SOC101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Talcott Parsons, Auguste Comte, Role Theory
Document Summary
Two parts of functionalism: society is a system of interrelated parts, part-whole relation is functional (i. e. healthy parts make up a healthy whole). *functionalism wants the system to remain in the same/consistent healthy way. Society is : a system with needs, relatively self-sufficient, transcends the individual lifespan. Deviance comes from poor socialization from the family. Role: the expectations associated with a certain title/status. Roles function to meet the needs of society. Roles are pre-defined and exist independently of people. The role set (list of expectations) can be detailed or general. Role strain: when you"re trying to sustain two roles and they conflict with each other (e. g. student vs. socialite). Society (as a system) needs people to play roles. Socialization: the process of internalizing social roles through social pressure. Internalization when a role becomes a duty; taking on the identity of a role (e. g. my identity as a student, feminist, etc. Change in role leads to a change in identity.
