Structuralism vs. Functionalism
Structuralismnoun
A theory of sociology that views elements of society as part of a cohesive, self-supporting structure.
Structuralismnoun
(biology) A school of biological thought that deals with the law-like behaviour of the structure of organisms and how it can change, emphasising that organisms are wholes, and therefore that change in one part must necessarily take into account the inter-connected nature of the entire organism.
Structuralismnoun
(linguistics) The theory that a human language is a self-contained structure related to other elements which make up its existence.
Structuralismnoun
(psychology) A school of thought that focuses on exploring the individual elements of consciousness, how they are organized into more complex experiences, and how these mental phenomena correlate with physical events.
Structuralismnoun
(mathematics) In the philosophy of mathematics, a theory that holds that mathematical theories describe structures, and that mathematical objects are exhaustively defined by their place in such structures.
Structuralismnoun
linguistics defined as the analysis of formal structures in a text or discourse
Structuralismnoun
an anthropological theory that there are unobservable social structures that generate observable social phenomena
Structuralismnoun
a sociological theory based on the premise that society comes before individuals
Structuralism
In sociology, anthropology, archaeology, history, philosophy and linguistics, structuralism is a general theory of culture and methodology that implies that elements of human culture must be understood by way of their relationship to a broader system. It works to uncover the structures that underlie all the things that humans do, think, perceive, and feel.
Functionalismnoun
(architecture) A doctrine, in several fields, that the function of something should be reflected in its design and the materials used in its construction
Functionalismnoun
(philosophy) The definition of mental states in terms of their causes and effects
Functionalismnoun
(social science) The idea that social and cultural cohesion are a function of the interdependence and interactions of the institutions of a society
Functionalismnoun
(psychology) A general school of thought that considers psychological phenomena in terms of their role in adaptation to the person's environment
Functionalismnoun
a psychology based on the assumption that all mental process are useful to an organism in adapting to the environment.
Functionalismnoun
any doctrine that stresses utility or purpose.
Functionalismnoun
a psychology based on the assumption that all mental process are useful to an organism in adapting to the environment
Functionalismnoun
any doctrine that stresses utility or purpose
