(Anthropology Paper I)

Syllabus Section: 6. Anthropological Theories

Functionalism

• Function is a contribution of partial activity to total activity of which it is a part – “The functional view of culture lays down the principle that in every type of civilization, every custom, material object, idea and belief fulfills some vital function, has some task to accomplish, and represents an indispensible part within a working whole”.
• Functionalism attempts to explain the parts/roles institutions play within the interrelated whole of culture
• According to functionalism, institutions of a culture operate to satisfy the needs of the individuals and that of the society as a whole. Even though different cultural traits and cultural institutions contribute function in different ways, but they are interrelated and interdependent.
• Malinowski cited an example of an engine and said different parts of the engine are interrelated and interdependent. The main function of different parts of an engine is to put it in motion. Even if one part of an engine ceases to function, the entire movement of the engine stops and thus, there is a functional unity among different parts of the engine
• A functional unity among them can be seen in maintaining the existence of human beings on the earth
• Thus, culture fulfills the needs of man through cultural institutions
• Man has different kinds of needs but they are all interrelated to one another, because they are related to men as a whole
• Cultural traits may appear externally as different, but they are integrated and united internally because the basis of their unity is satisfaction of human needs.

Basic Tenets / Premises of functionalism school

• Culture is an integrated totality, within a culture there are numerous traits. Each trait performs a particular function because it has to survive. So long as a cultural trait survives, it performs certain functions (this argument is circular and has been criticized later)
• Within a culture several traits combine in a systematic way and constitute an institution. An institution is relatively a permanent one but traits are temporary. They may disappear or reappear but institutions relatively remain more permanent.
• Every institution performs a function. In addition, one institution, in combination with another institution, performs several functions
• Institutions remain interconnected and integrated because of this functional interdependence. Thus, whole culture remains a functionally integrated reality.
• According to Malinowski, one has to analyze the structure of culture and its constituent parts i.e., the institutions and the needs of the people to be fulfilled in the context of function.

Functionalism of Malinowski

• B K Malinowski says culture is an instrumental apparatus for the satisfaction of human needs. Thus according to functionalism, institutions of a culture operate to satisfy human needs and the needs of a society as a whole.
• Culture is a means to satisfy human needs. Malinowski views that every aspect of a culture has a function. They are all interdependent and inter-related.
• In the same way, cultural traits and cultural institutions contribute differently to total functioning of a culture. Thus, each culture trait or culture institution performs certain functions. These culture traits and cultural institutions are inter-related and inter-dependant in a culture and fulfill the needs of humans. A culture trait, which is functionless, would not survive, and hence there are no cultural survivals.

Malinowski’s Theory of Need

• Culture traits or cultural institutions are the means for the satisfaction of human needs. Malinowski points out that the humans have different needs such as social, economic, religious, biological, physical and mental.
• In order to satisfy these needs, the humans had established the social, religious, economic and political institutions. All these needs are inter-related in one way or another because they are related to the entire humanity as a whole.
• According to functional approach of culture, institutions of culture operate to satisfy the needs of individuals or society as a whole. In his book, Scientific Theory of Culture (1944) which was published posthumously, Malinowski distinguishes three levels of needs of a society.

1. Primary/Basic/Biological needs.
2. Instrumental needs/ Derived needs.
3. Integrative needs.

Under primary needs, he includes sex and feeding. These are satisfied through the cultural institutions like marriage, family and kinship. Instrumental needs include those institutions such as economic, educational, legal and political, which help to achieve primary needs. By integrative needs, he means those that help society to integrate (cohere or unite) and include knowledge, religion, magic, art, morals and values. The theory of need provides a framework for a functional analysis of the relation among biological, psychological and cultural aspects.

Closely related to Malinowski's theory of functionalism is the theory of structural functionalism of Radcliffe Brown. The differed from Malinowski in that the latter conceived society as to fulfil the needs of the individual, while the former conceived society as to maintain its structure.