Final answer:
Society stays together from a Structural Functionalist perspective because it is structured like a human body, with interconnected institutions that fulfill social and biological needs. Shared values and norms contribute to social stability, with family playing a significant role in maintaining order.
Step-by-step explanation:
From the Structural Functionalist point of view, society stays together by maintaining social order, wherein all parts of society work together harmoniously to create a stable social system. As noted by Herbert Spencer, just as organs in the human body work in unison to maintain the well-being of the body, social institutions such as government, education, family, and religion work together to meet social and biological needs, thus keeping society functional. Influential sociologists like Émile Durkheim and Alfred Radcliff-Brown emphasized that shared values, languages, and symbols are central in holding society together by contributing to social stability and continuity.
Functionalists perceive that social institutions like the family play a critical role in stabilizing society. The functions performed by family members go beyond the personal, contributing to the overall prosperity and development of society. Moreover, during social disturbances, as exemplified by the protests following the death of George Floyd, society seeks to restore balance or find new equilibrium through changes and adjustments within its various systems.