Sharon P. answered • 10/08/21
PhD. in Anthropology, 18 years’ experience Educator, Patient
Durkheim’s theory (1892) of functionalism states that society is held together by consensus regarding interconnective issues such as rules/norms. Whether or not it was positive or negative, such as when Durkheim wrote his theory, France was in a revolution.
Second, Functionalists believe that the rules/ norms of a society are an essential part of that society’s continuance. For example, according to Durkheim, religion contributed to the solidarity of a given society (1912).
The latent function of a health care system would then be (1) to provide a standard of care for that society, and (2) it is an integral part of capitalist society as (Parson 1951). And (3) Merton’s see that the latent function of health care would be the general socialization of society to capitalism (1968). Therefore, the pandemic provides a platform for consensus-building in any society regarding the basic norms of health care, pharmaceutical companies' behavior/actions, and government policies.
