Sociological Perspective: Functionalism

Functionalism is one of the core perspectives of sociology. Sociology examines the contexts in which people live and how these contests affect them. In essence, sociology examines the question of why the world is the way that it is. Functionalism, along with conflict theory and interactionism, is one of the major schools of sociological thought, examining society through a functional framework that stresses that everything, no matter how seemingly strange, out of place, or harmful, serves a purpose.

The functionalist perspective evolved from the work of Emile Durkheim, though it was shaped by Harvard sociologist Talcott Parsons during the mid-20th Century. According to Bohm, functionalism can be summed up with one simple premise: “the world is a system of interrelated parts, and each part makes a necessary contribution to the vitality of the system.”

Functionalism holds that everyone and everything in society, no matter how strange it may seem, serves a purpose. Crime, for example, is viewed almost universally as a nuisance. Functionalists, however, point out that crime serves several purposes. Crime creates the need for the employment of police officers, criminal investigators, prosecutors, defense attorneys, lawmakers and other related fields of work. If crime were to suddenly disappear from the planet, hundreds of thousands of jobs related to the existence of crime would no longer be necessary, and everyone in those positions would face unemployment. It is also suggested that the existence of crime is functional in its ability to rally families and communities together around a common purpose.

Durkheim concluded that crime and deviance serve three major functions for society: deviance clarifies or reaffirms societal norms, it promotes social unity, and it challenges the status quo. Deviance can bring into question the status quo, forcing society to rethink previously held norms. For example, acts perceived as criminal or deviant were critical in shaping the rights movements for African Americans, women, and homosexuals in the United States. Without questioning the traditional way of treating disadvantaged groups, the norms of discrimination and prejudice could not be broken.

Criticisms of functionalism focus on its acceptance and rationalization of social inequality and societal evils. Since functionalism holds that all aspects of society are necessary, human rights issues like poverty, hunger, slavery, and genocide must be accounted for. Critics suggest that functionalism can be used as a rationalization of such issues. The perspective is also criticized for its lack of testability, which is critical for the upholding of any social science theory. Several questions stand against its reliability.

Functionalism could be described as the most generalized and ineffective of the sociological schools. It is not logically in synch with variability between cultures and it cannot effectively explain change. Still, it has its strong points, such as its ability to explain crime and deviance. Functionalism essentially serves as the most conservative of the sociological schools of thought.

References:

Bohm, R. M. (2001). A Primer on Crime and Delinquency Theory. Wadsworth: Belmont, CA.