Functionalism or the functionalist viewpoint argues that parts of a society work
together to maintain the cohesion of the system. This cohesion is the result of
consensus and common values shared by members of the society. The theory
assumes that a failure in one aspect of the system will negatively affect the others.
Functionalist theory assumes that components of society work to maintain
equilibrium, or balance, which permits the whole society to operate smoothly.
However, events such as war can upset the equilibrium.