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    Structural Functionalism and Neofunctionalism

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    Structural functionalism was previously the dominant sociological theory but has declined in importance over the last three decades. It is now mainly of historical significance, though it played a role in the emergence of neofunctionalism in the 1980s. However, the future of neofunctionalism itself is in doubt as its founder, Jeffrey Alexander, no longer supports the movement. The document goes on to contrast the sociological theories of structural functionalism and conflict theory.

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    Structural Functionalism and Neofunctionalism

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    Anti VELL
    543 views28 pages
    Structural functionalism was previously the dominant sociological theory but has declined in importance over the last three decades. It is now mainly of historical significance, though it played a role in the emergence of neofunctionalism in the 1980s. However, the future of neofunctionalism itself is in doubt as its founder, Jeffrey Alexander, no longer supports the movement. The document goes on to contrast the sociological theories of structural functionalism and conflict theory.

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    Structural functionalism was previously the dominant sociological theory but has declined in importance over the last three decades. It is now mainly of historical significance, though it played a role in the emergence of neofunctionalism in the 1980s. However, the future of neofunctionalism itself is in doubt as its founder, Jeffrey Alexander, no longer supports the movement. The document goes on to contrast the sociological theories of structural functionalism and conflict theory.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    543 views28 pages

    Structural Functionalism and Neofunctionalism

    Uploaded by

    Anti VELL
    Structural functionalism was previously the dominant sociological theory but has declined in importance over the last three decades. It is now mainly of historical significance, though it played a role in the emergence of neofunctionalism in the 1980s. However, the future of neofunctionalism itself is in doubt as its founder, Jeffrey Alexander, no longer supports the movement. The document goes on to contrast the sociological theories of structural functionalism and conflict theory.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    of 28

    STRUCTURAL

    FUNCTIONALISM AND
    NEOFUNCTIONALISM
     Structural
    functionalism, especially
    in the work of Talcott
    Parsons, Robert Merton,
    and their students and
    followers, was for many
    years the dominant
    sociological theory.
     However, in the last
    three decades it has
    declined dramatically in
    importance and, in at
    least some senses has
    receded into the recent
    history of sociological
    theory.
     This decline is
    reflected in Colomy’s
    (1990s) description of
    structural functionalism
    as a theoretical
    “tradition.”
     Structural
    functionalism is now
    mainly of historical
    significance, although it
    is also notable for the
    role it played in the
    emergence of
    neofunctionalism in the
    1980s.
     After offering an
    overview of structural
    functionalism, let’s now
    discuss
    “neofunctionalism” as a
    possible successor to it
    as well as a recent
    movement toward
    synthesis within
    sociological theory.
     However, the future
    of neofunctionalism
    itself has been cast into
    doubt by the fact that
    its founder, Jeffrey
    Alexander has arrived
    at the conclusion that
    neofunctionalism “is no
    longer satisfactory to
    me.” He states, “I am
    now separating myself
    from the movement I
    started.”
     Concensus theories
    see shared norms and
    values as fundamental
    to society, focus on
    social order based on
    tacit agreements, and
    view social change as
    occurring in a slow and
    orderly fashion.
     In contrast conflict
    theories emphasize the
    dominance of some
    social groups by others,
    see social order as
    based on manipulation
    and control by dominant
    groups, and view social
    change as occurring
    rapidly and in a
    disorderly fashion as
    subordinate groups
    overthrow dominant
    groups.
    Although this criteria
    broadly define the
    essential difference
    between the sociological
    theories of structural
    functionalism and
    conflict theory,
    Bernard’s view is that
    the disagreement is far
    broader and has "been a
    recurring debate that
    has taken a variety of
    different forms
    throughout the history
    of Western thought”
    (1983:6). Bernard
    traced the debate back
    to ancient Greece (and
    the differences between
    Plato [consensus] and
    Aristotle [conflict] and
    through the history of
    philosophy. Later, in
    sociology the debate was
    joined by Marx and
    Comte, Simmel and
    Durkheim, and
    Dahrendorf and Parsons.

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