Page 38 - DSOC402_SOCIOLOGY_OF_KINSHIP_ENGLISH

Sociology of Kinship

Notes or functionalism is synonymous to sociology, therefore to give them a different name in sociol-
ogy is unnecessary. In these above references, a discussion of the several wings of functional
approach such as—history, recognition, character, important limitations and critical evaluation
etc., is expressed over here.

There are many followers of functional approach in which August Comte, Her-
bert Spenser, Durkheem, Malinowisks, Redcliff Brown, Morten, etc., scholars
were outstanding.

5.2 History of Structural-Functional Approach
P.S. Kohan, enhansing the history of functional approach, has written in his book that the histo-
ry of functional system for the study of society is so primitive that the social principle. Some his-
torians consider the beginning of modern theory of functionalism from Montesque, but today
the virtue of the effect of this principle which is seen, goes to August Comte who determined
the study of sociological statistics—a part of sociological investigation.
August Comte refers by social statics that the study of co-existence of social events. According
to him under this study of those huge institutions and institutional complexity is made which is
considered a huge unit of social analysis. In words of Comte, “Statics is related to the discovery
of mutual action and reaction of different parts in society.” He only diverted attention towards
‘structural-functional’ approach in sociology and provided a new direction. He says that all the
institutions of society are mutually related in form of belief and morality. This system aims at the
description of any part prevailing in the entire society. Such principle or rules is to be searched
from this system which clears that a unit of structure and all other units how affect a particular
unit and how get affected and any how the existence of society prevails. In functional system,
the study of unit as a whole and whole as a unit and mutual inter-relation of units are made.
Herbert Spenser—After August Comte, Herbert Spenser has added something new in the
functional approach of the study of society. He in “Principles of Functional Sociology” thrown
light on the similarities and accordances in processes of society and organism. First of all, Spens-
er had described the fundamental characters of organism like—body structure, construction,
mutual dependency of organs, function, etc., and on that basis he analysed the society which
proved in the development of functional approach. Construction of body structure takes place
by joining several organs. Each organ does an specific function. Their function are mutually un-
arranged and unorganised which keeps the body arranged, organised and balanced. It is belief
of Spenser that the body structure in organisms world and its several organs develops in series
of simple to complex form, similarity to diversity and low-differentiation to complex-differenti-
ation, the same way, so it has taken place in social arrangement. He consider, society an integral
arrangement like organisms. He says that the construction of society is done from different units
like organisms. These several units in social structure are mutually in organised form.
Every unit in the society does on specific function. The society remains arranged efficiently
due to functions and by the several units. His belief is that the structure in which one type of
or similar element are found, all the elements in that are self-reliant. But, the elements vary in
structure or existence of internal differentiation in structure is high then more mutual depend-
ency is found in the elements.
Spenser had argued that the aim of more differentiation in structure is to produce more unifica-
tion overall and to reduce internal imbalance in them and they are more efficient to maintain

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