Table of Contents
Definition of Dysfunction
(noun) Any action or behavior that has negative consequences for a group or society; an effect of structures that fosters social instability
Dysfunction Pronunciation
Syllabification: dys·func·tion
Audio Pronunciation
Phonetic Spelling
- American English – /dis-fUHngkshUHn/
- British English – /dis-fUHngkshUHn/
International Phonetic Alphabet
- American English – /dɪsˈfʌŋkʃən/
- British English – /dɪsˈfʌŋkʃən/
Usage Notes
- Plural: dysfunctions
- Variant spelling: disfunction
- Dysfunctions are a key aspect of functional analysis.
- Social structures have different consequences depending on what group is affected. A dysfunction for some people, is quite beneficial to others.
- Dysfunctions and functions along with latent functions and manifest functions were theorized by Robert Merton (1910–2003) in Social Theory and Social Structure (1949, revised in 1957 and 1968).
Related Video
Additional Information
Related Terms
- function
- functionalism
- institution
- latent function
- law
- manifest function
- norm
- religion
- society
- structure
Works Consulted
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Wikipedia contributors. (N.d.) Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. (https://en.wikipedia.org/).
Cite the Definition of Dysfunction
ASA – American Sociological Association (5th edition)
Bell, Kenton, ed. 2015. “dysfunction.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved April 24, 2024 (https://sociologydictionary.org/dysfunction/).
APA – American Psychological Association (6th edition)
dysfunction. (2015). In K. Bell (Ed.), Open education sociology dictionary. Retrieved from https://sociologydictionary.org/dysfunction/
Chicago/Turabian: Author-Date – Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition)
Bell, Kenton, ed. 2015. “dysfunction.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Accessed April 24, 2024. https://sociologydictionary.org/dysfunction/.
MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition)
“dysfunction.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2015. Web. 24 Apr. 2024. <https://sociologydictionary.org/dysfunction/>.