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Durkheim and Structural Functionalism

The fundamental theoretical premises of British social anthropology and structural -functionalism are based upon Emile Durkheim's apothesis of social solidarity.

The theories of structural-functionalism have everything in common with Durkheim's approach to socio-cultural phenomena via the conditions of social cohesiveness or social solidarity.

The structural -functionalists basic assumption is that social system maintain themselves for significant intervals of time in a steady stat during which a high degree of cohesion and solidarity characteristics the relationship among its members. The only difference between Radcliffe Brown and Durkheim in this regard is that Radcliffe- Brown substituted the terms unit, harmony and consistency for Durkheim's solidarity.

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