Priyamvada Ashok MhaddalkarAIR 13 · CSE 2021 · 155 wordsTheir whole copy
Opening
Talcott Parsons was a structural functionalist who advocated the study of society through his social systems approach.
Body · points and prose
Parsons explained that society can be compared to system that consists of many subsystems like political, economic, cultural, etc.
Society should be understood through the interplay of the different subsystems.
He emphasized that for a system to be functional there are 4 pre-requisites :- Adaptation, Goal Attainment, Integration and Latency.
A | G
L | I
Parson's System view
Adaptation refers to the interface of system with external environment. The economic system performs this function.
Goal Attainment: setting goals and planning to achieve → Political system
Integration: how each subsystem interfaces with others → regulation: Legal
Latency: refers to the pattern maintenance → cultural system.
Close · a summary
There is flow of energy and information between these systems. But Parson's system view does not explain how social change occurs.
Hence, criticized to be status quoish.