How a society could improve its functionality - Essay Example

One of the long-term benefits of this theory is that behaviours are improved to suit the majority after they are treated with. Therefore, deviant behaviours that disrupt the social norms are then adjusted to be capable of bonding much more strongly to the society. Deviation that takes place in any society is because people experience different types of social pressure, that restrict the preferences when an individual performing any action practically (Howe, 1987). Lately, it was becoming increasingly doubtful whether this theory will ever see the psycho-social view.

The reason is that Goldschmidt discussed in the book; 'the anti-historic approach made it impossible to examine social processes, rejection of psychology made it impossible to understand attitudes and sentiments, and the rejection of culture led to a lack of recognition of the ecological context' . Thus, now the fixers approach social systems in all three types psycho-socially, behaviourally and/or functionally (Howe, 1987). Psychoanalysis helps by reflecting the situations a person faced during his/her childhood and behaviourally it is concentrating on problems during that time period.

While sociologically, functionalism ensures that social order doesn't overrule stability as Brown defines in his book. 'The continuity of the social structure is not destroyed by changes in the units'. People, who have been isolated by the society, are treated by helping them develop the relationship with the society. Fixers of the society face problems like individually induced pathology, systems failure and others.Whereas, the limitations faced by fixer theory is rather concerned with the scientific methods, which is arguable, as uses implies that the people living in the physical world are objectively real.

It can be successfully observed through conducting social analysis or interviews. Conversely, if the society lacks the consistency to stabilize the culturally suitable behaviours or norms, there are several social control mechanisms which restore this conformity. The control mechanisms ensure functional consistency, by restoring it or isolating the ones who don't obey the rules. But according to Brown 'this limits the value of human rights to live as they would like to'. They are seen merely as objects rather than individuals.

The functionalist theory is oblivious to the natural and historical process, so it assumes that societies are meant to be in equilibrium. This helped the functionalists to predict the place of an individual in a social system along with the expectations which are supposed to be fulfilled. In other words, it means that every individual's behaviour can be predicted scientifically! In spite of all this, sociologists believe that they can understand the laws, which define the behaviours of a society.

Although, this serves as an incentive for further research on this subject, while the objective analysis may not completely comprehend the social phenomena in the long run.References:Howe. D. 1987. Introduction to Social Work Theory. Revised Edition. UK. Publisher: Ashgate.Brown. R & Kuper.A. 1977. The Social Anthropology of Radcliffe-Brown. Edition: