Background:

The notion that artistic artifacts are created to serve particular functions, and that the structure of artifacts reflects the function they serve. Form follows function.

Analytic Approach:

A functionalist might approach the analysis of a work of art as follows:

1. Identify the implied or explicit goal(s) or function(s) of the work. (FUNCTIONAL GENRE)
   
   
2. Identify the ideal criteria that would allow a work to fulfill the intended goal or function. (FUNCTIONAL CRITERIA)
   
   
3. Identify the ideal mechanisms or devices that would allow a work to achieve the function criteria. (FUNCTIONAL DEVICES)
   
   
4. Identify the specific features of the work in question that facilitate or are consistent with the functional criteria. (FUNCTIONAL ADEQUACY)

An optional evaluative component to analysis would be to

5. Identify ways in which the work's organization fails to serve the function. (FUNCTIONAL ASSESSMENT)

Further Considerations:

A functionalist acknowledges that:

1. The function of a work may be difficult to infer.
   
   
2. Novel functional genres may arise.
   
   
3. A work might serve many functions concurrently.
   
   
4. Our existing knowledge about the world (including human culture and psychology) may make it difficult to recognize good functional criteria related to some goal. For example, our limited understanding of humor may make it difficult to recognize good elements for evoking humor.
   
   
5. Our existing knowledge about a particular domain of art (such as music) may make it difficult to recognize good functional devices.

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