Lesson 2.
Structural-Functionalism
Disciplines and Ideas in the Social Sciences
General Academic Strand | Humanities and Social Sciences
Learning
Competencies
● Define structuralism (HUMSS_DIS 11 -IIIe-f-1).
● Determine manifest and latent functions and
dysfunctions of sociocultural phenomena
(HUMSS_DIS 11 -IIIe-f-1).
2
Learning
Objectives
● Explain structural-functionalism.
● Identify Emile Durkheim’s contribution to
structural-functionalism.
● Distinguish between manifest and latent
functions.
3
What’s in This Picture?
Explore
Describe the roles that the people in
this photo portray.
4
What’s in This Picture?
Explore
Describe the roles that the people in
this photo portray.
5
What’s in This Picture?
Explore
Describe the roles that the people in
this photo portray.
6
Explore
What is shown in each
of the pictures? What
roles are the people in
these pictures known
to commonly play in
our society?
7
Explore
Do you think they
also play roles in
society that are not
usually mentioned?
If so, what are these?
8
Explore
In your opinion, how
do these institutions
complement each
other in order for a
society to function?
9
Essential
Question
How is structural-functionalism relevant in
understanding the current situation of our
society?
10
What Is Structural-
Functionalism?
11
Structural-Functionalism
What Is Structural-Functionalism?
● views society as a complex unit composed of many parts
that come and work together to ensure its stability and
survival
● macro-level approach emphasizing on the following:
○ social structures
○ social institutions
○ social functions
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Structural-Functionalism
What Is Structural-Functionalism?
● social structures – patterns in society that are considered
relatively stable
● social institutions – groups that can influence norms in
society
● social functions – consequences (of each social structure)
for the operation of society
13
Structural-Functionalism
What Is Structural-Functionalism?
● Social institutions present in a society:
○ family
○ school
○ economy
○ religion
○ culture
○ government
14
Structural-Functionalism
What Is Structural-Functionalism?
● social institution with specific
function(s)
● interrelatedness and
interdependence of social
institutions
● promoting stability and survival
15
Early proponents of
structural-functionalism,
such as Herbert Spencer,
compared society to the
human body.
16
17
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19
Check Your
Progress
What function does social media play in your
life? Would you consider social media as a
social institution? Why or why not?
20
Structural-Functionalism
Manifest and Latent Functions
● According to American sociologist
Robert K. Merton, there are two
types of social functions:
○ manifest functions
Scan or click this! ○ latent functions
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Structural-Functionalism
Manifest and Latent Functions
Manifest functions
● recognized and intended
consequences
● readily attributed to a specific
social structure or institution
The manifest function of school
is to produce graduates.
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Structural-Functionalism
Manifest and Latent Functions
Latent functions
● unrecognized and unintended
consequences
● hidden purposes of a social
structure or institution
Part of the norm in specific age groups
is to develop relationships—intimate
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or not.
Structural-Functionalism
Manifest and Latent Functions
Social dysfunctions
elements or processes of or
within society that may disrupt
solidarity and stability
○ detrimental to society
○ may vary from one person to School dropout is an example of
social dysfunction.
another
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Structural-Functionalism
Emile Durkheim
● prominent figure under
structural-functionalism
● The Rules of Sociological Method
● The Elementary Forms of Religious
Life
● The Division of Labor in Society
● Suicide
25
Structural-Functionalism
Structuralism
Late 20th
● looks into underlying patterns
century saw a in human behavior that leads
“linguistic turn” to observable social
phenomena
among social
● main proponent: Claude Lévi-
scientists. Strauss
26
Despite contrasting approaches, both
structuralists and structural-
functionalists remained focused on
discovering and understanding general
patterns or principles and their function(s) in
society.
27
● Structural-functionalism is an approach that views
Wrap- society as a complex unit or system composed of
Up
many parts that come and work together to ensure
its stability and survival.
● Social functions, according to sociologist John
Macionis, refer to “consequences [of each social
structure] for the operation of society.”
● Manifest function refers to the recognized and
intended consequences of an aspect of society.
Latent function refers to the unrecognized and
unintended consequences of an aspect of society.
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● Social dysfunction refers to an element or process
Wrap- of or within a society that may actually disrupt
Up
solidarity and stability. It can be analyzed as
generally detrimental to society. However, some
people can also have varying notions of what is
considered a social dysfunction.
● Structuralism is the study of the underlying
patterns in human behavior, in turn leading to
observable social phenomena.
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Wrap-
Up
30
Challenge
Yourself
Social media has become an important part of
people’s lives. What do you think are the manifest
function and the latent function of social media?
How can it create social dysfunction? Explain your
answer.
31
Lesson 2.2
Marxism
Disciplines and Ideas in the Social Sciences
General Academic Strand | Humanities and Social Sciences
Why do some
people have more
of something
while others have
less?
● income
● transportation
● education
● food
33
Learning
Competencies
Analyze social inequalities in terms of class
conflict (HUMSS_DIS 11-IIIg-2).
34
Learning ● Define Marxism.
Objectives
● Identify the key contributions of the
following: Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, and
Antonio Gramsci.
● Understand the Marxist concepts of class
conflict, economic base-superstructure
model, class consciousness, and revolution.
35
Short Clip Watching
Explore
Search online for videos that
tackle a social reality during the
COVID-19 pandemic.
Understand the content and
the message of the video, then
answer the guide questions
that follow. You may check one Scan or click this!
example provided by scanning
the QR code.
36
Marxism
What is Marxism?
● sees society as a “struggle between segments of society over
valued resources”
○ social classes
○ social conflict
○ class conflict brought upon by capitalism
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Marxism
What is Marxism?
● Social segments are referred to as social class.
● social conflict – struggles of social classes
● class conflict – conflict between entire classes over the
distribution of a society’s wealth and power—the means of
production
38
Marxism
Capitalism as the Historical Context behind Marxism
● Capitalism – economic system where natural resources and
means of producing goods are privately owned
● capitalism → private ownership → profit-making
● In theory, this system could promote growth and
development of the population.
39
Marxism
Capitalism as the Historical
Context behind Marxism
● Karl Marx saw the opposite: a
society of contradiction
● Despite a growing society:
○ widespread inequalities
○ many poor people
40
Marxism
Key Figures in Marxism
Karl Marx (1818–1883)
● most prominent figure under
Marxism
● member of the Young Hegelians
● The Communist Manifesto
● communism and socialism
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Marxism
Key Figures in Marxism
Friedrich Engels (1820–1895)
● Marx’s benefactor and lifelong
friend
● Collaborated with Marx to write
The Communist Manifesto
● settled in London and continued
to write Das Kapital
42
Marxism
Key Figures in Marxism
● In theory, the goal is to return to a communist society.
● socialism as important step toward communism
● communism – hypothetical economic and political system
in which all members of a society are equal
○ class divisions are abolished → no conflict or inequalities
43
Marxism
Key Figures in Marxism
Antonio Gramsci (1891–1937)
● hegemony – cultural leadership
exercised by the ruling class
● Communist intellectuals play a
vital role in enlightening the
masses from false consciousness.
44
Check Your
Progress
Capitalism is the main concern of Marxism. In
your own words, explain how capitalism exists
in the Philippines. Cite at least two examples.
45
Marxism
Society through the Lens of Marxism
● The prevailing economic system dominates other aspects of
the social system and defines the character of the entire
society.
● materialism – way by which people provide for their
material needs; conditions the relations that people have
with each other
46
Marxism
Society through the Lens of Marxism
● economic base – serves as a “foundation” to all other
institutions or superstructures
● superstructures – social institutions that support the
base and justify its actions
47
Marxism
Society through the Lens of Marxism
Economic Base-Superstructure Model
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“The history of all
hitherto existing society
is the history of class
struggles.”
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Marxism
Class Conflict
● haves versus have-nots
● Under Marxism, class conflict serves as a catalyst leading to
changes and development of society.
● At the end of each class conflict, new classes will emerge
and will control the means of production.
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Marxism
Class Conflict
Proletariat and
● capitalists versus proletariat
○ capitalists – those who own
capitalists are
the factories and businesses constantly
to gain profits engaged in a
○ proletariat – workers who class conflict.
sell their labor to earn wages
from the capitalists
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According to Marx, revolution is our only way out.
52
Marxism
Class Conflict
● revolution through class consciousness
● class consciousness – proletariats’ recognition of
themselves as a class unified in opposition to capitalists and
ultimately to capitalism itself
● “The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains.
They have a world to win.”
53
● Marxism sees society as a conflict between groups
Wrap- of people over valued resources. These struggles or
Up conflicts can take many different forms, yet the
main focus is the class conflict that arises from the
existing economic base that governs a given society.
● Marxism argues that the society is composed of
various social institutions. However, the economy
acts as the economic base that shapes the ideas
and values of other institutions. In turn,
superstructures justify the actions of the prevailing
economic system as their base or foundation.
54
● Class conflict is a type of social conflict between
Wrap- entire classes over the distribution of a society’s
Up wealth and power—the means of production.
● Class consciousness is the proletariat’s recognition
of themselves as a class unified in opposition to
capitalists and ultimately to capitalism itself.
● According to Marx, the history of society is a history
of class conflict and social change.
55
Wrap-
Up
56
Challenge
Yourself
Why does class conflict exist according to Marxism?
How is this related to social inequality? Cite your
own examples.
57
Lesson 2.3
Symbolic Interactionism
Disciplines and Ideas in the Social Sciences
General Academic Strand | Humanities and Social Sciences
How does the pandemic
change the way we interact
with others?
How do our interactions
influence us?
59
Learning
Competencies
Appraise the meanings that people attach to
everyday forms of interaction in order to explain
social behavior (HUMSS_DIS 11-IIIh-3).
60
Learning
Objectives
● Explain symbolic interactionism.
● Identify Max Weber’s contribution to
symbolic interactionism.
61
Essential
Question
How is symbolic interactionism relevant in
understanding differences in our society
today?
62
Symbolic Interactionism
63
Symbolic Interactionism
What Is Symbolic Interactionism?
● social interactions in specific
social situations
● micro-level orientation
● focuses on symbols and the
meanings we attach to them
64
Symbolic Interactionism
Symbols
● social objects used to represent
whatever people agree they shall
represent (Charon 1995, 39)
● words, gestures, actions, logos
65
Check Your
Progress
What meaning does social media have in your
life? Why did you attach such a meaning to it?
66
Symbolic Interactionism
Herbert Blumer
● one of the important figures in symbolic interactionism,
according to Wallace and Wolf
● importance of subjective experience and interpretation in
explaining human interactions
● proposed the three basic premises of symbolic
interactionism
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Symbolic Interactionism
Blumer’s Three Basic Premises
1. Human beings act toward things on the basis of the
meanings that the things have for them.
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Symbolic Interactionism
Blumer’s Three Basic Premises
According to Wallace and Wolf,
the meanings we attach to
something may change
depending on how we perceive
it.
69
Symbolic Interactionism
Blumer’s Three Basic Premises
2. The meaning of things arises out of the social
interaction one has with one's fellows.
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Symbolic Interactionism
Blumer’s Three Basic Premises
Meanings of a symbol or an action
may vary depending on whom the
individual interacts with and how the
symbol or action is depicted in a
particular interaction.
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Symbolic Interactionism
Blumer’s Three Basic Premises
3. The meanings of things are handled in and modified
through an interpretative process used by the person in
dealing with things he or she encounters.
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Symbolic Interactionism
Blumer’s Three Basic Premises
interpretative process – the act of
“talking to oneself” as a way to
process and handle meanings, as
defined by Wallace and Wolf
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Symbolic Interactionism
Blumer’s Three Basic Premises
Individuals decide the meanings they
attach to symbols.
74
Symbolic Interactionism
Max Weber
● one of the important figures of
symbolic interactionism
● Verstehen (“interpretive
understanding”)
● action theory – the importance
of subjective meaning
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Symbolic Interactionism
Max Weber
wrote other works that are considered important in sociology
today
● The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism
● Politics as a Vocation
76
● Symbolic interactionism is an approach that “sees
Wrap- society as the product of the everyday interactions
Up
of individuals.”
● Symbols refer to social objects used to represent
whatever people agree they shall represent.
● According to authors Wallace and Wolf, meaning is
a social product; it is created, not inherent in things;
it is not a given.
77
● According to Herbert Blumer, symbolic
Wrap- interactionism has three basic premises. These
Up
premises center on the importance of meanings,
how meanings are formed through social
interaction, and how individuals can interpret
meanings on their own.
● Max Weber also believed in the importance of
individual experiences in understanding an action.
78
Wrap-
Up
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Wrap-
Up
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