Functionalism: Norms, Customs, And Traditions Of Society

877 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Functionalism theory

Structural functionalism is a practice that sees society as an elaborate system working together to create stability. Functionalists look at society like one big puzzle and each piece of that puzzle; being different aspects of society, work together to keep the puzzle glued together. In order to put the puzzle together smoothly it must follow the norms, customs, and traditions of society. According to Max Weber, the brain behind structuralism, social class and status affect each individual’s life. Individuals in a specific group have common components of their life chances; therefore, setting norms of what life should be like for that group. It explains how certain roles are expected of certain people. For example: if an individual has a higher socioeconomic …show more content…

For instance: from a functionalist perspective society is more stable and functions properly when men fulfill the instrumental roles and women fulfill the expressive roles. The instrumental role includes doing the task-oriented things such as being the breadwinner and fixing the kitchen sink. Whereas the expressive role includes providing emotional support like taking care of children and being ready to listen and comfort the other. This has been the societal norm for male and female roles and those norms are just now beginning to be questioned. Women have recently been able to fight for their rights and start taking on more masculine roles and the same for men. Along with being the housekeeper and the hard worker the male is expected to be tough while women are expected to be weak. This can lead into deviance by gender where as men are more likely to end up in prison where woman are not as likely to end up this way. The roles society has put male and female into has created different life chances for them. Men can’t cry and women can. Men can be political leaders and women can’t.

Show More
Related

  • Sociologist Cheri Joe Pascoe As A Study Of Sociology

    1184 Words  | 3 Pages

    Both the functionalist theory and the conflict theory could shed light on the problem by looking at it with a macro view rather than a micro view. A functionalist would look at gender inequalities as a helpful way to divide labor that in turn maximizes resources and efficiency. The conflict theory is structural and can help us to better understand the power struggle between men and women which advocates for the situation. When there is conflict between a subordinate group and a dominant one things happen that create social change.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of The Central Park Five

    1327 Words  | 3 Pages

    According to the lecture and Adler & Adler, the Structural Functionalist perspective is the theory that institutional breakdown can result in the increase

    Read More

  • Structural-functionalism

    766 Words  | 2 Pages

    The focus on how social structures determine, and are effective in maintaining the equilibrium is functionalism or structural-functionalism, which is the theorizing of Durkheim and Parsons (Dillon, book, 179). What this means is that we need to look at the structures effectiveness of social structures and make sure that it is at a satisfying state of equilibrium. An example of this would be the human body, we have many different organs and they all work together to produce the fully functional human. What it comes down to is, everything has its own place in society and even if a conflict is introduced, there is a way of working itself out and the society will go back to functioning normally.

    Read More

  • Old Traditional Gender Roles In Society

    830 Words  | 2 Pages

    Alice Eagly’s social role theory focused on the different social roles that associate with different social groups such as men and women. With each gender there is a set of norms that correspond with sex. Males take the role of being masculine while females take more of a feminine role on society (Harrison and Lynch, 2005). If mean and woman don’t follow set gender norms they are outcaste and receive negative feedback from others. The social role theory argues that men have qualities such as speed, strength and are able to do more intensive hands on labor whereas women are more centered about childbearing, caring, and fardel. (Harrison and Lynch,

    Read More

  • Theories On Social Change From Harper And Massey's Book

    1000 Words  | 2 Pages

    Functionalism assumes that society is essentially a system of parts that work together for the benefit of the group (Harper, 44). That it 's system is built around imperatives that perpetuate its existence: “the replacement of individuals, socialization, production of goods and services, provision of social order, and maintenance of common symbols, values, and motivation”. One way to think of this is that of a single cell organism with parts that operate and function for the survival and growth of that cell. In regards to social change when the social order is disturbed with things such as conflict, equality, or innovation strain can result (Harper, 45). In dealing with the strain, under Parsons evolutionary theory of change, society can revert to a previous equilibrium, system maintenance. They can change or develop new procedures, roles, and structures, structural differentiation. Or they can go through adaptive upgrading where by they

    Read More

  • Functionalism

    815 Words  | 2 Pages

    Functionalism agrees that brain states are responsible for mental states, but disagrees that they are identical with them. To do this, functionalists argue that neurological states or brain activity help to realize mental states, which then lead to behavior. This argument proposes that brain states are "low level" activities that help realize "high level" mental states.

    Read More

  • Three Sociological Perspectives

    1124 Words  | 3 Pages

    "The functionalist perspective is a sociological approach which emphasizes the way that parts of a society are structure to maintain its stability,"(Schaefer & Lamm, 1998). This perspective looks at a society in a positive manner and sees it as stable, with all the parts working together. Under the functionalist view every social aspect of a society contributes to the society's survival, and if not, the aspect is not passed to the next generation.

    Read More

  • Friday Night Lights: Structure Functional Theory

    1463 Words  | 3 Pages

    Functionalism views society as the stability and assimilation of a range of forces that function within it. While society is a separate entity with a life of its own, there are individual elements contributing to that stability. Functionalism as a sociological theory emphasizes assimilation rather than the dissociation of society. Therefore, the society is seen as a whole that is compromised of parts which give one another their identity and their function. The part, whether that is education, such as a school, or sports, such as a football team, operates in relation to the other parts, and cannot be entirely understood in isolation from the other parts. All the parts are interrelated, and when there is a disturbance in any one of the parts, is when you can see the interdependence. But what is important about this theory is that “there will always be some reorganization and tendency to restore equilibrium” (Wallace and Wolf 17). Functionalist do not believe it’s crucial that the people involved in the society to be aware of this interconnectedness anymore than the brain and heart consciously realize that they work together as an organism.

    Read More

  • Functionalism

    2227 Words  | 5 Pages

    Functionalism is a materialist stance in the philosophy of mind that argues that mental states are purely functional, and thus categorized by their input and output associations and causes, rather than by the physical makeup that constitutes its parts. In this manner, functionalism argues that as long as something operates as a conscious entity, then it is conscious. Block describes functionalism, discusses its inherent dilemmas, and then discusses a more scientifically-driven counter solution called psychofunctionalism and its failings as well. Although Block’s assertions are cogent and well-presented, the psychofunctionalist is able to provide counterarguments to support his viewpoint against Block’s criticisms. I shall argue that though both concepts are not without issue, functionalism appears to satisfy a more acceptable description that philosophers can admit over psychofunctionalism’s chauvinistic disposition that attempts to limit consciousness only to the human race.

    Read More

  • Gender And Gender Inequality

    1924 Words  | 4 Pages

    By the 1980s, Marxism, the economics forces define the political and cultural realities in society, mixed with feminism claimed “that gender is not class but a driving force of history.” This created the notion that “when women are subordinate men benefit” and that women had a disadvantage to men in the workforce (Conley 2013). Marxist feminist would called this gender conflict. The nuclear family has gender roles which are “set of behavioral norms assumed to accompany one’s status as a male or female.Gender roles is more general term,but Parson’s sex roles is more of an ambiguous term. Sex roles theory states that men are work oriented, while women are domestic oriented to form the ideal nuclear family. “Sex roles created by society was formed for structuralism functionalism, which is the theoretical tradition claiming that every society has certain structures that exist in order to fulfill some set of necessary functions(2013). Even though functionalist supported this theory in the 1960s, it was flawed. Sex role theory only provided one way of how a family could function. Essentialist would describe Parson’s theory as the social phenomena of the nuclear family based on the biological factor of sex. R.W. Connell described the condition in which men are dominant and privileged and that it is invisible, which is Hegemonic masculinity. Even though hegemonic masculinity is what some theorist impose, it clarifies

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Structural Functionalism And Conflict Theory

    1021 Words  | 3 Pages

    It says the only the most qualified and exceptional individuals should have the jobs which influence society the most. This is different from Conflict Theory because conflict theory states that stratification causes the most highly paid positions to not always be the most important positions (or jobs) in society. It causes prestige and power to be places around these highly paid position and some groups such as women and minorities are systematically disadvantaged from these prestigious positions. In contrast these two collide when your most talented individuals who have some of the most important jobs in society aren 't making what they should be. I personally like to think that the Structural Functionalist Theory is the most convincing in the United States because there are a lot of jobs and positions that are very prestigious that requires year of high education and effort. I certainly think that a large number of people who have high influencing jobs like doctors, lawyers, and politicians are the most qualified. However, there is always the small few that fly underneath the radar that maybe aren 't as qualified for the job as another

    Read More

  • The Three Major Theoretical Perspectives in Sociology

    1966 Words  | 4 Pages

    The structural-functionalist perspective looks at society as a complex system composed of various parts much like a living organism. Each aspect of society contributes to society's functioning as a whole. Social institutions play a key role in keeping a society stable. All societies need certain things to survive (Newman 2010).

    Read More

  • How Do Gender Roles Affect Society

    1567 Words  | 4 Pages

    They show how gender roles affect our childhood development (Iervolino , Knafo, & Plomin, 2005), how our willingness to conform to gender roles affects our job (Judge & Livingston 2008), and how they affect the ways in which we help each other (Eagly 2009). They also may have impacts on our mental health (Gregory, Wampold, & Zamarripa 2003). It seems the only aspect of our lives they do not affect are our tendency towards certain kinds of prejudice (Stefurak, Taylor,& Mehta 2010).

    Read More

  • Sociological Perspective On Gender Roles

    959 Words  | 2 Pages

    A functionalist perspective suggests that our society is made up of interdependent parts and that gender roles support its social stability, balance and equilibrium. According to “The Sociology of Gender: Theoretical Perspectives and Feminist Frameworks” by Linda L Lindsey, “In preindustrial societies social equilibrium was maintained by assigning different tasks to men and women. Given the hunting and gathering and subsistence farming activities of most preindustrial societies, role specialization according to gender was considered a functional necessity.” During this time survival was a more difficult task and so men and women had to rely on each other to live. In today’s society, these roles have begun to shift and it is more common to find females providing while males stay at home, but for the majority, our original gender roles are still intact. The functionalist theory even in a contemporary society finds that the survival of the family unit relies on conservative gender roles. This theory is not realistic in today’s society because women are more motivated to be educated and career based, instead of devoting their life to motherhood. Lindsey claims, “ Such a divide is artificial and dysfunctional when families need to cope with the growing

    Read More

  • Critiques of Functionalism

    302 Words  | 1 Pages

    Ø Feminists also criticise functionalists for ignoring male dominance that often is present in society. Furthermore, the sexual division of labour it describes is not universal, with the relative roles of women and men in modern families can be seen to be gradually changing. Ø Many functionalists concentrate primarily on the universal nuclear family in modern societies, with the growing diversity of family types is not considered. Ø Functionalists have a problem explaining social change.

    Read More

More about Functionalism: Norms, Customs, And Traditions Of Society

Open Document