Consensus Theories

Consensus Theories

• Consensus theories are one group of theories that emphasise the idea that human societies work better when their members agree on the sane fundamental principles and share common norms and values.
• This makes social life more predictable and means there is a social order in society.
• E.g. in schools and colleges, and colleges, teachers and students know what to expect of one another inrheir roles and have a shared understanding that they have to come together so that students can learn.
• Consensus theories also examine how different social insitutions in society work together to ensure that the members get the things they need.
• E.g. schools and colleges exist to educate their students but they also serve  the needs of businesses and the economy by ensuring future workers are suitably socialised and have the skills they need for employers.

Functionalism

• Functionalism was developed by Emile Durkheim, who believed that members of societies need to feel a sense of social solidarity (a feeling of belonging to a larger community).
• In large modern societies, people could lose their sense of belonging and become anonymous individuals who don't know how to behave and what their roles are in society, which is called anomie.
• Socialisaation plays an important role in…