functionalism

English - Turkish

Definition of functionalism in English Turkish dictionary

işlevselcilik

görevselcilik

fonksiyonalizm

işlevcilik

Related Terms

functionalist

görevselci

functionalist

görevselci, islevselci, fonksiyonalist

functionalist

işlevselci

functionalist

işlevci

English - English

Definition of functionalism in English English dictionary

The idea that social and cultural cohesion are a function of the interdependence and interactions of the institutions of a society

The definition of mental states in terms of their causes and effects

A general school of thought that considers psychological phenomena in terms of their role in adaptation to the person's environment

A doctrine, in several fields, that the function of something should be reflected in its design and the materials used in its construction

An approach to psychology that is primarily concerned with the "function" or purpose of behavior It is closely related to evolutionary approaches to psychology, and to adapationist explanations of behavior

Functionalism is the idea that the most important aspect of something, especially the design of a building or piece of furniture, is how it is going to be used or its usefulness. the idea that the most important thing about a building, piece of furniture etc is that it is useful. In architecture, the doctrine that a building's form should be determined by practical considerations of use, material, and structure and not by a preconceived picture in the designer's mind. Though not an exclusively modern conception, it is closely associated with the Modernist architecture of the second quarter of the 20th century. The fight for an "honest" form of expression by architects such as Louis Sullivan and Le Corbusier came about as a result of changes in building techniques, needs for new types of buildings, and discontent with historical revivalism, which had been paramount in the 19th and early 20th centuries. In the social sciences, a theory that stresses the interdependence of the patterns and institutions of a society and their interaction in maintaining cultural and social unity. In sociology, functionalism emerged from the work of Émile Durkheim, who viewed society as a kind of "organism" that carried with it certain "needs" that must be fulfilled. Similar views were adopted in anthropology by A.R. Radcliffe-Brown, who attempted to explain social structures as enduring systems of adaptation, fusion, and integration; and by Bronisaw Malinowski, who viewed culture as the expression of the totality of individual and collective achievement, where "every custom, material object, idea, and belief fulfills some vital function." The U.S. sociologist Talcott Parsons analyzed large-scale societies in terms of their social, psychological, and cultural components and focused on problems of social order, integration, and equilibrium. Later writers argued that functionalism was too rigid to account for the breadth, depth, and contingencies of human social life and that it ignored the role of history in shaping society. In psychology, a broad school of thought that originated in the U.S. in the late 19th century and emphasized the total organism in its endeavours to adjust to the environment. Reacting against the school of structuralism led by Edward Bradford Titchener, functionalists such as William James, George Herbert Mead, and John Dewey stressed the importance of empirical, rational thought over an experimental trial-and-error philosophy. The movement concerned itself primarily with the practical applications of research (see applied psychology) and was critical of early forms of behaviourism

Functionalists understand mental states not so much in terms of what they consist of, ontologically, but rather what they do - i e , how they function with respect to other inputs and outputs These other inputs and outputs may include other thoughts, environmental stimuli, behaviors, etc For a functionalist, for example, pain is to be understood as the functional intermediary between such inputs as hitting one's thumb with a hammer, and such outputs as screaming "ouch!"

Principle of the Modern Movement in architecture that everything seen and used in building should have a function, no decoration for its own sake

any doctrine that stresses utility or purpose

a psychology based on the assumption that all mental process are useful to an organism in adapting to the environment

An approach to political science that sees society as a balanced system in which roles, norms, and individual psychology function to create social and political order

any doctrine that stresses utility or purpose a psychology based on the assumption that all mental process are useful to an organism in adapting to the environment

The sociological perspective concerned with how various parts of a society or social system affect other parts within that system, and how they function in the overall continuity of that system

a philosophy that claims that the mind is characterized by particular patterns of input-processing-output

a school of psychology that focuses on active psychological processes, rather than on passive psychological structures or elements

{i} belief that objects should be built to suit their purpose without decoration or unnecessary detail

an approach to religious studies in which one examines and analyzes the manner(s) in which religion is utilized within a social system or group; i e , what does religion "do" for people in everyday life? In times of crisis? As ritual enactment? As "magic?"

A general school of thought that considers psychological phenomena in terms of their role in adaptation to the persons environment

Related Terms

functionalist

{i} supporter of functionalism, one who believes that an object's function should affect its design

functionalist

an adherent of functionalism

Hyphenation

func·tion·al·i·sm