Mechanical solidarity is often present in primitive communities where there is an absence of economic advancement and status differentiation. He claimed that there are two types of society characterized by ‘mechanical solidarity’ and ‘organic solidarity’. “The Division of Labour in Society” (1893) was Durkheim’s first book in which he explained the forces that keep society intact. Moreover, he was influenced by the works of Herbert Spencer(1820-1903) and his study of organic analogy. In his initial phase of scholarly life, Durkheim was deeply impressed by the significance of functional differentiation and the theory of social evolution. Division of Labor by DurkheimĮmile Durkheim(1858-1917) was a French sociologist and one of the founding fathers of the Functionalist school of thought. Further debates and theories on Structural Functionalism have been articulated by various scholars like Radcliffe Brown, Kingsley Davis, and Wilbert Moore. Structural Functionalism is an explanatory theory primarily developed by Emile Durkheim and Talcott Parsons. Drastic changes in society are considered problematic because these rapid changes disrupt the equilibrium and result in instability. For instance, a slight incompatibility between traditional belief systems and social norms may result in a social change.

Furthermore, social structure adapts to the changing needs of society, if any part of the structure acts dysfunctional then society as a whole might collapse.Īccording to the Structural Functionalists, any form of rapid social change is perceived as something that arises when there is an occurrence of social tensions between different units of society.

Each component of the structure has a specified role and altogether these social patterns contribute to the balanced and stable functioning of society. The social structure of society consists of various components such as social institutions, social norms, and values, that are interconnected and dependent on each other. The basic principles of Structural Functionalism can be comprehended in three simple terms: maintenance of social stability, collective functioning, and social evolution. One can study the structure of society without examining its functions, similarly, functions of different social processes can be studied without being concerned with its structural form. In Structural Functionalism, the terms structure and function are not necessarily complementary. Structural Functionalism that is also referred to as Functionalism, lays its emphasis on the large-scale social structures, social institutions, their interrelationships, and implications on society. This article presents an insight into the Structural Functionalist approach by laying focus on the basic principles of Structural Functionalism, various developing theories associated with the perspective, and critical analysis of this approach. Nevertheless, it is a significant theoretical perspective in social sciences. Structural functionalism as an explanatory theory has lost its significance in the contemporary era. It is a macro-level theory concerned with large-scale social structures and social institutions. Synopsis: Structural functionalism is considered to be a prominent classical sociological perspective.

Structural functions systems theory