FUNCTIONALISM AND ITS CRITICS - Intercollegiate Studies Institute

FUNCTIONALISM AND ITS CRITICS
framework which lacks precision but which seems to open possibilities
for fruitful work is much preferred to one which is quite rigorous
but whose focus is so narrow that it can only deal with relatively unimportant
matters.
I shall reserve an overall evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses
of Almond ' s approach for the concluding section of the essay.
At that time I will consider some of the major criticisms which have
been directed against it and against functionalism in general.
I. SYSTEM, STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION
Almond ' s first major attempt to develop a functional framework
for the study of politics is to be found in his introduction to The
Politics of the Developing Areas, although some of his ideas had
already appeared in article form. Pointing out that such traditional
concepts as the " state " were of little utility in comparing the politics
of western and non-western societies, he suggested substituting such
concepts as the " political system, " which he defined as :
that system of interactions to be found in all independent societies
which performs the functions of integration and adaptation (both
internally and viz-a-viz other societies) by means of the employment
or threat of employment, of more or less legitimate force s
The " political system " is essentially an analytic system and is
not to be identified with any empirical "structure " or " structures, "
although Almond is not entirely clear on this. He does not, at this
point, define what he means by a " structure, " nor does he define a
system. However, he does list those features which characterize a
political system. There are : (I) comprehensiveness, (2) interdependence,
and (3) the existence of boundaries.'
By comprehensiveness, Almond means that the political system
includes all those inputs and outputs which affect in some way the
use or threat of use of legitimate coercion, whether these derive
'Developing Areas, p. 7.
e lbid., pp. 7-9. In Comparative Politics, Almond defines a structure as:
" particular sets of roles which are related to each other." He prefers it to the
term institution, with which he regards it as practically synonomous, because
he wishes to emphasize " the actual behavior of individuals. " Comparative
Politics, p. 21.
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