ANTH 303 Anthropological Theory
Fall 2018
Sept. 26: READ Radcliffe-Brown, A. R (1935) “On the Concept of Function in Social Science.” American Anthropologist,  37(3): 394-402.
The following questions will help guide our discussion as we try to make sense of this, and other, theories. In addition, we will apply the theory to the video shown in the first day of class.

How can this theory be seen as a product of the historical period in which it was created?

What questions does this theory ask?

What information does this theory see as important?

What are other relevant assumptions made by the theory?

How does the theory analyze this information to answer the questions it sees as important?

What are the strengths and weaknesses of this approach?

Key concepts from this reading:
- what is meant by “function”? (as related to “activity”) (contrast to Malinowski’s bio-psychological functionalism)
- what is meant by “structure”? (structured systems of social relations; importance of social roles)
- translation of Durkheim’s notion of anomie into dysnomia, with eunomia as its opposite
- organic analogy
- seeks “scientific laws” – study social morphology, social physiology, development of new forms of social structure;
    - i.e. assumes there are some general laws for all societies (re function) but that particular reasons for a social institution may change over time, or differ from one society to another (this is different from Durkheim)
- comparative
- how does he describe change? To what extent can structural functionalism take account of change?
- note the cultural relativity – explicitly states that one society not superior to another
- note the implication that societies are clearly definable and culturally distinct

How to apply Radcliffe-Brownian structural-functionalism to the video:
    - What social structures are reflected in the video?
    - How can jobs, or job interviews, or video making, or whatever associated with the video be seen as part of society, analogous to how an element of an organism is a part of it?
    - How does some theme related to the video help the society to continue?
    - What social laws might be reflected here?