![]() While gender roles, according to the functionalist perspective, are beneficial in that they contribute to stable social relations, many argue that gender roles are discriminatory and should not be upheld. This view has been criticized for reifying, rather than reflecting, gender roles. According to structural functionalists, gender serves to maintain social order by providing and ensuring the stability of such functional prerequisites. Functional prerequisites may also refer to the factors that allow a society to maintain social order. In sociological research, functional prerequisites are the basic needs (food, shelter, clothing, and money) that an individual requires to live above the poverty line. Thus gender, like other social institutions, contributes to the stability of society as a whole. A structural functionalist view of gender inequality applies the division of labor to view predefined gender roles as complementary: women take care of the home while men provide for the family. The division of labor works to maximize resources and efficiency. This theory suggests that gender inequalities exist as an efficient way to create a division of labor, or as a social system in which particular segments are clearly responsible for certain, respective acts of labor. The functionalist perspective of gender inequality was most robustly articulated in the 1940s and 1950s, and largely developed by Talcott Parsons’ model of the nuclear family. A common analogy, popularized by Herbert Spencer, presents these parts of society as “organs” that work toward the proper functioning of the “body” as a whole. Functionalism addresses society as a whole in terms of the function of its constituent elements, namely: norms, customs, traditions, and institutions. This approach looks at society through a macro-level orientation, which is a broad focus on the social structures that shape society as a whole, and looks at both social structure and social functions. The functionalist perspective sees society as a complex system whose parts work together to promote solidarity and stability. ![]() ![]() Division of labor: A division of labour is the dividing and specializing of cooperative labour into specifically circumscribed tasks and roles.The Functionalist Perspective: A broad social theory that sees society as a complex system whose parts work together to promote solidarity and stability.functionalist perspective of gender inequality: A theory that suggests that gender inequalities exist as an efficient way to create a division of labor, or a social system in which a particular segment of the population is clearly responsible for certain acts of labor and another segment is clearly responsible for other labor acts.Conflict theory highlights the role of social institutions in perpetuating inequality and argues that social change occurs through the collective action of marginalized groups challenging the existing power structures.\( \newcommand\) According to this perspective, society is divided into different social classes, and those in power use their resources to maintain their dominance over others. It emphasizes the existence of social inequality and how it leads to conflict and social change. On the other hand, conflict theory views society as a constant struggle for power and resources between different groups. Structural functionalism focuses on the positive aspects of society and how different parts work together harmoniously. For example, the family provides socialization and reproduction, while education provides knowledge and skills. According to this perspective, each part of society has a specific function that contributes to the overall functioning of the system. It emphasizes the importance of social institutions, such as family, education, and government, in maintaining social cohesion. Structural functionalism views society as a complex system made up of various interconnected parts that work together to maintain social order and stability. It emphasizes the importance of social institutions, such as family, education, and government, in mainta.
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