Structural Functionalism Week 6
Content Standards
The learners demonstrate an understanding of the key concepts and approaches in the Social Sciences.
Performance Standards
The learners can:
● interpret personal and social experiences using relevant approaches in the Social Sciences
● evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the approach
Most Essential Learning Competencies
● Determine manifest and latent functions and dysfunctions of sociocultural phenomena
Lesson Presentation
Structural Functionalism
Terminologies
• Social institutions – mechanisms or patterns of social order focused on meeting social needs, such as
government, economy, education, family, healthcare, and religion.
• Manifest – clear to the eye or mind.
• Latent - existing
Structural Functionalism
Structural Functionalism is a framework for building theory that sees society as a complex system whose parts
work together to promote solidarity and stability. Herbert Spencer, Robert Merton, and Emile Durkheim were
major contributors to this perspective. Important concepts in functionalism include social structure, social
functions, manifest functions, and latent functions.
Structural Functionalism grew out of the writings of English philosopher and biologist, Herbert Spencer (1820-
1903), who saw similarities between society and the human body; he argued that just as the various organs of
the body work together to keep the body functioning, the various parts of society work together to keep
society functioning (Spencer 1898). The parts of society that Spencer referred to be the social institutions, or
patterns of beliefs and behaviors focused on meeting
social needs, such as government, education, family,
healthcare, religion, and the economy.
Emile Durkheim, another early sociologist, applied
Spencer’s theory to explain how societies change and
survive over time. Durkheim thinks that society was made
up of building blocks that were focused on a common
goal. If people stopped agreeing on those common goals,
then society would disintegrate. However, as long as most
people agreed, society would be fine. For example, this
_____________________________________________________________________________
Discipline and Ideas in the Social Science Page 1 of 3
Structural Functionalism Week 6
image of a circular flow of money through an economy demonstrates how something that almost everyone
can agree on, education is made into a goal. Of course, this only worked as long as everyone was focused. If
one group disagreed on where society is going, then the whole thing falls apart. These social bonds are very
important.
Social Structure and Social Functions
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 – for example, in
families, the community, and through religious organizations. And certain rituals, such as a handshake or
complex religious ceremonies, give structure to our everyday lives. 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.
Latent Function and Manifest Function
The function can be explained as the result or consequences of people’s actions. These consequences can be
either latent function or manifest functions in any social institution. The distinction is explained by Robert K.
Merton in his book Social Theory and Social Structure in 1949.
Latent Functions are those functions that are unintended or unrecognized consequences of any social pattern.
They are present but are not immediately obvious. On the other hand, the intended, conscious, or deliberate
functions of the social policies or actions which are created for the benefit of society are called manifest
functions. Manifest Functions are generally expected from the institutions to be fulfilled. For example,
hospitals are expected to provide better healthcare to the people or treat patients going through Covid-19.
Similarly, an example of latent function can be that in a hospital the doctors while treating a patient suffering
from Covid-19 somehow saves the patient, thus, discovering a new method of treating this particular disease.
This distinction between the manifest function is the reason sociologists tend to study beyond the reasons the
individuals, institutions, etc. normally offer for their actions.
Conclusion
• Structural Functionalism is a framework for building theory that sees society as a complex system whose
parts work together to promote solidarity and stability.
• Important concepts in functionalism include social structure, social functions, manifest functions, and latent
functions.
• Herbert Spencer (1820-1903), saw similarities between society and the human body; argued that just as the
various organs of the body work together to keep the body functioning, the various parts of society work
together to keep society functioning (Spencer 1898).
• Durkheim thinks that society was made up of building blocks that were focused on a common goal.
References and Supplementary Material
Online Supplementary Reading Materials
_____________________________________________________________________________
Discipline and Ideas in the Social Science Page 2 of 3
Structural Functionalism Week 6
1. [Link] Structural Functionalism
2. [Link] Social
Structure, and Social Functions
3. [Link] Wikipedia
4. [Link]
Understanding Culture, Society, and Politics (Activity Sheets) Department of Education June 2016
_____________________________________________________________________________
Discipline and Ideas in the Social Science Page 3 of 3