Structural
Functionalism
states that society is made up of various institutions that
work together in cooperation.
Reported by: Mei Yin Lee
Parson’s Structural
Functionalism
has four functional imperatives also known as AGIL
scheme.
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Parson’s Structural Functionalism
ADAPTATION GOAL ATTAINMENT
a system must cope with a system must define and
external situational achieve its primary goals.
exigencies. It must adapt to
its environment and adapt
environment to its needs.
a system must furnish, maintain
and renew both the motivation of
a system must regulate the individuals and the cultural
interrelationship of its patterns that create and sustain
component parts. the motivation..
INTEGRATION LATENCY (pattern maintenance)
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Structure of the General Action
System (Ritzer 2000)
Cultural system (Latency Social system (Integration
Function) providing actors Function) controlling its
with the norms and values components parts
that motivate them for
action
Personality system (Goal
Action system (Adaptation Attainment) defining system
Function) adjusting to and goals and mobilizing
transforming to the external resources to attain them
world
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Parson’s answer to the problem
of order in Structural
Functionalism
1. Property of order and interdependence of parts
2. Self-maintaining order or equilibrium
3. Maybe static or involved
4. Nature of one part has an impact on the forms that the
other parts can take
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5. Maintain boundaries with their environments.
6. Allocation and integration are two
fundamental process necessary for a given
equilibrium
7. Self-maintenance involving the maintenance
of relationships of parts to whole
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Parson’s social system begins at the micro
“
level with interaction between the ego and
alter – ego, defined as the most
elementary form of the social system. He
was interested in such a large-scale
components of social systems as
collectiveness, norms and values. Parsons
was not simply a structuralist but also a
FUNCTIONALIST.
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io n a l
n c t
Fu isites ystem
Re q u oc ial s
ofas
[Link] system must be structured so that they operate compatibly
with other systems.
[Link] survive, the social system must have requisite from other
systems.
[Link] system must meet a significant proportion of the needs of its
actors.
[Link] system must elicit adequate participation from its members.
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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.
-Talcott Parsons
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The functionalist perspective is primarily concerned
with why society assumes a particular form.
It 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.
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Key principles of the functionalist theory
by Farley 1990
1. Interdependency
2. Functions of social structure and culture
3. Consensus and cooperation
4. Equilibrium
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Interdependency
every part of society is dependent to some extent on the
other parts of the society, so that what happens at one
place in society has important effects elsewhere
Functions of Social Structure
and Culture
Social Structure refers to the organization of society,
including its institutions, its social positions and
distribution of resources.
Culture refers to a set of beliefs, language, rules, values,
and knowledge held in common by members of a society.
Consensus and Cooperation
societies have a tendency toward consensus; that is to
have certain basic values that nearly everyone in the
society agrees upon. Society tends toward consensus to
achieve cooperation.
Equilibrium
is a characteristic of a society when it has achieved the
form that is best adapted to its situation. New technology,
a change in climate, or contact with an outside society are
all conditions to which a society might have to adapt.
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The Structural- Functional Model
(Ritzer, 2000)
Social Structure provide preset patterns
which evolve to human need
Stability order and harmony Maintenance of society
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In the analysis of living organism, the scientist’s
task is to identify the various parts (structures)
and determine how they work (function).
In sociology, sociologist tries to identify the
structure of society and how they function, hence
the name structural functio-nalism. (Javier, et al.,
1994)
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The component parts of social structure
Families Associations Churches Countries
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1 3 5
2 4 6
Neighbors Schools Banks
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● Functionalist sociologists stress
● Interdependence of the social system
● View society as a kind of machine
● Maintain social order by stressing consensus and
agreement
● Understand that change is inevitable
● Argue that without a common bond to unite groups,
society will disintegrate
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● Parsons believes that education is a vital part of
modern society, a society that 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.
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• Thus, in modern societies education becomes the
key institution in a meritocratic selection process.
• Education also plays a significant function in the
maintenance of the modern democratic and
technocratic society.
• Schools teach work skills and teach students how to
learn so they may adapt to new work roles and
requirements.
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Thanks!
Any questions?
You can find me at sweetmeiyin@[Link]
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