The Name of the Chapter: Introduction

to sociology
The Name of the Topic: Major Sociological
Perspectives- Functionalism
 Major Sociological Perspectives
• Three major theoretical perspectives: 1) Functionalism 2)
Conflict perspective 3) Symbolic interactionism

1) Functionalism : One of the dominant sociological

perspectives to explain human society is Functionalism.
Functionalist Thinkers:
⮚ Auguste Comte
⮚ Herbert Spencer
⮚ Emile Durkheim
⮚ Talcott Parsons
⮚ Robert K. Merton etc.
Major Sociological Perspectives
1)Functionalism:
Main arguments: The main arguments postulated by Functionalist
thinkers are as follows:
⮚ Human society like a living organism is composed of various parts
or elements. In other words, it consists of various institutions.
⮚ Each part has a significant function to the society as a whole. Each
social institution contribute to the maintenance of a society. Some
important social institutions are religion, family, marriage, state etc.
⮚ Parts and whole are in a state of harmony and that is how human
society operates. Balance and harmony is an essential feature of
human society because society in a harmonious condition runs over
time.
Major Sociological Perspectives
⚫Robert K. Merton on Functionalism:
⚫Robert K. Merton (1910-2003) one of the significant
exponents of Functionalism distinguished between two
types of functions that any system can perform:
Manifest Functions and Latent Functions. He also
formulated the concepts of dysfunctions.
Major Sociological Perspectives
⚫American sociologist Robert K. Merton laid out his
theory of manifest function (and latent function and
dysfunction too) in his 1949 book Social Theory and
Social Structure. The text—ranked the third most
important sociological book of the 20th century by the
International Sociological Association—also contains
other theories by Merton that made him famous within
the discipline, including the concepts of reference
groups and self-fulfilling prophecy.
Major Sociological Perspectives
⚫ Manifest Versus Latent Function
While manifest functions are consciously and deliberately intended to
produce beneficial outcomes, latent functions are neither conscious nor
deliberate but also produce benefits. They are, in effect, unintended
positive consequences.
▪ Dysfunctions
The thing about latent functions is that they often go unnoticed or
uncredited, that is unless they produce negative outcomes. Merton
classified harmful latent functions as dysfunctions because they cause
disorder and conflict within society. However, he also recognized that
dysfunctions can be manifest in nature. These occur when the negative
consequences are known in advance and include, for example, the
disruption of traffic and daily life by a large event like a street festival or
a protest.
Major Sociological Perspectives

• Manifest Functions
• The intended and known consequences of a social activity/system
• Example: In terms of educational institutions the manifest functions are
to teach individuals knowledge, skills and learning applicable to a
particular society
• Latent Functions
• The consequences of that social activity about which the participants
are unaware
• Example: In terms of educational institutions latent functions are to
accelerate social interaction among a number of individuals
Major Sociological Perspectives
Major Sociological Perspectives
Major Sociological Perspectives
▪ Latent functions are those functions which are unintended or
unrecognized consequences of any social pattern. They are present but
are not immediately obvious. On the other hand, the intended,
conscious, or deliberate functions of the social policies or action which
are created for the benefit of the society are called manifest functions.
Manifest functions are generally expected from the institutions to be
fulfilled.
Major Sociological Perspectives
⚫ For example, hospitals are expected to provide better healthcare to the
people or treat the patients going through any kinds of diseases, or
those who met with an accident, etc. Similarly, an example of latent
function can be that in a hospital the doctors while treating a patient
suffering from a certain kind of incurable disease somehow saves the
patient, thus, discovering a new method of treating that particular
disease. This distinction between the latent function and the manifest
function is the reason sociologists tend to study beyond the reasons the
individuals, institutions, etc normally offer for their actions. They tend
to search for the social consequences that lead to the various practices
of society.
Major Sociological Perspectives
▪ In case of manifest functions, the actor is aware of the consequences of
his action while in the latent functions, the actor is not aware of his
actions.  For instance, if a rule is made, the manifest function will be
the intended function for the fulfillment of which the rule is made. On
the contrary, the unintended function is the latent function, e.g. if the
rule is made in order to maintain peace, but it harms the public, that
harm will be the latent function. Manifest functions are beneficial in
nature, whereas, latent functions can harm as well as benefit society.
Latent functions therefore have the tendency to turn into dysfunctions.
However, this is not always the case
Major Sociological Perspectives
⚫ Dysfunctions are the latent functions which harm the society, create
social disorder and conflict. Latent functions often go unnoticed, unless
they are dysfunctions or functions resulting in negative outcomes. It is
not unnatural for manifest functions to be dysfunctional at times; in
many cases, it is already known that policy or action might lead to some
kind of a negative consequence. But, it is the latent dysfunctions which
are of greater concern because being unknown and unpredictable, they
tend to bear more harm to the society which is often irreparable.

Sources: www.sociologygroup.com
www.thoughtco.com