The term functionalism indicates different theories according to the disciplines.

Functionalism in anthropology

It was initiated by Bronislaw Malinowski and Radcliffe-Brown.

This current wants to affix with each social fact one or of the functions which determine it. In other words, each element of the culture has a certain task to be achieved - a function -, which presents an irreplaceable share of organic totality.

This current is opposed to the evolutionism which is turned towards the future and to the Diffusionnisme, turned towards the past. Functionalism is thus interested in the present. The culture must be seen from the synchronic point of view. This current knew its limits, in particular on the fact of reducing cultural realities, nevertheless there remains still today its method of the participating observation .

Malinowski wants this current of thought with joining of three disciplines, for a study of the man three-dimensional and total. Functionalism uses ideas and methods of the Anthropologie, Psychanalyse and Natural science.

Applied to political sociology, its relevance is defended by Almond and Powell which showed using scientific means of investigations that to be pleinenment legitimated, i.e. truly functional, the government must remain structurally in phase with the political culture of the company which it governs. For that the ministries use of effective means: persuasion campaigns, filtering of information… in order to preserve the unit of a republic of which indivisibility is constitutionally devoted.

The premises of functionalism appear with Emile Durkheim and Herbert Spencer. The function becomes an explanatory principle: any body has a function (as in the human body). The bodies of the company have as a function to ensure the Social cohesion (social link between the individuals).

Evan Evans-Pritchard] (1902-1973) succeeds A.R. Radcliffe-Brown. It has a strong impact in British anthropology. It conceives a structuro-functionalism, like made Radcliffe Brown. It is against the positivism which wants to give the statute of science to anthropology. It makes a field study in Africa where it highlights logical bonds which characterize the institutions of the traditional companies at Azandés. It shows that the registers magic and logical coexist. Certain things are explained through the magic. It is used when Azandés do not find other explanations rational.

Functionalism in sociology

Functionalism constituted one of the dominant theories at the 20th century in sociology. Its principal representatives are Robert K. Merton and Talcott Parsons. Functionalist sociology apprehends the companies starting from the institutions ensuring their stability and structuring the individual behaviors through roles and statutes.

See the detailed article Functionalism (sociology).

Functionalism in linguistics

Functionalism in architecture

See also: Functionalism (architecture)

In architecture, the functionalism is current architectural appeared at the beginning of the 20th century. It is perfectly summarized by the famous saying of the American architect Louis Sullivan " form follows function" (the form follows the function) which affirms that the form and appearance external of a building must rise from its function and its interior articulations.

Functionalism in philosophy of the spirit

According to functionalism, the spirit is comparable with a machine, the computer in particular. Functionalism in philosophy falls under the tread of research in artificial intelligence. The spirit, just like the machine, it is the whole of the relations of cause and effect of the internal mental states. Functionalism is a theory which defines the spirit in this way, i.e. in terms of causal relations of the mental states. The functionalist theory comprises three types of specification:

• specifications of entries, the specifications which stipulate the type of things which causes the mental states at the people;
• specifications of the internal states which describe the causal interactions of the mental states;
• specifications of exits which say which kinds of action or behaviors are caused by the mental states.

External bonds

• More details on functionalism in philosophy

• a functionalist theory of the company: around the work of Niklas Luhmann by Hugues Rabault, University Paul Verlaine of Metz, ID2.

NB: Also let us mention that there exist many derivatives and versions different from functionalism, the such " functionalism biologique" for example.

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