STRUCTURAL FUNCTIONALISM Structural functionalism or simply functionalism, is essentially a sociological theory that revolves around the notion that a society is composed of a system of interconnected parts that have their own particular functions. A General Diagram of Structural Functionalism Law StratificationSocial structures formed among groups or institutions are referred to as macrostructures, which include religion, education, tradition, and culture. On the other hand, social structures established among individuals or within groups that result in individual interactions are called microstructures. The effects of the social structures or their purpose are called social functions Every social structure has a corresponding social function. This relationship between social structures and social functions are the parts of the system which structural functionalism identifies. KEY CONCEPTS IN STRUCTURAL FUNCTIONALISM. A manifest function is the predicted, intended, expected, and knowable effect of a social structure. An example of which is when people go to church, in order to pray and to hear mass A latent function is the unintended outcome of social structure. So, if the manifest function of going to church is to pray and hear mass, its latent function is to gather people together in one place to reinforce the sense of community. MANIFEST and LATENT Dysfunctions A manifest dysfunction is the predicted, expected, and knowable disruptions of a social structure. For example, a large gathering of people such as concerts and other events disrupts traffic flow within the vicinity of the event, even though it was not intended to do so. A latent dysfunction is the unpredicted and unexpected disruptions of social structures. For example, there are costumers who usually take pictures of food in social media. But since these customers are not the only ones doing it, the average time spent by customers in their tables will increase. The latent dysfunction in this example is that the next costumers will have an increased waiting period Manifest and latent dysfunctions bring about negative effects or outcomes. For the sociologist, studying manifest and latent functions is a way to promote the benefits of such functions and further develop social structures. But because manifest and latent dysfunctions are contrary to the idea of systems in society, sociologists focus more on the dysfunctions to promote social stability and solidarity. Understanding manifest and latent dysfunctions help sociologists assess risks and prepare accordingly. Such assessments and preparations can be in different fields and can be useful in various fields and professions.IMPORTANT THEORISTS Auguste Comte Auguste Comte provided an analysis of social evolution through his Law of Three Stages. Comte provided a theory of society and man’s cognitive progression from religious and abstract concepts to a scientific perspective. Comte’s ideas are considered as the precursor to structural functionalism, as he identified tradition and other social structures as elements in shaping the society. The Law of Three Stages itself is a critique of the social structures and of how humans were shaped by progressive thinking. Herbert Spencer Herbert Spencer is known as the first sociological functionalist. His comparison of society to the human body is the overarching idea of structural functionalism. According to Spencer, each social structure is like a body part---it has a purpose and a function in the overall well-being of the society. He also compared the way organism evolved to how it handles constant problems. Talcott Parsons Talcott Parsons was an American sociologist known as one of the primary contributors to the development of structural functionalism. Parsons identified the different systems which make up the structure of the society, which he called systems levels. The systems he expounded on were the following: the cultural system, social system, personality system and biological system. All these system work and interact with each other in some level to provide structure to the society. The cultural system is the structure that the society generated throughout history so that people can socialize and live together as a community. The social system is understood as the roles people have in society. The personality system refers to how individuals affect society through their personalities, attitudes, behaviors, beliefs and other characteristics. Lastly, the behavioral or biological system is the physical body of the individual and the environment where he or she lives in. Davis and Moore Kingsley Davis (1908-1997) and Wilbert Moore (1914-1987) were American sociologists known for the functionalist theory of stratification or Davis- Moore hypothesis. Their hypothesis suggest that social inequalities are necessary so that society benefits from them---from the poor, the middle class and the rich. To arrive at such a hypothesis, Davis and Moore explored the dynamics of hierarchical structure such as corporations, governments, and the military, whose structural organizations reflect that of a pyramid----the head (decision-maker and highest paid) is at the top, the managers and supervisors (both receiver and provider of commands and receive a medium pay) at the middle and the workers (receiver of command and lowest paid) at the base.In order for the organization structure to function properly, the positions in this hierarchical structure are accompanied by necessary qualifications and experiences so that competent individuals would fill the positions. Any deviation from these qualifications would undermine the entire organization. Thus, individuals with higher education, skill, experience and training are placed on top of those who are less qualified. Since those at the top enjoy higher social status and higher salaries, those at the bottom are the motivated to acquire the necessary qualifications to eventually be placed on top as well. Hence, individuals who understand stratification would invest their time to further their education and hone their skills while getting experiences. In such a case, inequality functions and dysfunctions. Robert Merton Robert Merton (1910-2003) was an American sociologist who is also a key contributor to the functionalist theory of society. Specifically, he was the one who developed the concepts of manifest and latent functions and dysfunctions. A student of Parsons in Harvard University, Merton saw his mentor’s functionalist perspective as being too theoretical and overarching. So, he aimed to develop a theory, which he called middle range theory. This allows some level of experimentation to ground theories more to reality. In order to do this, he said that a middle range theory should have limited assumptions and hypothesis, which would allow for some testing. It should also have a limited range of data to research and interpret. This was how he came up with the different descriptions of functions Additionally, Merton focused on dysfunction as it opposes the idea of functional unity, which presupposes that everything works optimally all the time and that distortions exist in society. Because dysfunction is dependent upon who is asked, it is called valued term. For example, a vehicular accident is seen as a dysfunction, but can also be an opportunity for a tow truck driver or junkyard dealer to gain profit (the former by towing wrecked vehicles, the latter by recycling the parts of the vehicles). Almond and Powell Gabriel Almond (1911-2002) and Bingham Powell (born 1942) are American political scientists who applied structural functionalist theories in comparative politics Before the theory of structural functionalism was introduced in political science, states were studied in a manner that they had the same systems upon which they operated on and were subject to the same laws and production processes. Almond and Powell, however, argued that the study of political systems of different states must be done contextually. They highlighted the need to understand the institutions through which political systems were allowed to function. Finally, the particular function and the historical context which develop and established this institution must also be taken into account in conducting research Aside from studying the interrelationships of the function of institutions in a political system, Almond and Powell also recognized the function of the political system itself on society. They highlighted the function of the political system as political socialization, recruitment, and communication. Political socialization is the means bywhich proper civic conduct, duties and good citizenship are promoted and societal values and beliefs are passed on to the younger generation. On the other hand, recruitment is the way by which political systems attract the interest of the public through participation in debates and other engagements. Lastly, communication is the means by which society learns about the issues and affairs of the state. ESSENTIAL LEARNING The main idea in structural functionalism is that the society is made up of different components such as institutions, services, and people that work together and allow the society to function. As body parts have specific functions, functionalism implies that all structure in society have their own purpose and specific functions. Structural functionalism Structural functionalism, or simply functionalism, is “a framework for building theory that sees society as a complex system whose parts work together to promote solidarity and stability”. The structural-functional approach is a perspective in sociology that sees society as a complex system whose parts work together to promote solidarity and stability. Education, for example, has several important functions in a society, such as socialization, learning, and social placement.