One of the main objectives of functionalism is to find out, how social order is possible. Parsons argues that social order is achieved through the existence of a shared culture, a central value system. This provides a framework that allows individuals to cooperate by laying down rules about how they should behave and defining the goals they should pursue. Social order is only possible so long as members of society agree to the norms and values. Parsons calls this agreement value consensus.
Emile Durkheim, a leading Functionalist, believed that different institutions in different cultures teach us norms and values that make up our identity and personality. Our actions result in consensus of norms and values, which then gives us a sense of social order and installs order in society through man’s actions. Through culture, social order is achieved and individuals can begin to develop their personal qualities. However, Functionalists base their ideas on a traditional society, as opposed to today’s more multi-cultural society and this is a point to which Postmodernists disagree with. Other theories also have the idea that the Functionalists are exaggerating the consensus in society.
In this sense, who humans beings are, what they believe, and how they came to be, have all been influenced by society. Society has formed human nature to a point that is hard to argue against. ELABORATE/MORE EVIDENCE. To determine the social coordination/organization of society, Benedict stems many of her claims from observations of three groups: the Zuñi, Dobu, and Kwakiutl. In order to determine social coordination/organization, Benedict claims, “we need detailed information about contrasting limits of behaviors and the motivations that are dynamic in one society and not in another” (229).
#1). In order to develop this skill, you must be able to free yourself from one perspective and look at things from an alternative point of view. Individualism is a social theory favoring freedom of action for individuals over collective or state control. Individualism is the belief that the needs of each person are more important than the needs of the whole society or group (Mariam Webster, 2014). The relationship between these two is they both help us find reasoning and uncover why many things in society are the way they are while also uncovering the bigger picture.
Functionalism is a sociological theory society has certain basic needs the most important of which is social order. Without order society would fall apart. Functionalist Emile Durkheim argues that social solidarity and social unity is essential for the survival of society. Social solidarity is based on ‘essential similarities’ between members of society. According to Durkheim, one of the main functions of education is to develop these similarities to bind members of society together.
Education is in the middle of the bridge. Education is an agency of secondary socialisation, it teaches us the norms and values within wider society and it also teaches us the skills we need for future occupational roles as well as providing us with qualifications. Functionalists argue that society is an organic analogy, meaning that society works like a human body and that everything is in consensus with each other. For example, the human organs work together to achieve consensus, just like society does with citizens, authority, norms, values etc. Durkheim argues that there are two main functions of education, these are social solidarity and specialised skills.
What it means is that order in our society is maintained and repaired by state where government makes a policy. It is also a relationship between institutions and the political norms that are established to govern their functions. This will include constitution, elections. Political order is formed by members of social organization who are in power and who should ensure the order and sanity in the society and also to have their grievances and complaints put across in the light of social existence. Let’s examine and asses how political order is made and repaired through different examples supporting this claim.
Norms, another importance in sociology are parts of behaviour. Norms tend to reflect the values of the group and specify those actions that are proper and those that are inappropriate, as well as rewards for sticking to something and punishments for following rules and laws. Socialisation means the process by which we learn the culture of our society. For example, looking at different behaviours. Socialisation describes a process which may lead to desirable or moral outcomes.
Theorists such as Talcott Parsons and Karl Marx have both came up with theories for why they believed norms are needed in society. According to Parsons, norms dictate the interactions of everyone with social encounters in a society. On the other hand, Marx believed that norms were used to promote the creation of roles in society which allows for people of different levels of social classes to be able to function properly. He also claimed that this power creates social order. As humans we learn when and where it is appropriate to say certain things, what actions to use and how to dress around certain groups.
There are various ways to implement such things. In other words we can say some special type of behavior is expected from members of society. Such expected or controlled behavior is called social control. Social control refers to social mechanisms that regulate individual and group behavior, leading to conformity and compliances to the rules of a given society or social group. Many mechanisms of social control are cross-cultural, if only in the control mechanisms used to prevent the establishment of chaos or anomie.