Functionalism | Society and Culture | MCAT | Khan Academy

Summary

Functionalism, rooted in Emile Durkheim's ideas, is a sociological perspective that views society as a complex system striving for equilibrium. It emphasizes the interconnected structures like institutions and social facts that fulfill societal needs and maintain stability. The theory highlights manifest functions, the intended roles of institutions, and latent functions, their unintended consequences. Despite its insights, functionalism has limitations in addressing individual importance and explaining social change and conflict.

Takeaways

• 🌐 **Functionalism Overview**: Functionalism, based on Emile Durkheim's ideas, is a macro-level approach to understanding society by examining its structures and how they contribute to societal stability.
• 🔍 **Societal Equilibrium**: Society is viewed as striving for equilibrium, where changes such as those triggered by companies like Amazon necessitate adaptations by local businesses to restore balance.
• 🏛️ **Institutions**: Institutions like education systems, financial institutions, and the military are structures that meet societal needs and are integral to functionalism.
• 🤔 **Social Facts**: Durkheim introduced 'social facts' as societal norms and ways of thinking that exist independently of individuals and exert a coercive influence over them.
• 📚 **Manifest Functions**: These are the intended and recognized consequences of institutions, such as schools educating students and businesses providing services.
• 🔄 **Latent Functions**: Unrecognized and unintended consequences of institutions, like schools facilitating social connections, are termed latent functions.
• 🧬 **Societal Interdependence**: Durkheim believed that as societies grow, individuals become more interdependent, necessitating specialized roles and mutual reliance for societal stability.
• 🌱 **Causes of Evolution**: Population growth within limited spaces is identified as a fundamental factor driving societal evolution and the development of specialized roles.
• 🔄 **Adaptation to Change**: In functionalism, changes in production, distribution, or coordination require institutions to adapt to maintain the stability of societal interdependence.
• ⚖️ **Critique of Functionalism**: The theory is criticized for its focus on institutions over individuals and its limited ability to explain social change and conflict, as it primarily models stability.

Q & A

What is functionalism in sociology?

Functionalism is a system of thinking in sociology based on the ideas of Emile Durkheim, which examines society from a large-scale perspective, focusing on the necessary structures that make up a society and how each part contributes to maintaining its stability.

How does functionalism view the concept of social equilibrium?

Functionalism sees society as heading toward an equilibrium, where each part of society, such as institutions and social facts, work together to maintain stability and balance.

What are some examples of institutions according to functionalism?

Institutions in functionalism include education systems, financial institutions, businesses, marriage laws, mass media, nongovernmental organizations, medicine, religion, the military, and police forces.

What are social facts in the context of functionalism?

Social facts are ways of thinking and acting formed by society that existed before any individual and will continue to exist after any individual is gone. They are unique objects that cannot be influenced by an individual and have a coercive effect over them.

Can you provide an example of a social fact as mentioned in the script?

One example of a social fact is the law, which is always present but often goes unnoticed until someone tries to break it or act against it.

What is the relationship between society and its structures according to functionalism?

Society is dependent on the structures that create it, similar to how a cell is dependent on its components. Each part of society has a specific function that contributes to the overall stability and equilibrium.

What are manifest functions in functionalism?

Manifest functions are the recognized and intended consequences of institutions, such as schools educating students to find good jobs and support the community, or businesses providing specialized services.

What are latent functions, and how do they differ from manifest functions?

Latent functions are the unrecognized and unintended consequences of institutions. They are often indirect effects, such as schools allowing students and professors to make social connections or businesses connecting people across societies.

How does functionalism explain the evolution of society?

Functionalism suggests that the evolution of society is caused by factors like population growth within a limited space, leading to specialization and mutual interdependence among individuals.

What is the role of social change in functionalism?

Social change is seen as a disturbance to the equilibrium of society. Institutions and structures adapt just enough to compensate for the change and maintain stability, ensuring the mutual interdependence of the community.

What are some criticisms of functionalism?

Functionalism has been criticized for focusing too much on institutions and not enough on the importance of individuals. It also struggles to explain social change and conflict, as it is primarily concerned with maintaining the equilibrium of society.

Outlines

00:00

🔍 Functionalism and Social Structures

Functionalism, a perspective rooted in Emile Durkheim's ideas, views society as a large-scale system striving for equilibrium. It examines the structures essential for societal stability, such as institutions like education and financial systems, and social facts—prevailing norms and regulations that exist beyond individuals. Durkheim posited that society's evolution from small, self-sufficient communities to large, interdependent ones is driven by factors like population growth, necessitating specialization and mutual dependence. Institutions serve manifest functions, meeting societal needs, and latent functions, their unintended consequences. Durkheim's focus was on what maintains social cohesion amidst change, with structures adapting to preserve stability.

05:02

🤔 Limitations of Functionalism

Despite its utility in understanding societal workings, functionalism has notable limitations. It largely overlooks the individual's impact on societal structures, suggesting that individuals have little effect on the broader social system. Additionally, functionalism struggles to account for social change and conflict, as its primary focus is on maintaining equilibrium. The theory posits that societal structures adapt minimally to restore stability, often ignoring significant transformations and the role of conflict in societal evolution. While functionalism provides a lens into the functions of integral societal structures, it falls short in capturing the dynamic interplay between individuals and society or the disruptive forces of change.

Keywords

💡Functionalism

Functionalism is a theoretical framework in sociology that views society as a complex system whose parts work together to promote solidarity and stability. In the video, it is discussed as a perspective that examines the necessary structures that make up a society and how each part contributes to maintaining social stability. The concept is central to understanding how society functions and seeks equilibrium.

💡Emile Durkheim

Emile Durkheim was a French sociologist who is considered one of the founding fathers of sociology. His ideas form the basis of functionalism. In the video, Durkheim's theories are used to explain how society is viewed from a large-scale perspective, focusing on the interconnectedness of social structures and their roles in maintaining social order.

💡Equilibrium

Equilibrium in the context of the video refers to a state of balance or stability within society. It is mentioned as the goal towards which society is heading, where different institutions and structures work in harmony to maintain social order. The example of local businesses adapting to competition from companies like Amazon illustrates how society seeks to restore equilibrium.

💡Institutions

Institutions are structures within society that serve to meet its needs, such as education systems, financial institutions, and the military. The video explains that these institutions are integral to the functioning of society, each with a specific role that contributes to the overall stability and equilibrium.

💡Social Facts

Social facts, as defined by Durkheim, are ways of thinking and acting that are shaped by society and exist independently of any individual. They are highlighted in the video as coercive forces that influence individuals and are a necessary part of societal structure. Examples given include laws, moral regulations, and even societal trends like suicide rates.

💡Manifest Functions

Manifest functions are the intended and recognized consequences of an institution's activities. The video uses the example of schools educating students to enable them to find jobs and support the community, illustrating how these functions are obvious and serve the intended purpose of meeting societal needs.

💡Latent Functions

Latent functions are the unintended and often unrecognized consequences of an institution's activities. The video gives the example of schools facilitating social connections among students and professors, which is not their primary purpose but still an important outcome of their operation.

💡Interdependence

Interdependence in the video refers to the reliance of individuals on one another for their well-being within a society. It is a key factor in the evolution of societies from small, self-sufficient groups to larger, specialized communities where people depend on each other for various goods and services.

💡Population Growth

Population growth is identified in the video as a fundamental factor that drives social evolution and change. As populations grow within limited spaces, it leads to specialization of roles and increased interdependence among community members, which in turn affects the structures and institutions of society.

💡Social Change

Social change is depicted in the video as a disruptive force to the equilibrium of society. It is something that functionalism struggles to explain, as the theory is more focused on maintaining stability. However, the video acknowledges that social change is a reality and that institutions must adapt to accommodate it, albeit to a limited extent.

💡Individual

The individual's role in functionalism is somewhat diminished, as the theory focuses more on the structures and institutions of society. The video points out that while individuals are part of society, their actions are not seen as significantly influencing the larger structures, which is a critique of functionalism's perspective.

Highlights

Functionalism is a large-scale perspective on society, examining necessary structures for stability.

Society is viewed as heading toward an equilibrium, with businesses adapting to restore balance.

Society is composed of interconnected structures, including institutions that meet societal needs.

Institutions like education, finance, and media are integral to societal function.

Social facts are societal norms and values that exist independently of individuals.

Social facts have a coercive effect, noticed when individuals resist them.

Examples of social facts include laws, moral regulations, and religious faiths.

Suicide rates are considered a social fact, reflecting societal conditions.

Society is more than the sum of its parts, with each structure having a vital function.

Manifest functions are the intended consequences of institutions, like education for job preparation.

Latent functions are the unintended consequences of institutions, such as social connections in schools.

Durkheim questioned what holds society together and maintains stability amidst change.

Small societies are held together by similarities, while large societies rely on interdependence.

Population growth is a fundamental factor driving societal evolution and specialization.

Interdependence ensures community cohesion and the need for distribution and coordination methods.

Social change disrupts equilibrium, prompting institutions to adapt for stability.

Functionalism has limitations, focusing on institutions and neglecting individual impact.

Functionalism struggles to explain social change and conflict due to its focus on equilibrium.

Despite its limitations, functionalism is useful for understanding societal structures and their functions.

Transcripts

Functionalism is a system of thinking

based on the ideas of Emile Durkheim that

looks at society from a large scale perspective.

It examines the necessary structures

that make up a society and how each part

helps to keep the society stable.

According to functionalism, society

is heading toward an equilibrium.

I know it sounds a bit strange that a society can

be at equilibrium, but consider the changes many businesses

have had to make in response to companies like Amazon.

Local businesses must adapt to find a new way

to cater to customers in order to restore the balance.

In the theory of functionalism, society

is made from a bunch of connected structures.

One structure is institutions, which

are structures that meet the needs of the society,

like education systems, financial institutions,

businesses and marriage, laws, mass media,

nongovernmental organizations, medicine, religion,

the military, police forces, and lots of others, too.

Another structure is what Durkheim called social facts.

Social facts are ways of thinking and acting

formed by the society that existed before any one

individual and will still exist after any individual is dead.

They are unique objects that cannot be influenced

by an individual.

They have a coercive effect over the individual that is usually

only noticed when we resist against them.

So for example, one social fact is the law.

It is always there, but we don't notice it

until we try and break it or act against it.

Some other examples are moral regulations, religious faiths,

and social currents like suicide or birth rate.

You might wonder how suicide can be a social fact.

Well, one person committing suicide has no effect

on the presence of suicide in the society .

Social facts are a facet of the society itself

and, according to Durkheim, are a necessary structure.

But society is more than just the sum of its parts.

It is dependent on the structures that create it,

just like a cell is dependent on all the little parts that

make it up.

Every part of the cell has a specific vital function

that depends on other parts of the cell.

Without everything working together smoothly,

the cell would die.

The same is true of a society.

Every structure has a function that

meets a need of the society, and all the structures

work together to maintain the social equilibrium.

So for example, you have schools,

which educate students so they can find good jobs

and support the community.

And businesses provide specialized services.

And laws maintain social order.

These recognized and intended consequences of institutions

are known as manifest functions.

But sometimes the institutions have unintended consequences.

Schools allow the students and professors

to make social connections, and they expose the students

to new activities through extracurriculars.

Businesses connect people across societies.

These unrecognized and unintended consequences

are called latent functions and are often indirect effects

of the institution.

Now, Durkheim's main question was,

what holds a society together?

How can it remain relatively stable

even as traditions disappear and customs change?

He thought that small societies were held together

by their similarities, and the individual was self-sufficient.

But that only works for small societies,

and we all know societies change and grow large.

The small society would eventually

evolve into a large society where the individual

was interdependent on others.

But what causes the evolution of society to occur?

The most basic factor is population growth

within a limited space.

Suddenly there isn't enough land for everyone

to own their own farm and feed themselves.

So just a few farmers grow enough food

for the entire community.

But now the farmers don't have enough time

for other necessities like making clothes or teaching

their kids.

The people who no longer have to grow food

now take on different roles like tailoring or education.

And everyone becomes dependent on one

another for their continued well being.

People have become specialized, which

forces mutual interdependence.

This interdependence helps to ensure

that the community won't fall apart.

Now that people depend on each other for the production

of goods and services there's a need

for a method of distribution and a way to control and coordinate

that production and distribution.

In functionalism, a change to either production, distribution

or coordination will force the others to adapt in order

to maintain a stable state society.

Social change is annoying and upsets the equilibrium

and threatens the mutual interdependence of the people

within that society.

The institutions and structures of the society

adapt only just enough to compensate for a change

and maintain the stability of mutual interdependence.

Phew.

All right, that just about covers it.

While functionalism is a nice way

to look at society with its equilibrium of institutions

all filling the needs of the society they create,

there are some serious problems here.

Functionalism focuses completely on the institution

with little regard for the importance of the individual.

The individual is acknowledged, but nothing they do really

affects the structures of society.

Functionalism is also largely unable

to explain social change and conflict.

We know it happens, but functionalism

is so focused on maintaining the equilibrium of the society

that little significant change is modeled

and no conflict can occur.

The structures of a society adapt only just enough

to find stability again.

Right, so, while there's more to understanding a society

than just looking at the stable state of its parts,

functionalism is helpful in understanding

the workings of society by examining

the functions of its integral structures.