Who is regarded as the founder of functionalism?

The founder of functionalism is typically recognized as Emile Durkheim. Functionalism is a sociological perspective that emphasizes the role of social structures in maintaining stability and order within a society. Durkheim's work focused on how various elements of society contribute to the overall functioning of the social system, particularly in terms of social cohesion and collective consciousness.

His analysis of social phenomena—such as norms, values, and institutions—highlighted how these components interact to support social stability. Durkheim's studies on topics like suicide and the division of labor illustrated the importance of social integration and regulation, key principles in functionalist thought. Therefore, he is credited with laying the foundational framework for understanding how society functions as a cohesive whole, distinguishing his contributions from those of other thinkers such as Carl Jung, Max Weber, and Karl Marx, who focused on different aspects of human behavior and social dynamics.