INTRODUCTION
Structural functionalism drowned from the
work of Auguste Comte, Herbert Spencer, and Emile Durkheim and later developed
by Talcott Person, A.R. Radcliffe-Brown, and Kingsley Davis. Structural
functionalism focus on society particularly its major institutions such as the
family, religion, the economy, the state (government) and education, (Hughes,
M., & Kroehler, J. C., 2009:18). Society sometime is compared to a living
body that its parts interrelated and the change to any part cause change to the
whole system, with change and adaption being a continuous process, some parts
may change more rapidly than others, contributing to social dislocations, (Ibid).
One of the features of a system stressed
by functionalists is tendency towards equilibrium or balance among its parts. Structural
Functionalism is a broad perspective in sociology and anthropology which
interprets society as structure with interrelated parts, (Subedi, 2006).
Functionalism addresses the society as a whole in terms of function of its
constituent elements such as norms, customs, traditions, and institutions (http://www.princeton.edu). Functionalism developed slowly over
time with the help of many sociologists in different parts of the world.
Definition
of the key terms
Society
refers to the group of people living in an area (boundaries) under a leader and
engages in different economic activities, (Hermann, 1977).
Society can be defined as the group of people
related to each other through persistence relations, or a large social grouping
sharing the same geographical or virtual territories, subject to the same
political authority and dominant cultural expectation.
A system
is composed of regularly interacting and interrelating group of activities, (Subedi, 2006).
Rapoport,
A., (1966, 1968), A system is a set
of interrelated entities connected by behavior and history.
Functionalist
Theory claims that society is
in a state of balance and kept that way through the function of society's
component parts, (http://freebooks.uvu.edu).
Structural
functionalism is the theory
describing society and identifying its structural parts and functions of those
parts at a particular point of time whereby view society as an organism body
that have tendency toward equilibrium,
or balance, (Hughes, M., & Kroehler, J. C., 2009).
Structural
functionalism is the theory
basing on large scale in social systems, subsystems, relationship among
subsystem and system, equilibrium, and orderly change, (Ritzer, G., &
Goodman, J. D., 2004).
Generally,
Structural Functionalism is a sociological theory that
attempts to explain why society functions the way it does by focusing on the
relationships between the various social institutions that makes up society (for
example, Family, government and law, education, and religion).
The following are the argument of
the statement that “The
society sometimes is compared to a human living body, that has interrelated
parts and change to any part causes change to the whole system through using
social institution; Family, Religion, Education, Government and politics, and
Economic as follow:-
Family,
Family is one of major institution whereby playing a greater role of producing
off-spring, and socializes them to be a good member of society who will going
to work in other institution such as Religion, Education, Government and
politics, and economic system. The function of family provide positive result
or negative results to other social institution and may led to existed of
social problem. When family institution change its role as a major institution
either through reducing number of children birth by encouraging homosexual it
means reproductive system will collapse and socialization of children will no
longer exist as a result other institution like Religious will fail to get pastors,
and lack followers, in government and economic will not get expertise. For
example country like Germany has large number of people from 55 years old and
above than youths as a result country lost expertise. Due to that it prove the
statement says the society sometimes is compared to a human living body, that
has interrelated parts and change to any part causes change to the whole
system.
Religions,
The role of religion institution are to maintain social order, peace, harmony
and stability and create sense of belongingness within the society. If
religious institution will work properly it means within the society will be in
stability and that condition influence the development of other institution
including government whereby the stability of the national will help economist
to operate their business and growth of economy and for the government will
provide services to its people without interferences from religious opposing
group. But if the function will change it means instability within the society will
happens hence other institution will fail to accomplish their role. For example
within the family production will no longer exist, in economic will also
collapse because there is no trade where war is taking place, government will
spend a lot of money to solve the problem as a result education services
provision will occur. For example in Rwanda religion influenced in one way the
war between Tutsi and Hutu as a result interred in war among them that’s why I
argue the statement that, the society sometimes is compared to a human living
body, that has interrelated parts and change to any part causes change to the
whole system.
Education,
The main role of education is that; act as second agent of socialization,
provide training and skills to the member of the society including members of
the family with the expectation of creating workers who will participate and
work on government, and to build good citizens of the nation. But when the
function of education change in one way or another it cause disruption or
change to other system. For example if education system will fail to train
people properly it means it will produce kind of people who have no function to
other institution like economy and government will lack expertise, religion
will lack pastors, and in family will have no proper family planning and
socialization hence crime within the society will be high within the society
that’s why I argue the statement that, the society sometimes is compared to a
human living body, that has interrelated parts and change to any part causes
change to the whole system.
Economic,
The function of economic institution is dealing with production for goods and
services, and searching for markets as well as to manage the GDP and GNP. These
help other institution to stand in equilibrium if economic institution will be stable.
When economic institution change in term of reducing production of services and
goods it influence the change of other system which is interrelated parts
including family will experience hardship on accessing basic needs, government
will fail to provide social services to its people, and religious will lack
members who will be the follower but due to economic hardship people will be
interesting much on solving the problem of economy that’s why I argue the
statement that, the society sometimes is compared to a human living body, that
has interrelated parts and change to any part causes change to the whole
system.
Government and politics,
the government institution through its three branches; Legislative, Executive
and judicially depend each other on its operation whereby the Legislative make
the Law, Judicially interpret the Law, and Executive implement the Law. But the
change of one part it cause change of whole system. For example if one of these
branches will fail to fulfill their duties, it may cause hindering in other
parts. For instance if the function of judicially will prove failure it means
in the society will increase the number of evils hence danger the function of
other institution like family, education, economic, even the government. So, due
to this it prove that the society sometimes is compared to a human living body,
that has interrelated parts and change to any part causes change to the whole
system.
CONCLUSION
Therefore,
these institution depend each other in term of function, for example family
produce member of the society and socialize children to be a good member of the
society, where education train member of the family specifically children who
will be useful as Pastors and Sheikhs in religion, expertise in economics and
who will work for the government. Therefore, these support the argument above
on how the change of one system makes changes in whole systems.
REFERENCES
Hermann
Strasser, (1977), Functionalism and Social Change, Vienna: Vienna Institute
Publisher.
Hughes, M. &
Kroehler, J. C., (2009), Sociology The Core,
9th Edition, New York: Mc Graw
Hill Publisher
Rapoport, A. ( I
966). Some system approaches úo political theory In D. Easton (Ed.),
Englewood Cliffs, Prentic€ Hall.
Ritzer,
G., & Goodman, J. D., (2004), Sociological Theory, 6th Ed, New
York, Mc Graw Hill.
Subedi, (2006),
Structural Functional Perspective in Sociology, New York: Mc Graw Hill
Publisher.
Written By AUSI CHIWAMBO (2014)-Teofilo Kisanji University
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