Functionalism Functionalist approaches understand society and culture to be like living organisms. Parts of a culture can only be studied adequately as they function within the whole. At the same time, elements of culture are assumed to be part of deeper processes and systems that need to be uncovered if the individual elements themselves are to be properly understood.It is also understood, through this approach, that the functions of cultural practices are not always obvious to casual observation (nor to those directly involved in a culture on a day to day basis).