G 673: Socilaisation

1. Lesson 1: Consensus, culture and identity G673: Socilaisation Kinza (A/A* grade): Can I evaluate the functionalist approach to society by key thinkers and identify how this links to our own experience?

2. First Task! This weeks’ key terms: Functionalism Adaptation Goal Attainment Integration Latency Pattern Maintenance Tension Maintenance Pattern Variables Do we ever feel like we are puppets in society? Explain. Society is like a human body – every part keeps society functioning The ruling class benefits in every way from the operation and function of society why workers get a raw deal. People do not feel like puppets they feel like they have an active role in shaping society. Society has changes so much in the last century that old ways of analysing it no longer apply. We are a new breed of society? Britain is patriarchal. Men have more power and prestige.

3. Main approaches Marxism Functionalism Social Interactionism Structural approaches Modernism Social Action Theories

4. Functionalism Talcott Parsons Weber Durkheim Describes society as organic being. Each part has a key role, without it the organism dies or fails. Durkheim shared this view that we need to focus on the structures of society and how they function and Weber who believed that peoples actions are central to understanding society. 4 core needs/functional prerequisites

5. 4 core needs/functional prerequisites Functionalism Adaptation Goal Attainment Integration Latency

6. Does Society actually exist?

7. Pattern Variables Affectivity or affective neutrality Do you agree with the functionalist perspective of society? Construct arguments or criticism against it? Specificity or diffuseness Universalism or particularism Quality or performance Self orientation or collectivity orientation

8. Criticisms within Functionalism Robert Merton (1957) Opposes Parsons views Parsons ignores the fact that some institutions can be dysfunctional and harmful to society. i.e Religion Parsons fails to realise the distinction between the manifest (or intended functions) and the latent (or unintended) outcomes.

9. Criticisms outside Functionalism 7 Sharrock et al. (2003) Cannot explain social changes. If institutions exist to fulfil social need then there is no reason to change them once this need has been met. Therefore society should never change in form. Functionalism overemphasises level of agreement or consensus in society. We have different values and attitudes. Ignores differences in power. Cannot explain social change. If institutions exist to fulfil social needs, then once they meet these needs there is no reason to change. Society is not like an organism. Society is a concept, consisting of millions of people, no form or cycle to it. Parsons model makes us seem like puppets on a string pulled by all powerful variables. Interactionists, postmodernists, late-modernists all combine to argue that people are much more reflexive, making choices and constructing their own lives.

10. Lesson 1: Consensus, culture and identity G673: Socilaisation Kinza (A/A* grade): Can I evaluate the functionalist approach to society by key thinkers and identify how this links to our own experience?

11. Recap! Two things I have learnt in today’s lesson…