A2 functionalism theory

According to Durkheim people are basically selfish unless they learn to share common values and commit to co-operation then society would then fall in to chaos and disorder. As a result Durkheim placed grate value on socializing people in to value consensus.

This means a widespread agreement on norms and values and moral belifes.

Parsons and Durkheim both believed that the agencies of socialisation were important in building a value consensus and maintaining social order

• A structure of interrelated parts which fit together to form an intergraded whole  social institutions are  analysed in terms of the contribution they make to the maintenance of this system 
• They draw an analogy between the workings of the human body and the workings of society
• Society has what parsons calls functional perquisites 
• Social institutions are connected and work together to meet functional prerequisites 

 Parsons says for society to survive 4 functional prerequisites must be met GAIL model

•  Goal attainment – the selection and definition of a society’s priorities and aims and goals
• Adaptation- adapting to the environment  
• Integration – coordinating all parts of the social system to achieve shared goals
• Latency- minimising social tension

• Social change occurs when new functions emerge or society needs to adapt
• Change is a slow evolutionary process as gradual shifts occur in social values
• All parts in society are linked
• The system will remain balanced
• Parsons explains this in terms of structural differentiation   

• Merton was critical of parsons
• Merton agued in a complex social system there is a lot that can go wrong and there may be unforeseen consequences
• Introduced the concept of dysfunction when some parts of the social structure do not work as intended and there can be negative consequences
• Dysfunctions can affect every part of the social system
• Manifest functions
• Latent functions