Rethinking Functionalist Social Theory : Through Examining Giddens' Critique of Functionalism

This paper aims to rethink functionalist social theory through examining Giddens' critique of functionalism. It is necessary for us to develop social theory further by overcoming functionalism, but directions of over-coming has not been showed properly and enoughly. Giddens constructed his social theory, which consists of the structuration theory and the theory of modernity, through discussing social theories of various schools, main one of which is functionalism. Giddens' works show overtly and covertly directions of overcoming functionalism. First, Giddens' discussions of functionalism are searched. He criticized functionalism in terms of centrality of norm and structure, and theory of industrial society in terms of economic determinism which has an affinity with functionalism. Second, short history of critiques of functionalism is summarized. Main four directions of overcoming functionalism are found, and it is showed that they were examined by Giddens. Third, the ways how Giddens overcomed functionalism in the development of the structuration theory and the theory of modern society are elaborated.3KJ00004282748論文Articledepartmental bulletin pape