STRUCTURAL -

FUNCTIONALISM AND ITS

IMPORTANCE IN
EXAMINING SOCIO -
CULTURAL, ECONOMIC,
AND POLITICAL
CONDITIONS

MODULE 5
INTERPRET THE CARTOON BELOW SHOWING WHAT HAPPENED TO
THE PHILIPPINES AND HOW ITS SOCIETY WAS AFFECTED BY THE
PANDEMIC
 THE STRUCTURAL - FUNCTIONALISM
• 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.
IT ASSERTS THAT OUR LIVES ARE GUIDED BY SOCIAL STRUCTURES,
WHICH ARE RELATIVELY STABLE PATTERNS OF SOCIAL BEHAVIOR.
• OF SOCIAL BEHAVIOR. SOCIAL STRUCTURES GIVE SHAPE TO OUR
LIVES - FOR EXAMPLE, IN FAMILIES, THE COMMUNITY, AND
THROUGH RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS. AND CERTAIN RITUALS,
SUCH AS A HANDSHAKE OR COMPLEX RELIGIOUS CEREMONIES,
GIVE STRUCTURE TO OUR EVERYDAY LIVES. EACH SOCIAL
STRUCTURE HAS SOCIAL FUNCTIONS, OR CONSEQUENCES FOR THE
 STRUCTURAL FUNCTIONALISM IN
THEORY
• EMILE DURKHEIM, THINKS THAT SOCIETY WAS MADE UP
OF BUILDING BLOCKS THAT WERE FOCUSED TOWARDS A
COMMON GOAL. IF PEOPLE STOPPED AGREEING ON THOSE
COMMON GOALS, THEN SOCIETY WOULD DISINTEGRATE.
HOWEVER, AS LONG AS MOST PEOPLE AGREED, SOCIETY
WOULD BE FINE.
• IN STRUCTURAL FUNCTIONALISM, INDIVIDUAL
INSTITUTIONS WORK TOGETHER IN SERVICE OF THE WHOLE
• STRUCTURAL-FUNCTIONALISM ASSUMES THAT A BOUNDED
(NATION-STATE) SYSTEM EXISTS, AND STUDIES STRUCTURES IN
TERMS OF THEIR FUNCTION(S) WITHIN THE SYSTEM.
• STRUCTURAL FUNCTIONALISTS, LIKE SYSTEMS ANALYSTS, HAVE A
BIAS TOWARD SYSTEMIC EQUILIBRIUM, (I.E. TOWARD STABILITY).
SUCH A BIAS TENDS TO MAKE THIS APPROACH CONSERVATIVE, AS
STABILITY, OR EVOLUTIONARY CHANGE, IS PREFERRED [AND MORE
EASILY ANALYZED], TO RADICAL, OR REVOLUTIONARY CHANGE
 THIS IMAGE DEMONSTRATES HOW SOMETHING THAT ALMOST EVERYONE CAN
AGREE ON TOWARDS A COMMON GOAL WHICH IS THE STABILITY OF THE SOCIETY.
OF COURSE, THIS ONLY WORKED AS LONG AS EVERYONE WAS FOCUSED. IF ONE
GROUP DISAGREED ON WHERE SOCIETY IS GOING, THEN THE WHOLE THING FALLS
APART. THESE SOCIAL BONDS ARE VERY IMPORTANT.
 METHOD OF STUDYING
STRUCTURAL-FUNCTIONALISM
• THE METHOD OF FUNCTIONALISM WAS BASED ON FIELDWORK AND
DIRECT OBSERVATIONS OF SOCIETIES. IN THE STRUCTURAL
FUNCTIONALISM APPROACH, SOCIETY, ITS INSTITUTIONS AND
ROLES, WAS THE APPROPRIATE THING TO STUDY. CULTURAL TRAITS
SUPPORTED OR HELPED TO PRESERVE SOCIAL STRUCTURES.
 FUNCTIONALISM
• FUNCTIONALISM ALSO EMPHASIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF THE
ECONOMY FOR ANY SOCIETY, AND THE INCOME AND SELF-FULFILMENT
THAT WORK OFTEN PROVIDES. CONFLICT THEORY HIGHLIGHTS THE
CONTROL OF THE ECONOMY BY THE ECONOMIC ELITE, THE ALIENATION
OF WORK, AND VARIOUS PROBLEMS IN THE WORKPLACE.
• THE PARTS OF SOCIETY WERE THE SOCIAL
INSTITUTIONS, OR PATTERNS OF BELIEFS AND
BEHAVIORS FOCUSED ON MEETING SOCIAL NEEDS,
SUCH AS GOVERNMENT, EDUCATION, FAMILY,
HEALTHCARE, RELIGION, AND THE ECONOMY.
GENERAL CONCEPTUAL DIAGRAM DURK ET
AL. (2007

• THE DIAGRAM BELOW IS A GENERAL CONCEPTUAL

DIAGRAM OF STRUCTURAL FUNCTIONALISM. IT SHOWS
THAT ALL OF THE DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS AND
INSTITUTIONS IN SOCIETY ARE INTERDEPENDENT. WHEN
ONE INSTITUTION IN SOCIETY CHANGES, OTHER
INSTITUTIONS ACCOMMODATE THAT CHANGE BY
CHANGING AS WELL, THOUGH THE ULTIMATE EFFECT IS
TO SLOW OVERALL CHANGE. (DOMINO EFFECT)
SPECIFIC CONCEPTUAL DIAGRAM DURK ET
AL. (2007)

• BELOW IS A CHART DEPICTING HOW DEVIANCE IS FUNCTIONAL FOR SOCIETY

AND HOW SOCIETY RESPONDS TO DEVIANCE. A "DEVIANT" INDIVIDUAL
COMMITS AN ACT THAT IS DEEMED BY THE REST OF SOCIETY AS CRIMINAL,
BECAUSE IT LEADS TO PUBLIC OUTRAGE AND PUNISHMENTS. BECAUSE A LARGE
PORTION OF SOCIETY RESPOND TO THE ACTION AS THOUGH IT IS DEVIANT, THIS
DRAWS A BOUNDARY BETWEEN WHAT IS AND IS NOT DEVIANT. THUS, DEVIANCE
ACTUALLY HELPS TO INDICATE WHAT IS NOT DEVIANT, OR, THE FUNCTION OF
LABELLING BEHAVIORS OR IDEAS AS DEVIANCE IS TO INSURE THAT MOST
PEOPLE DO NOT ENGAGE IN THOSE BEHAVIORS.
LET’S DO
THIS!