Functionalism views society as the stability and assimilation of a set of forces functioning within it. Although society is a separate entity with a life of its own, there are individual elements that contribute to that stability. Functionalism as a sociological theory emphasizes assimilation rather than dissociation of society. Therefore society is seen as a whole compromised by parts that mutually confer their identity and function. The part, whether it is education, such as a school, or sport, such as a football team, operates in relation to the other parts and cannot be entirely understood in isolation from the other parts. All the parts are interrelated and when there is a disturbance in any of the parts is when you can see the interdependence. But what is important in this theory is that “there will always be some reorganization and tendency to re-establish equilibrium” (Wallace and Wolf 17). Functionalists do not believe that it is critical that people involved in society are aware of this interconnection any more than the brain and heart consciously realize that they are working together as an organism. In Friday Night Lights we see the theory of functionalism not only in the team, but the city and its dream of solidarity through winning the state championship. In a small town, like Odessa, Texas, high school football helps keep the town together by keeping it alive. On Friday night, when the lights come on inside Permian Stadium, Odessa's strength seems to depend on what happens in that football stadium. Businesses close; families and the community gather within the confines of this stadium to cheer their team to victory. So during football season, a little bit of paper…within the community and learning what is expected of them as they grow. We see it on Friday Night Lights as the team fights against all odds to bring home the state championship. The kids on this team grew up learning the importance of soccer in their community. They were surrounded by symbols, such as the stadium, the matches and the chatter about football. They embraced these values ​​and learned what was expected of them as they grew up and became old enough to play football. From there they learned to condition their bodies and minds to win football games. The levels of the Parsons system show the interdependence of each to work. Systems create balance and functioning and even though the Permian Panthers don't ultimately take home the state championship, they show how the Parsons system theory got them this far.