Functionalism is a theoretical perspective in sociology that views society as a complex system whose parts work together to promote solidarity and stability. It is a macro-level orientation that looks at society as a whole and believes that society has evolved like organisms. According to functionalism, society is composed of interrelated parts, each of which serves a function and contributes to the overall stability of the society. Functionalism emphasizes that social stability and order come from shared behaviors, norms, and values. It also postulates that all cultural or social phenomena have a positive function and that all are indispensable.
Functionalism met the need for a method of analysis in sociology, and it provided an alternative to evolutionary theory and trait-diffusion analysis in anthropology. The French sociologist Émile Durkheim argued that it was necessary to understand the “needs” of the social organism to which social phenomena correspond. Other writers have used the concept of function to mean the interrelationships of parts within a system, the adaptive aspect of a phenomenon, or its observable consequences.
Functionalism is a system of thinking based on the ideas of Emile Durkheim that looks at society from a large-scale perspective. It examines the necessary structures that make up a society and how each part helps to keep the society stable. According to functionalism, society is heading toward an equilibrium, and a change to either production, distribution, or coordination will force the others to adapt to maintain a stable state society.
Functionalism is a macrosociological perspective and is one of the major theoretical perspectives in sociology. It is far too conservative and accepting of the status quo, particularly inequality. However, the functionalist counterpoint is that inequality serves a purpose as it promotes solidarity among the affected classes and incentives people to work and improve themselves. Functionalism, along with conflict theory and symbolic interactionism, are the typical perspectives studied in sociology, but postmodern perspectives are challenging this tradition.
