Do Americans Still Believe in Functionalism?

A question from an ignorant foreigner: people in the US still believe in functionalism?? I studied that in social science as a *historical* movement that was left behind decades ago. I knew the US had a fondness for it greater than Europe or Britain, but surely it can't still be influencing education so long after its problems became obvious? Even in the early '80s in education classes at Avondale we studied Skinner and behaviouralism as a matter of historical interest rather than as a workable theory.

Answer:

Your question stimulated me to go back and think about some things from many years ago. About half way through my senior year in college (1957-58) I went down to the library and started reading in the academic journals what was going on in my major field--sociology--what I would be doing the rest of my life. It took me not very many hours to decide I really didn't want to do that, and I turned my academic attention to languages instead, took my first job after college teaching English and Spanish (with one class in social studies as a concession to my major). It took some scrambling to make the switch, but looking back, I'm not sorry I made that choice. Once in awhile I poke at the literature of the field to remind myself how glad I am I didn't stay in it.

I think the main thrust of hard core functionalism has been generally abandoned, but a softer, more diffuse variety I think still motivates much sociology, psychology and educational theory over here. I remember in the mid-sixties at the University of California people were apologizing for quoting Skinner, but still quoting him.

• Failure of Outcome Based Education In The United States