Functionalism Of Sociology And Social Anthropology Essay

FUNCTIONALISM IN SOCIOLOGY In sociology and social anthropology the term functional analysis is used not only in the mathematical sense, where a function expresses a correspondence between two variables such that the second, or dependent, variable is said to be a function of the first, or the independent variable. Sociologists, of course, like all scientists, are interested in establishing such dependencies. The term functional analysis in their work also has a special connotation similar to the use of the notion of function in describing biological systems or such artifacts as self-organizing systems?for example, a heat engine with a thermostat. Such a system can be considered as a unitary whole; it is differentiated into elements, and the function of the elements can be said to be the part they play in maintaining the system in a persisting state or (in the case of artifacts) in maintaining the efficiency of the system for the purpose for which it has been set up. Herbert Spencer (1820-1903) first used the t erm, comparing societies to the human body (called organ analogy). Each organ in our body (the heart, the brain, the stomach) serves a specific function in maintaining?life. If one part stops working, it affects the overall function of the body. Functionalists look at society in the same way- each part (like the military, the educational, medical, etc.) helps the society function, and the more differentiated the parts, the more difficult it becomes for one partShow MoreRelatedTheoretical Frameworks Of Sociology And Sociological Perspective Essay918 Words   |  4 Pages What does Sociology have to do with me? Why do people think or act differently than you? Why are some people rich while others are poor? Why do some commit crimes, break laws and others do not? 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