Describe the importance of functional method in research projects.
The method is also called functional analysis. It requires from the researcher, an observation in-depth of recurring social phenomena with an analysis of their results. In brief, it is a laboratory method that picks up data of one or other phenomenon taking -place in broader social system, conducts experiments with the same in different circumstances, time and conditions and records results or consequences each time. A generalisation is then drawn and an exact and accurate conclusion is arrived at. It is true that there is no physical laboratory so far made nor it can be made for research in sociological perspectives, the sources like books, newspapers, magazines, government records, demographic data, reports and manuals brought out time to time by NGO's, Association of People, religious groups etc. one side and an apt data collection, self-analysis, survey, interview and observation etc. fulfil on the other side, this purpose in the field of sociology.
Functional method of research refers to functionalism, a doctrine that asserts examination of contribution of social items that make social and cultural life of human collectivities. It may also assert that such examination of social phenomena is done to explain significance of social collectivities in the eve of national festivals like Independence Day, Republic Day, Gandhi Jayanti etc. Such research interprets degree of allegiance of the selected communities, group of people i.e. religious group, cultural group, political parties, bureaucracy etc. From the manner of celebration in past five years and activities of those selected groups for research in view of maintaining law and order situation better/dull, harmony/disharmony, peaceful co-existence/riot, processions, demonstrations etc. A keen observation and analysis under this method will disclose verbal and practical attitude of that selected segments of society towards nation.
Thus, functional method provides a perspective from which an attempt to carry on analysis of society is made. The central concern of such research is with the source of order and stability in society. 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 family.
It is a system approach in social sciences. It examines the importance of a fraction in the whole and identifies all fractions' relevance for good or bad in the overall system.
