The following post forms part of an introductory theory unit for Sociology.

In many ways, functionalism can be seen as one of the first sociological perspectives, being traced back to a Frenchman by the name of Emile Durkheim (1858-1917). Durkheim was particularly interested in how social change occurred and, particularly the move from a pre-industrial society to a modern industrial one. He believed that any significant changes in society could make society unstable. In a pre-industrial society, where the division of labour was fairly similar amongst people there was a strong sense of collective conscious, which are the moral values that help bind people to society itself.

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