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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". [ 1 ] 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, [ 1 ...
Robert K. Merton. Richard Münch. Edward Shils. Talcott Parsons (December 13, 1902 – May 8, 1979) was an American sociologist of the classical tradition, best known for his social action theory and structural functionalism. Parsons is considered one of the most influential figures in sociology in the 20th century. [17]
Structuralism is an intellectual current and methodological approach, primarily in the social sciences, that interprets elements of human culture by way of their relationship to a broader system. It works to uncover the structural patterns that underlie all the things that humans do, think, perceive, and feel.
Alfred Reginald Radcliffe-Brown, FBA (born Alfred Reginald Brown; 1881–1955) was an English social anthropologist who helped further develop the theory of structural functionalism. He conducted fieldwork in the Andaman Islands and Western Australia, which became the basis of his later books. He held academic appointments at universities in ...
Evans-Pritchard's later work was more theoretical, drawing upon his experiences as an anthropologist to philosophize on the nature of anthropology and how it should best be practiced. In 1950, he famously disavowed the commonly held view that anthropology was a natural science , arguing instead that it should be grouped amongst the humanities ...
Structural functionalism is a sociological perspective "claiming that every society has certain structures that exist to fulfill some set of necessary functions". [19] Drawing on the ideas of sociologist Émile Durkheim , society through this sociological lens is thought of as a living organism—similar to the nineteenth-century theory of ...
Functional psychology. Functional psychology or functionalism refers to a psychological school of thought that was a direct outgrowth of Darwinian thinking which focuses attention on the utility and purpose of behavior that has been modified over years of human existence. [1] Edward L. Thorndike, best known for his experiments with trial-and ...
At Oxford, Gluckman's work was supervised by R.R. Marett, but his biggest influences were Radcliffe-Brown and Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard, who were proponents of structural functionalism. Gluckman conducted his Ph.D. research in Barotseland with the Lozi. In 1939 he joined the Rhodes-Livingstone Institute and in 1941 became its director. He ...