Functionalism Blog Post #8

Functionalism is one of the three major theories of Sociology. Introduced by Emile Durkheim "functionalism" can be defined as a theory that interprets each part of society in terms of how it contributes to the stability of the whole society (sociology.about.com). This term is like looking at society from the  bigger perspective and society is made up of institutions. The way this idea balances out is by the facts and institutions, everyone is dependent upon one another. Emile Durkheim explained the theory as a "living organism." He also said the society functions are inter-related parts that work together, and the institutions are a basic response to a basic "need in life." The balance of this theory comes from social homeostasis which is the stability to coordinate the institutions. To explain this theory take for example the government, it provides free education up until high school for children in turn the family pays taxes to keep it all running smoothly. When a problem arises adjustments are made to keep the society running smoothly. There are also two types of functions in the Functionalist theory; latent functions, and manifest functions. A manifest function can be attending church the latent function to that could be helping the people understand their reason for going. Manifest functions are easier to identify than latent functions because of the approach. Functionalism is the social change in a society which isn't desirable to people because they don't like change.

Crossman, Ashley. "Everything You Need to Know About Functionalist Theory." About.com Education. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2015.