Functionalism

Functionalism

1. Key Features:

   • adopt an organic analogy to understanding society
   • Human body- each organ must work together to function
   • society is based on a value consensus (shred values)
   • Value consensus= social order and harmony
   • society has basic needs that must be met to survive

2. Strengths:

   • Look at society as a whole
   • identify the major functions of key social institutions
   • help to explain how social structures affect human behaviour
   • effective in explaining social continuity

3. Weaknesses:

   • ignore conflict within society
   • find it difficult to explain how conflict can generate social change
   • make assumptions about what constitutes a value consensus
   • ignore the possibility that the value consensus perpetuates social inequalities by sustaining the power dominant groups