The manifest and latent functions hypotheses, devised by Merton, were introduced to distinguish between individuals’ conscious desires and their objective results. By his definition, manifest functions are the outcomes that individuals observe and expect (Rinzivillo, 2021). For example, Merton used the Hopi rain dance – a Native American tradition (Longhofer & Winchester, 2016). The manifest function of the dance is to cause rain which is a direct result of everyone engaging in the dance. The unintended consequence of the dance is what people do not expect; in this case, Merton presents increasing group identity as a latent function (Merton, 1968). Considering wider social groups, another example can be pursuing education (Rinzivillo, 2021 The manifest function of education is to get basic knowledge of sciences and math, while the latent function is to reinforce the social norms within smaller social institutions in society (Rinzivillo, 2021). This means that Merton’s theory may be applied in a much broader sense, indicating that the decisions and choices are not entirely reliant on the individual but rather reflect the larger institutions and society.
The terms “manifest” and “latent” were retained by Freud, but the researcher used them in a slightly different specialty. Merton wrote in this report that the distinction between explicit and latent functions has several aspects. Explicit functions refer to social actions’ intended and objective consequences (Merton, 1968). These features allow you to maintain a free social environment. The multiplicity of measurement depends on individuals, subgroups or extensive mass assessments, and cultural systems. Moreover, these functions can be fixed directly in the design of roles and statuses of individuals. For example, they involve adopting laws on science and education, regulations and codes of practice in health and medicine, and even social security. Therefore, the explicit functions of social institutions are more controlled by society since they are specific, clearly marked, and not hidden, but, on the contrary, are open to the fact that a person implements them and gets acquainted with them. As for latent functions, unlike explicit ones, they cannot be planned by a person or a social group in advance.
References
Longhofer, W., & Winchester, D. (2016). Social Theory Re-Wired: New Connections to Classical and Contemporary Perspectives. Routledge.
Merton, R. (1968). Social Theory and Social Structure. The Free Press.
Rinzivillo, G. (2021). Some turning points in the early sociology of Robert King Merton. International Review of Sociology, 31(3), 577-593. Web.