Used in the analysis of societies and their component features.
Structural Functionalism is a theoretical understanding of society that posits social systems are collective means to fill social needs. In order for social life to survive and develop in society there are a number of activities that need to be carried out to ensure that certain needs are fulfilled. Structural-functionalism is the earliest sociological paradigm. It is rooted in the scientific advances of the physical sciences occurring in the nineteenth century. Structural functionalism, or simply functionalism, is a framework for building theory that sees society as a complex system whose parts work together to promote solidarity and stability. Structural Functionalism Theory. Structural-Functionalism Theory. The structural functional theory sees the family as a social institution that performs certain essential function for society. If these functions are not carried out then the family is said to be dysfunctional. STRUCTURAL FUNCTIONALISM. Structural functionalism is a perspective used in the analysis of societies and their component features. Structural functionalism focusses on the mutual integration and interconnection of societies. Structural functionalism deals with and focusses on what social functions various elements of the social system perform with regard to the system as a whole. Social structures are placed at the center of analysis in structural functionalism, and social functions are deduced from these structures. 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 make up society (e.g., government, law, education, religion, etc). Functionalism addresses society as a whole in terms of the function of its constituent elements; namely norms, customs, traditions, and institutions. A common analogy, popularized by Herbert Spencer, presents these parts of society as organs that work toward the proper functioning of the body as a whole.
https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Sociological_Theory/Structural_Functionalism http://www.edu.learnsoc.org/Chapters/3%20theories%20of%20sociology/16%20structural%20functionalism.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Structural_functionalism http://structuralfunctionalismtheory.blogspot.com/ http://www.sociologyindex.com/structural_functionalism.htm https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Sociological_Theory/Structural_Functionalism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Structural_functionalism
what is structural functionalism used for