Definitions for "functionalism"
a psychology based on the assumption that all mental process are useful to an organism in adapting to the environment.
the early school of psychology that studied how the conscious mind helps the individual adapt to the environment. (10)
a philosophy that claims that the mind is characterized by particular patterns of input-processing-output
An analytical perspective in which the world is viewed as a set of interdependent systems. Their collective actions and relations reflect repeatable and predictable regularities in which form and function can be assumed to be related. It has influenced heavily theorizing and modeling in geography and planning. Systems analysis has offered tools for a functionalist analysis of spatial and social phenomena. Functionalism has been heavily criticized on both logical and substantive grounds. In the former instance, the unintended or unanticipated consequences of a form of social conduct cannot be used to explain its existence in the first instance; in the latter, functionalism assumes a purpose ("needs" or "goals") without a purposive agent.
the theory that all elements of a culture are functional in that they serve to satisfy culturally defined needs of the people in that society or requirements of the society as a whole.
Stresses that human behaviour is governed by relatively stable social structures. It underlines how social structures maintain or undermine social stability. It emphasizes that social structures are based mainly on shared values or preferences. And it suggests that re-establishing equilibrium can best solve most social problems.
Keywords:  bauhaus, adolf, architect, loos, thc
the principle that buildings, like industrial products, should serve as well as possible the purpose for which they were made. (p. 930)
Austere, early 20thC design movement based on the premise that 'form follows function'. The movement's ideas were best expressed in the book Ornament and Crime (1908), by architect Adolf Loos (1870-1933). Functionalism's impact on industrial design was particularly effected through the bauhaus school.
Functionalism, in architecture, is the principle that architects should design a building based on the purpose of that building. This statement is less self-evident than it first appears, and is a matter of confusion and controversy within the profession, particularly in regard to modern architecture.
A metaphysical or epistemological position (depending on how one understands scientific explanations) that an object can be defined in terms of its role in a system, instead of, say, the stuff of which it is made. A mousetrap is defined functionally because we understand it in terms of what it does (namely, cpature mice). A mousetrap could be made out of just about anything -- wood, wire, plastic, poison, etc. -- but as long as it returns a captured mouse for a free one, then it is a mousetrap.
Version of materialism according to which mental states are defined by their functional relations, not by any particular kind of physical realization.
The view that structural properties, and not the physical nature of something, is its defining characteristic. Two physically different systems can have the same kinds of experiences.
any doctrine that stresses utility or purpose.
belief in or stress on the practical application of a thing.
doctrine holding that form and constitution are determined primarily by functional considerations.
Concept in international politics that asserts that the barriers to cooperation and peaceful conflict resolution can best be overcome when peoples and nations work together to meet common needs and advance mutual interests. Emphasis is on such functional areas as trade, health, agriculture, transportation, and environment.
Keywords:  sociology, article, see, uses
The article is about functionalism in sociology; for other uses, see functionalism.
Culture is a living organism grouped and organized into a system, where the function of the various parts is to keep the essential processes going and enable the system to reproduce.
Growth of specialized technical organizations that cross national borders.