Assess the Strengths and Weaknesses of the Functionalist Approach to Society Essay

Functionalism is seen as a macro-scale approach to ordering it sees order of magnitude as a whole rather than looking at move of it. Due to this, failalism sees guild as a body (organic analogy), every the institutions do together to make cab bet. This is detailly rehearseful when observing nine in order to understand the way in which it functions and the way in which all the institutions (organic analogy organs at bottom the body) pass away together to sustain alliance as a whole.Functionalism being a macro-scale approach is therefore seen as a strength as it allows functionalist sociologists to observe union, and its institutions, as a whole. Functionalism is too seen as a consensus theory, it sees society as fair and just, and it acknowledges that many societies, including the mass of western sensations, have democracy and all individuals at bottom a ill-tempered society sh be the same or similar norms and values. This could therefore be seen as a strength as it acknowledges that democracy does exist in many societies.However, as functionalism is a macro-scale approach and sees society as a whole, it could miss crucial situationors/ groups which contribute to the functioning of society these include gauzy groups and tribes, such as gipsies. Not acknowledging these minority groups deep down society could bakshish to functionalist sociologists lacking crucial information or so how society functions and how minority groups subsist inside a large society. This could therefore be seen as a weakness of functionalism as it fails to acknowledge that there be minority groups in spite of appearance society.Also, as functionalism is a consensus theory where all individuals within a particular society share the same or similar norms and values and sees society as being fair and just however, it fails to acknowledge that there are inequalities within society, these inequalities could be present amounts loving class, gender or ethnicity. Ho wever, former(a) approaches, such as Marxism and womens lib acknowledge that there are inequalities within society which raises the question as to whether functionalism is the most appropriate approach to use when studying society.This is therefore seen as a weakness of functionalism as society does have many inequalities which functionalism fails to acknowledge. Talcott Parsons, a functionalist sociologist who elaborated on Durkheims work ab turn out society and its functions, claimed that society is like an organism, in particular, the human body. He pointd that all institutions, such as the family and the education system, within society function together to maintain society just as the organs within a human body work together to maintain life.In particular, Parsons identified three similarities between the human body and society he claimed that they were both systems within themselves all the parts of a body and the institutions within society fit together in fixed ways. He overly identified that these systems have requestfully the human body needs food to second it sustain life, whereas society needs adequate socialisation in order for society to continue functioning in the way that it does.Parsons also stated that both the human body and society have functions the functions of the systems within the human body ensure that the bodys needs are meet thus maintaining life whereas, in society, the economy functions to maintain the social system. As parsons analogy helps sociologists to better understand the way in which institutions in society work together to maintain a healthy society, it sight be seen as a strength of functionalism as it helps to structure sociologists perceptions about how society functions.Parsons also identified four needs of society and how they are met. He claimed that society needs adaptation, this is where the material needs of society are met for example, individuals within society work in order to gain their final pay ment which in turn provides for their material needs. He also argued that society needs goal attainment society needs to set goals and achieve them this need is met via the political political leaders set goals for society to achieve and these goals help to improve society.Integration is an different need which Parsons identified, this is where cohesion between the various institutions, such as the family and education system, is promoted this is done to avoid chaos and conflict. response time is also needed by society, this refers to the way in which individuals cope with problems in society they may turn to organized religion to reduce the strain which has been erect on them by society. These needs which Parsons identified can be seen as a strength of society as they help sociologists to understand what society needs in order to function adequately.However, functionalist sociologist, Merton disagreed with the needs which Parsons identified. Merton claims that Parsons ignored the fact that there are institutions within society that can be dysfunctional, for example, religion can form cohesion but can also shake divisions within society. According to Merton, Parsons failed to acknowledge this. Merton also argues that Parsons fails to differentiate between mean (manifest) and unintended (latent) functions within society and therefore, Parsons idea about the needs and functions of society are very simplistic.Merton also criticises Parsons idea about indispensability, he assumes that everything is infallible in the way that it is for example, children can only be interact adequately in a two parent, nuclear family, however, Merton rejects this claim as he argues that adequate socialisation can occur even within a single parent family. Due to Mertons arguments, some aspects of functionalism, such as the needs and functions of society, are seen as a weakness of society.There are also other criticisms of functionalism its argued that functionalism explains the effects before the causes. For example, functionalism claims that children need to socialised (this is the effect) and therefore the family exists (this is the cause). Due to this, may sociologists argue that the functionalism approach is not one which can be used to explain society properly. Also, Marxist sociologists argue that functionalism has failed to explain conflict and change within society the approach claims that society is harmonious and built on consensus.However, Marxist and Feminist sociologists argue that growing and inequality do exist in many forms, such as social class and gender inequality however, functionalism has failed to acknowledge this and is therefore considered to be an approach which has traditional ideology which is outdated. This therefore shows flaws to the functionalist approach and therefore points out the weaknesses within the functionalist approach.Overall, in conclusion, the functionalist approach has many strengths and weaknesses about th e way in which society functions and the needs it requires. It strengths are seen in the way in which it explains the prefatory needs and function of society, these explanations can be used by other sociologists to improve and maintain an adequate society. However, other approaches, such as Marxism and Feminism have criticised functionalism due to its lack of acknowledgment of exploitation and inequality which occurs within society. However, overall, it is a balanced argument.