Institutions are the main structures of our society and the basis of our social interactions. Sociology is the study of social behaviours of humans in a group; a society. Therefore the most important study of sociology is structural functionalism stating that a society is stable when all institutions meet the needs of its citizens.
Structural functionalism places a large emphasis on how these structures are the main importance to social interactions and how they bring happiness to a community, creating a positive function in society.
Think abou the last itme you met someone or just interacted with another human being outside of your home setting, it was most positively in a social institution such as a school, work or possibly a church. Without these structures, interactions with others would be at a minimum, maybe when you would have a brief conversation when passing someoe on the street but it is very rare you would socialize with a stranger unless you are put into a institutional setting.
Emile Durkeim’s theories are what make up the base of structural functionalism. Durkeim created his theories on the belifes that society functions logically, protection the intrest of it’s members as well as looking at the forces that unite individuals in society. Obviously social interactions are extremely important to us because we define ourselves by our social interactions with others at home but more importantly at work, school and worship where you usually share similar views with others.
According to Durkeim our society is also constantly changing becoming more and more diverse which is a positive and necessary thing allowing us to work together more often, more productively and finally more peacefully.
Today Emile Durkeim is known as the “first sociologist” through his work on establishing structural functionalism which looks at the most important part of our