Emile Durkheim's Theory Of Structural Functionalism

Numerous social theories emerged to explain the relationship between societal function and the human condition during the 19th and 20th centuries. Deeply embedded within the social experiences and predicaments of prominent theorists, the perspectives and priorities understood to be significant indications of society’s inner workings varied tremendously. These theories developed a specific view point on the importance of ideals such as culture, production, structure, language, and individualism within society. The role of the individual, in particular, sparked disagreement between many of the theories. Are individual agents bound by the circumstances and functional needs previously set and inherently understood to continue the equilibrium of

Radcliffe-Brown. In looking for the reason a society is held together, Durkheim focused on social ‘facts’ – the facets of society such as customs and values that dictated the operation of the overall system in meeting individual’s social needs. These facts are not derived from studying the individual, but instead are “features of collective existence … which are not reducible to features of the atoms, individuals, which make it up" (Hadden, 1997). This constitutes a macro-social view with the understanding that society is a constructed system where individuals are filling rotating stable social roles. Rather than focus on the individual filling the position, structural functionalists discuss the importance of the social position itself and how it affects society’s workings. In this holistic practice, there is little room for change and even less for individual thoughts or actions. Each person conforms to the ingrained social norms governing the roles he or she fulfills to ensure society’s functional needs are met. The interdependent structure will continue to function as a well-oiled machine so long as each of these parts are performed and maintained. Any disturbance to the system will be met by swift change in other parts to return society to equanimity (Bancroft and Rogers,

While structural functionalists chose to theorize society’s design outside the realm of history and contention, Marx, his followers, and his predecessors such as Georg Hegel built their understanding on the idea of history progressing in stages. Progression occurs through class struggle – the break down, rebuilding, and constantly push towards a more ideal system. Change and disorder are necessary components to reach eventual order. Marx took Hegel’s former work on the subject and developed an understanding of three basic historical stages. In early society individuals existed in unity through kinship bonding, yet a new stage emerged when individuality occurred from the understanding of freedom and thus leading to disruptive events such as the French Revolution. This movement through time culminates from the divide into a more perfect union allowing individuality to develop as part of community. In Marxist fashion, this dichromic theory is then applied to the individual’s place within the economic marketplace that has bound and now rules each person. To be explained shortly, only within a free market can the individual hope to banish the chains of predestination and develop his or her own interests. Marx argues, “In this society of free competition, the individual appears detached from the natural bonds etc. which