functional analysis

is a form of analysis that is complementarily to historical explanation. The latter explains how, say, a horse came to be just what it is and where it is, functional analysis explains how its physiological structures 'special exemplifications of laws of social physiology or social functioning.

There is not, and cannot be, any conflict between the functional hypothesis and the view that any culture, any social system, is the end-result of a unique series of historical accidents. The process of development of the (400) race-horse from its five-toed ancestor was a unique series of historical accidents. This does not conflict with the view of the physiologist that the horse of today and all the antecedent forms conform or conformed to physiological laws, i.e., to the necessary conditions.of organic existence. Palaeontology and physiology are not in conflict. One 'explanation' of the race-horse is to be found in its history-how it came to be just what it is and where it is. Another and entirely independent 'explanation' is to show how the horse is a special exemplification of physiological laws. Similarly one 'explanation' of a social system will be its history, where we know it-the detailed account of how it came to be what it is and where it is. Another 'explanation' of the same system is obtained by showing (as the functionalist attempts to do) that it is a special exemplification laws of social physiology or social functioning. The two kinds of explanation do not conflict, but supplement one another. (R-Brown 1935 : 401)

is not grounded in the dogmatic assertion that everything in the life of every community has a function. It only requires the assumption that it may have one, and that we are justified in seeking to discover it.

The concept of function as defined above constitutes a 'working hypothesis' by which a number of problems are formulated for investigation. No scientific enquiry is possible without some such formulation of working hypotheses. Two remarks are necessary here. One is that the hypothesis does not require the dogmatic assertion that everything in the life of every community has a function. It only requires the assumption that it may have one, and that we are justified in seeking to discover it. (R-Brown 1935 : 399)

functional analysis, n.All

functional analysis