Talcott Parsons
A leading proponent of structural functionalism, developing grand theories of social systems and action.
Quotes by Talcott Parsons
Social change is a process of differentiation and integration.
Evolutionary universals are structural features that have emerged independently in different societies and have enhanced their adaptive capacity.
The market is a mechanism for the allocation of resources and the coordination of economic activity.
Power is the generalized capacity to secure the performance of obligations by units in a system of collective organization when these obligations are legitimized with reference to their bearing on collective goals.
Money is a generalized symbolic medium of exchange.
The concept of 'value' refers to the shared conceptions of the desirable that guide social action.
The 'pattern maintenance' function refers to the need to maintain the motivational commitments of actors to the cultural patterns of the system.
The 'integrative' function refers to the need to coordinate the activities of different units within the social system.
The 'goal attainment' function refers to the need to define and pursue collective goals.
The 'adaptive' function refers to the need to acquire and mobilize resources from the environment.
The concept of 'differentiation' refers to the process by which social roles and institutions become more specialized.
The concept of 'integration' refers to the process by which differentiated units are brought together into a coherent whole.
The 'generalized symbolic media of exchange' are mechanisms that facilitate interaction and coordination in complex social systems.
The 'fiduciary system' is responsible for the maintenance of cultural patterns and values.
The 'political system' is responsible for goal attainment and the exercise of power.
The 'economic system' is responsible for adaptation and the production of goods and services.
The 'societal community' is responsible for integration and the maintenance of solidarity.
The 'cybernetic hierarchy of control' describes the relationship between the four subsystems of action.
Values control norms, norms control collectivities, and collectivities control roles.
The 'pattern variables' are not just descriptive categories, but also analytical tools for understanding social action.