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Functionalism versus the structuralist tradition.

Giulio Ongaro1,2

  • 1Division of Humanities, School of Humanities and Social Science, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong SAR giulio.ongaro@ust.hk.

The Behavioral and Brain Sciences
|July 13, 2026
PubMed
Summary

Singh's subjective functionalism is contrasted with structuralist anthropology, highlighting that cultural systems are robust relationships, not isolated beliefs. This approach better explains the holistic nature of human culture, using shamanism as an example.

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Area of Science:

  • Anthropology
  • Cultural Systems Theory
  • Philosophy of Social Science

Background:

  • Singh's subjective functionalism offers a framework for understanding cultural elements.
  • Structuralist approaches emphasize relationships within cultural systems.
  • A key challenge in cultural anthropology is explaining the holistic nature of human culture.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To contrast Singh's subjective functionalism with structuralist-related anthropological approaches.
  • To evaluate Singh's account's ability to explain the holistic nature of human culture.
  • To use shamanism as an illustrative case study.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of theoretical frameworks in anthropology.
  • Conceptual critique of subjective functionalism.
  • Case study application using shamanism.

Main Results:

  • Structuralist-related approaches conceptualize 'attractors' as robust relationships within cultural systems, not isolated beliefs or practices.
  • Singh's subjective functionalism, while comprehensive, does not adequately account for the holistic nature of culture.
  • Shamanism serves as an effective example to illustrate the limitations of Singh's model in explaining cultural holism.

Conclusions:

  • Robust relationships between cultural elements are crucial for understanding cultural systems.
  • Explaining the holistic nature of human culture requires theoretical frameworks that emphasize interconnectedness.
  • Further development of cultural theory is needed to fully capture the complexity of cultural holism.