{"id":7299,"date":"2020-03-27T12:25:28","date_gmt":"2020-03-27T06:55:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/?p=7299"},"modified":"2025-07-17T16:29:47","modified_gmt":"2025-07-17T10:59:47","slug":"structural-functionalist-theory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/structural-functionalist-theory\/","title":{"rendered":"Structural functionalist theory"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Structural_functionalist_theory\"><\/span><span style=\"font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;\">Structural functionalist theory<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Relevant_for_Sociology_Optional_Paper_I\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #333333;\"><strong>(Relevant for Sociology Optional Paper I)<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;\"><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_68 ez-toc-wrap-center counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-light-blue ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title \" >What's Inside this Blog!<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/structural-functionalist-theory\/#Structural_functionalist_theory\" title=\"Structural functionalist theory\">Structural functionalist theory<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-2' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/structural-functionalist-theory\/#Relevant_for_Sociology_Optional_Paper_I\" title=\"(Relevant for Sociology Optional Paper I)\">(Relevant for Sociology Optional Paper I)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/structural-functionalist-theory\/#What_is_Structural_functionalist_theory\" title=\"What is\u00a0Structural functionalist theory?\">What is\u00a0Structural functionalist theory?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/structural-functionalist-theory\/#How_it_is_interdependent\" title=\"How it is interdependent?\">How it is interdependent?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/structural-functionalist-theory\/#Why_it_is_necessary_for_the_society\" title=\"Why it is necessary for the society?\">Why it is necessary for the society?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-25955 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Untitled-design-25.png\" alt=\"Structure Functionalist Theory by Vikash Ranjan sir at Triumph IAS, UPSC Sociology Optional\" width=\"1080\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Untitled-design-25.png 1080w, https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Untitled-design-25-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Untitled-design-25-1024x1024.png 1024w, https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Untitled-design-25-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Untitled-design-25-768x768.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/><\/p>\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%;\">\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_Structural_functionalist_theory\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #333333; font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;\"><strong>What is\u00a0Structural functionalist theory?<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li><span style=\"font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;\">The Structural- functionalist perspective seeks to explain social stratification in terms of its contribution to the maintenance of social order and stability in society. <\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;\">Talcott Parsons believed that order and stability depends upon the value consensus in the society. Individuals who conduct themselves in accordance with these values are ranked above others. A successful business executive would be ranked above others in a society which values individual achievement while individuals who fight battles and wars would be ranked above others in a society which values bravery and gallantry.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_it_is_interdependent\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #333333; font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;\"><strong>How it is interdependent?<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li><span style=\"font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;\">Functionalists uphold that relationship between social groups in society is one of cooperation and interdependence. Parsons explains that in a highly specialized industrial society, some people specialize in organization and planning while others follow their directives. Certain positions are functionally more important in society than others. These are often ranked higher in the social hierarchy and fetch greater rewards than others. This inevitability leads to inequality in distribution of power and prestige. So According to Parsons- \u2018Every society is based upon consensus in terms of norms and values\u2019.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_it_is_necessary_for_the_society\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #333333; font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;\"><strong>Why it is necessary for the society?<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;\"><strong>Kingsley Davis and Wilbert Moor: They <\/strong>discussed the issues <strong>of functional necessity of stratification,<\/strong> determinants of positional rank, societal functions and stratification, and variation in stratified system at length. They explained that <strong>unequal distribution rights and perquisites making for social inequality provides the motivation to people to perform duties associated with a given position and to achieve position that affords more prestige and esteem<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;\">Social inequality therefore ensures that <span style=\"color: #333333;\"><strong>\u201cthe most important positions are conscientiously filled by the most qualified persons.<\/strong> <\/span>Hence every society, no matter how simple or complex, must differentiate persons in terms of both prestige and esteem, and must therefore possess a certain amount of institutionalized inequality\u201d (Davis and Moore).<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;\"><strong>The positions that carry the best reward and highest rank are those that are excessively important for society, and require greatest training or talent.<\/strong> They clarify that in effect, a society needs to accord sufficient reward to position of high rank only to ensure that they are filled competently. It may also be understood that a position important in one society may not be equally important in another one.\u00a0 <strong>Kingsley Davis and Wilbert Moore <\/strong><span style=\"color: #333333;\">summarizes their central argument in the following words :<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li><span style=\"font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;\"><strong> \u201cCertain positions in any society are functionally more important than others<\/strong>, and require special skills for their performance. Only a certain number of individuals in any society have the talents which can be trained into the skills appropriate to these positions.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;\">The <strong>conversion of talents into skills involves a training period during which sacrifices<\/strong> of one kind or another are made by those undergoing the training. <strong>In order to induce the talented persons to undergo these sacrifices and acquire the training, their future positions must carry an inducement value in the form of differential reward,<\/strong> i.e., privileged and disproportionate access to the scarce and desired rewards which the society has to offer.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;\">These scarce and desired goods consist of the rights and perquisites attached to, or built into, the positions, and can be classified into those things which contribute to (a) sustenance and comfort, (b) humor or diversion, (c) self-respect and expansion.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;\">This differential access to the basic rewards of the society has a consequence the differentiation of the prestige and esteem which the various strata acquire. Therefore, <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #333333;\">social inequality among different strata in the amounts of scarce and desired goods, and the amounts of prestige and esteem which they receive, is both positively functional and inevitable in any society\u201d.<\/span> <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h3><span class=\"amp-wp-ead8d03\" data-amp-original-style=\"font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;\"><span class=\"amp-wp-303d451\" data-amp-original-style=\"font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\">To Read more topics like Structural Functionalist Theory<\/span>\u00a0<span class=\"amp-wp-303d451\" data-amp-original-style=\"font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\">in Public Posts, visit:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/?amp=1\">www.triumphias.com\/blogs<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"BBX5CMikZv\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/relavance-of-gandhian-philosophy-in-present-times\/\">Relevance of Gandhian Philosophy in Present Times | Sociology Optional Coaching | Vikash Ranjan Classes | Triumph IAS | UPSC Sociology Optional<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;Relevance of Gandhian Philosophy in Present Times | Sociology Optional Coaching | Vikash Ranjan Classes | Triumph IAS | UPSC Sociology Optional&#8221; &#8212; TriumphIAS\" src=\"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/relavance-of-gandhian-philosophy-in-present-times\/embed\/#?secret=2qurCjl9Jd#?secret=BBX5CMikZv\" data-secret=\"BBX5CMikZv\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"ELLNy87Yot\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/rise-of-india-as-an-investment-hub\/\">Rise of India as an investment Hub | Sociology Optional Coaching | Vikash Ranjan Classes | Triumph IAS | UPSC Sociology Optional<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;Rise of India as an investment Hub | Sociology Optional Coaching | Vikash Ranjan Classes | Triumph IAS | UPSC Sociology Optional&#8221; &#8212; TriumphIAS\" src=\"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/rise-of-india-as-an-investment-hub\/embed\/#?secret=NI7Z8ygy4n#?secret=ELLNy87Yot\" data-secret=\"ELLNy87Yot\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Structural functionalist theory (Relevant for Sociology Optional Paper I) What is\u00a0Structural functionalist theory? The Structural- functionalist perspective seeks to explain<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6878,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[114,115],"tags":[928,920,1818,6254,4550,1814,540,5827,11259,5782],"class_list":["post-7299","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sociology-optional","category-sociology-optional-paper-i","tag-emile-durkheim","tag-functionalism","tag-social-institutions","tag-social-roles","tag-social-stability","tag-social-structure","tag-sociology","tag-structural-functionalism","tag-structure-functionalist-theory","tag-talcott-parsons"],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7299","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7299"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7299\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25954,"href":"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7299\/revisions\/25954"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6878"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7299"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7299"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7299"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}