What is the functionalist perspective?

Functionalism is a sociological perspective of why society functions in the way it does. It is a structuralist theory which means it focuses on the main structures of society, such as law and education. It is a consensus theory and therefore believes in social stability and argues that order is maintained by all social systems, even those that would seem to counteract it, such as deviant behaviour.

Answered by Tierney L. Sociology tutor

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