133 This situation influences the interpretations of the community members in one way or another. In fact, the environment in which the functionalism theory is used as a tool to analyze genocide memorials is a complex situation inside the Rwandan community. Families are still struggling with the genocide‘s consequences. Some survivors are widows or orphans who have suffered many physical and mental handicaps. The relatives of many others are in exile, in prison or doing Common Development Labor [TIG: Travauxd‟InteretGénéral, which means work for the public interest]. Therefore, in this research, the dysfunctional aspects of genocide memorials come from such a complexity (Merton 1996:99). However, although social dysfunctional consequences are defined as lessening expected functions, they create ―strong and insistent pressure for change‖, since they attempt to adjust the consequences (Elster 1990: 132).
4.4.3.6 Non-functional consequences
The non-functional concept does not imply a specific impact, either positive or negative, and it does not engage any functional role. The social structure exists but it does not impact on the community in the way it defines its objective. Normally, the contribution of a social organization has multidimensional consequences in society. The contribution of the social system cannot be coined only within its expected functions, because this discloses a way of welcoming unanticipated functions. The dynamic relations between the organization, the actor and the environment generate non-functional consequences which are simply irrelevant to the system under consideration (Merton 1968: 105). Therefore it seems possible to use it for other purposes due to its complexity.
4.5 Nature of functionalism
134 functional unity inside a society excludes dysfunctional and non-functional consequences that could be observed. The sameness of functional consequences does not accept the variations of functional, dysfunctional and non-functional consequences that are played by a social organization.
In order to achieve this functional unity, functionalists would imagine the uniformity of interest among the community members. The latter have the same expectations and a duplication of individuals seems to be a utopia (Merton 1968:80). Merton (1996: 74) adds that ―one need not go far afield to show that assumption of the complete functional unity of human society is repeatedly contrary to fact. Social usages or sentiments may be functional for some groups and dysfunctional for others in the same society‖. Nevertheless, the uniformity of interests among community members encompasses both conflicts and consensus among them.
a. Conflict
Conflict theory is discussed here as one of the essences of social change. The presence of conflict provides the opportunity to introduce new ideas into a society. In fact, conflicts are adaptive and innovative forces (Giddens 2001: 207). The prominence of functionalist theory does not explicitly and overtly accept the integration of the concept conflict into their discussion.
Unwillingly, Merton (1996: 96-98) considers the presence of conflict as dysfunctional and the unexpected aspect of a social system.
Social organizations bear multifunctional roles, since the functional unity that is negotiated by functionalists is partly applied. The multiplicity of functions in a social organization confronts the situation between those different utilities. This said, some of those roles prove considerable and dominating, while others are dominated. There is a range of varying factors that help to label those categories. People‘s interests and socio-political profits are fundamental in prompting or inducing conflicts and therefore functional unity is in doubt. Moreover, some conflicts which are the consequences of a social system cannot be resolved and regulated. Although there is a degree
135 of common expectation inside a society, functional unity is weakened by the presence of persistent conflict. This forces the social system to integrate and manage these unexpected consequences.
In the case of Rwanda, although there are functional genocide monuments, their existence was brought about by a shameful event. Hence, some people may not be proud of their existence and this generates some conflicts. However, conflicts are not always open confrontations; some may be latent. Hence, the evolution of social institutions engages a perpetual reorientation of their functions. This is due to the reality of the change that updates the functional aspects of a social organization. Furthermore, according to (Durkheim 1937: 90-91), development weakens the dysfunctional and non-functional consequences of a social organization, since it is a factor that is dynamic in time and space
b. Consensus
A social organization that is far from performing an exclusive function plays various roles. As different people are involved in the organization, it becomes a suggestion to assorted users within a range of interests and thus various expectations. The consensus that is privileged by the functionalist theory is challenged by ‗contradictions‘ within the structure. Contradictions can be placed at different levels. Those which are minute disturbances are quickly resolved and cannot be considered as a barrier to ‗consensus‘, which is cherished by functionalists (Haralambos, Holborn and Heald 2004: xiv).
Contradictions become more related to the conceptualization of consensus. If they persist and cannot be resolved, they stress the redefinition of the organization as their consequences dominate. Different interests and understandings are the basis of these ‗disturbing‘ factors of consensus. The appropriateness of a social organization to the need of each group within the society gives birth to the misinterpretation of its functions (Merton 1968:105). The meaning of a social organization develops through its roles. Although it has its predefined goals and expected
136 functions as manifest, it would be entirely defined once the expected and unexpected functions have been analyzed, because they cannot be predicted.
4.5.2 Indispensability of functions
The notion of indispensability means that ―there are certain functions which are indispensable, in the sense that, unless they are performed, the society (or group or individual) will not persist,[…]
they are functional prerequisites or preconditions functionally necessary for a society ‖ (Merton 1996: 78). This perspective is built upon the emphasis of maintaining the society members together as ‗postulate of functional unity‘. For a society to subsist, it is required to develop its functional organizations.
The indispensability of functions relies on the speciality of performing certain functions. The contribution of a given organization has specific roles to play. In case there is an unfilled function, this emptiness would smoothly affect other societal functional entities. In order for the social organization to exist as a way to satisfy societal needs, it is necessary that it claims for its existence. The specificity of each institution underlines the indispensability of its functions that contribute to social cohesion. For instance, every society would have symbols of memories because they have certain functions which contribute to the survival of the society as a whole.
Symbols are necessary for ―memory trace‖ decay, a process whose occurrence or absence is responsible for effects such as memory loss and retention and which is affected by stress or emotion in certain distinctive ways. Signs are necessary because there is no any other social organization that can replace them. The invocation of a memory icon, is an attempt to build up a social organization through the representation of the past (Simon 2005:3-4). A social organization has an indispensable function to perform, which justifies its existence.
137 The dysfunction or non-function consequences that are among its functional roles would not, in any case, attempt to deny the indispensability of its existence. The presence of dysfunctional and non-functional consequences within the social organization is a challenge that also proves the importance of social organization. Functionalists consider different expectations of a social organization; they believe that the confrontations between the expected and unexpected functions are facts. Emphasizing what would be the contribution of a social organization is an ideal expectation that explains the vitality of a social structure (Merton 1996: 87) and this is the key to each society. The necessity of each unity exists in an environment because it must be able to adapt to it. Once more, this creates preconditional consequences of a social organization.
In the process of adaptation, there is a redefinition of the intended functions that there is a window of re-orienting the social organization based on the situation. The cruciality of social organization among units or groups must be regulated. Congruent with Parsons (1951: 132-4), the concept integration is the need to co-ordinate, adjust and regulate relationships among various actors or units within the system in order to keep unity alive. This regulation integrates changes that do not disorganize the entity.