1. The terms ‘functional analysis’ and ‘functionalism’ are generally equated. Therefore, were should like first to understand the meaning of these terms before we discuss functional method.
2. Research in functional analysis requrires from the researcher that he/she explains or analysis his/her observations of recurring phenomena in terms of their results for the wider social system, within which, they exist.
Example : For instance, the national anthem played on certain occasions such as the celebration of the Independence Day in India has a function of enthusing a sense of mutual solidarity among the citizens from different communities in the country.
3. In this context, functional analysis is a method of sociological and anthropological enquiry, which consists in examining social and cultural items by locating them in a wider context. This generally means showing how these items these items affect and are affected by others with which they coexist, over time, within the same social system.’
4. In other words, functional method refers to the functional analysis, which is also known as functionalism and ‘structural functionalism’.
5. ‘Functionalism’ is a doctrine, which asserts that the principle task of sociology and social anthroplogy is to examine the contribution, which social items make to the social and cultural life of human collectivities. It may additionally assert that to examine social phenomena in this way is to explain why these item occur at all, and / or why they have persisted.
6. Functionalism provides a perspective from which to attempt an analysis of a society. The central concern is with the source of order and stability in society.
7. From the perspective functional analysis, the group is a functioning whole, with each part contributing to the welfare of the whole. Whenever, we examine a smaller part we need to look for its functions to see how it is related to the larger unit. This basic approach can be applied to any social group, whether an entire society, or a college, or even a group as small as the family.
8. What has been called functional analysis, in reality be seen as a particular form of the system approach in the social sciences. To enquire as to why particular features of this system persist is to locate similar features in the wider system and to identify their relevance in the overall system. This has also resulted in two major critiques of the functionalist method, one that a sociocultural item may be functional for a group in society but dysfunctional for another, and second that to look for the function of each and every sociocultural item has also produces a status quoist outlook generating resistance against change, which may in fact be required in a society at a particular point of time.
9. Finally, we can say that functional analysis is a method, which refers to factors and forces of integration, equilibrium and also disequilibrium. At a given point of time, inter-relation between different components of society can be studied from the functional point of view.
