Functionalism: Norms, Customs, And Traditions Of Society

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Structural functionalism is a practice that sees society as an elaborate system working together to create stability. Functionalists look at society like one big puzzle and each piece of that puzzle; being different aspects of society, work together to keep the puzzle glued together. In order to put the puzzle together smoothly it must follow the norms, customs, and traditions of society. According to Max Weber, the brain behind structuralism, social class and status affect each individual’s life. Individuals in a specific group have common components of their life chances; therefore, setting norms of what life should be like for that group. It explains how certain roles are expected of certain people. For example: if an individual has a higher socioeconomic …show more content…

For instance: from a functionalist perspective society is more stable and functions properly when men fulfill the instrumental roles and women fulfill the expressive roles. The instrumental role includes doing the task-oriented things such as being the breadwinner and fixing the kitchen sink. Whereas the expressive role includes providing emotional support like taking care of children and being ready to listen and comfort the other. This has been the societal norm for male and female roles and those norms are just now beginning to be questioned. Women have recently been able to fight for their rights and start taking on more masculine roles and the same for men. Along with being the housekeeper and the hard worker the male is expected to be tough while women are expected to be weak. This can lead into deviance by gender where as men are more likely to end up in prison where woman are not as likely to end up this way. The roles society has put male and female into has created different life chances for them. Men can’t cry and women can. Men can be political leaders and women can’t.

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