Structural-functionalism takes the view that society consists of parts (e.g. police, hospitals, schools, and farms), each of which has its own function. Structural-functionalism was the dominant perspective of rural sociologists, although its dominance is waning.
Famous functionalists include:
- Bronislaw Malinowski
- Alfred Reginald Radcliffe-Brown
- Emile Durkheim
- Talcott Parsons
- Nicklas Luhmann
- George Murdoch
In philosophy of mind, functionalism is the idea that, although the mind has internal mental states, these can be accounted for without taking into account the underlying physical substrate, i.e. the neurons. Instead, one can speak of higher-level representations of functions such as beliefs, desires, and emotions. This position is rather popular today. Proponents of this position include Jerry Fodor.
