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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.〔^ Macionis, Gerber, Sociology 7th Canadian Ed. (Pearson Canada Inc., 2010), pg. 14〕 This approach looks at society through a macro-level orientation, which is a broad focus on the social structures that shape society as a whole, and believes that society has evolved like organisms.〔^DeRosso,Deb ''The Structural Functional Theoretical Approach'', () 2003.(Accessed February 24, 2012)〕 This approach looks at both social structure and social functions. 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. In the most basic terms, it simply emphasizes "the effort to impute, as rigorously as possible, to each feature, custom, or practice, its effect on the functioning of a supposedly stable, cohesive system". For Talcott Parsons, "structural-functionalism" came to describe a particular stage in the methodological development of social science, rather than a specific school of thought.〔Talcott Parsons, "The Present Status of "Structural-Functional" Theory in Sociology." In Talcott Parsons, ''Social Systems and The Evolution of Action Theory'' New York: The Free Press, 1975.〕〔Bourricaud, F. 'The Sociology of Talcott Parsons' Chicago University Press. ISBN 0-226-06756-4. p. 94〕 The structural functionalism approach is a macrosociological analysis, with a broad focus on social structures that shape society as a whole.〔Macionis, Gerber, ''Sociology 7th Canadian Ed.'' (Pearson Canada Inc., 2010)pg.19〕 ==Theory== Classical theories are defined by a tendency towards biological analogy and notions of social evolutionism: While one may regard functionalism as a logical extension of the organic analogies for societies presented by political philosophers such as Rousseau, sociology draws firmer attention to those institutions unique to industrialized capitalist society (or ''modernity''). Functionalism also has an anthropological basis in the work of theorists such as Marcel Mauss, Bronisław Malinowski and Radcliffe-Brown. It is in Radcliffe-Brown's specific usage that the prefix 'structural' emerged.〔(Department of Anthropology College of Arts and Sciences The University of Alabama: Anthropological theories )〕 Radcliffe-Brown proposed that most stateless, "primitive" societies, lacking strong centralised institutions, are based on an association of corporate-descent groups. Structural functionalism also took on Malinowski's argument that the basic building block of society is the nuclear family,〔 and that the clan is an outgrowth, not ''vice versa''. Émile Durkheim was concerned with the question of how certain societies maintain internal stability and survive over time. He proposed that such societies tend to be segmented, with equivalent parts held together by shared values, common symbols or, as his nephew Marcel Mauss held, systems of exchanges. Durkheim used the term 'mechanical solidarity' to refer to these types of "social bonds, based on common sentiments & shared moral values, that are strong among members of pre-industrial societies".〔Macionis, John J. "Sociology". (Toronto: Pearson, 2011), 97〕 In modern, complex societies, members perform very different tasks, resulting in a strong interdependence. Based on the metaphor above of an organism in which many parts function together to sustain the whole, Durkheim argued that complex societies are held together by ''organic'' solidarity, i.e. "social bonds, based on specialization and interdependence, that are strong among members of industrial societies".〔 These views were upheld by Durkheim, who, following Comte, believed that society constitutes a separate "level" of reality, distinct from both biological and inorganic matter. Explanations of social phenomena had therefore to be constructed within this level, individuals being merely transient occupants of comparatively stable social roles. The central concern of structural functionalism is a continuation of the Durkheimian task of explaining the apparent stability and internal cohesion needed by societies to endure over time. Societies are seen as coherent, bounded and fundamentally relational constructs that function like organisms, with their various (or social institutions) working together in an unconscious, quasi-automatic fashion toward achieving an overall social equilibrium. All social and cultural phenomena are therefore seen as functional in the sense of working together, and are effectively deemed to have "lives" of their own. They are primarily analyzed in terms of this function. The individual is significant not in and of himself, but rather in terms of his status, his position in patterns of social relations, and the behaviours associated with his status. Therefore, the social structure is the network of statuses connected by associated roles. It is simplistic to equate the perspective directly with political conservatism.〔Fish, Jonathan S. 2005. ''Defending the Durkheimian Tradition. Religion, Emotion and Morality'' Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing.〕 The tendency to emphasise "cohesive systems", however, leads functionalist theories to be contrasted with "conflict theories" which instead emphasize social problems and inequalities. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Structural functionalism」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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