organism, the scientist’s task is to identify the various parts (structures) and determine how they work(function).

In the study of society, a sociologist with this perspective tries to identify the structures of society and how they function; hence the name structural functionalism

Components of a social structure

Families

Neighbors

Associations

Schools Churches

Banks

Countries

Functionalist sociologists begin with a picture of society that stresses the interdependence of the social system; these researchers often examine how well parts are integrated with each other.

They view society as a kind of machine, where one part articulates with another to produce dynamic energy required to make society work.

Functionalists stresses the process that maintain social order by stressing consensus and agreement.

They understand that Change is inevitable.They underscore the evolutionary nature of change.

Functionalists argue that without a common bond to unite groups, society will disintegrate.

Structural functionalism - puts emphasis on social order and social stability not on conflict.

It claims that society is made up of different institutions or organizations that work together in cooperation.

Parsons believes that education is a vital part of a modern society, a society differs considerably from all previous societies.

Schooling performs an important function in the development and maintenance of a modern, democratic society, especially with regard to equality of opportunity for all citizens.

In a meritocratic society , education plays a significant function in the maintenance of the democratic and technocratic society. In political democracy, schools provide citizens with knowledge and dispositions to participate actively in civic life.In every increasingly technical society, schools provide students with skills and dispositions to work in such society.

Meritocratic - a system in which such persons are rewarded and advanced