THE NEXT QUESTION TO BE ANSWERED IS, HOW ARE
THESE UNIT ACTS CONNECTED?
PARSONS THEORY OF SOCIETY
CAUSAL RELATIONSHIPS ARE MUCH MORE COMPLEX THAN
MOST RESEARCHERS MAKE OUT; THE CLASSIC THEORISTS
WERE LOOKING FOR ONE GREAT CAUSE; BUT THINGS ARE
EXTREMELY INTERRELATED
THE CAUSE OF SOCIAL STRUCTURE MUST BE FOUND IN
THEIR RELATIONS TO OTHER STRUCTURES, NOT SMALLER
UNIT ACTS (NOT INDUCTIVE) (THINK OF DURKHEIM'S
NOTION OF SOCIAL FACTS)
HIS MAJOR CONCERN IS WITH INTEGRATION; HIS VIEW OF
SOCIETY IS ONE OF EQUILIBRIUM
GIVEN THIS VIEW, WHAT HOLDS SOCIETY TOGETHER? WHAT
BRINGS IT BACK TOGETHER AFTER DISASTER? HE CALLS
THIS "THE HOBBESIAN PROBLEM OF ORDER."
THE SOLUTION RESTS IN DURKHEIM'S COLLECTIVE
CONSCIENCE, THAT FEELING OF SOLIDARITY, PARSONS
CALLS THIS THE VALUE SYSTEM
HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THE COERCIVE POWER OF THE VALUE
SYSTEM? (AGAIN THINK OF DURKHEIM'S CONCERN) HE
FINDS THE ANSWER NOT IN DURKHEIM BUT IN FREUD; THE
COLLECTIVE CONSCIENCE IS FOUND IN INDIVIDUAL
CONSCIENCE (SUPER EGO) THROUGH SOCIALIZATION OF
PARENTS COMMANDS AND PUNISHMENTS WE LEARN THE
AUTHORITY OF THE VALUE SYSTEM
HERE PARSONS CONNECTS PSYCHOLOGY THROUGH THE
PERSONALITY SYSTEM TO THE SOCIAL SYSTEM
SO, HOW IS SOCIAL ORDER POSSIBLE?
HERE THE INFLUENCE OF A BIOLOGIST AT HARVARD (AND
THE WRITINGS OF COMTE) BROUGHT THE ORGANIC ANALOGY
TO PARSONS: A WHOLE MADE UP OF PARTS, SYSTEMS MADE
UP OF SYSTEMS
- CULTURAL SYSTEM; COGNITIVE, VALUATIVE,
SYMBOLIC ASPECTS OF ACTION (NORMS AND VALUES)
- SOCIAL SYSTEM; PATTERNS AND UNITS OF
INTERACTION (STATUS - ROLE COMPLEX)
- PERSONALITY SYSTEM; CHARACTERISTICS OF AN
INDIVIDUAL THAT AFFECTS FUNCTIONING IN THE
SOCIAL WORLD (NEED - DISPOSITION; DRIVES THAT
ARE SOCIALLY CREATED)
- BEHAVIORAL SYSTEM; BIOLOGICAL NEEDS
(CONDITIONED BY LEARNING)
SOCIAL ORDER IS POSSIBLE BECAUSE PEOPLE WILL
COMPLY WITH EXPECTATIONS WITHOUT EXPERIENCING
CONFLICT.
SOCIAL RULES "POSSESS THEIR HARMONIOUS CHARACTER
BY VIRTUE OF THEIR DERIVATION...FROM COMMON VALUE
ORIENTATIONS WHICH ARE THE SAME FOR ALL."
INTEGRATION BETWEEN NEEDS & CULTURALLY DERIVED
RULES OF SYSTEM
INTERNALIZED VALUES PROVIDE A PERSONAL MOTIVATION
FOR COMPLYING WITH LEGITIMATE ROLE EXPECTATIONS.
PARSONS IDENTIFIED PROBLEMS THAT ALL
ORGANIZATIONS OR SOCIAL SYSTEMS MUST SOLVE FOR
SURVIVAL PURPOSES
- PROBLEMS OF COMMITMENT TO VALUES
- SYSTEM INTEGRATION
- GOAL ACHIEVEMENT
- ADAPTATION TO ENVIRONMENT
AGIL FUNCTIONAL IMPERATIVES
FUNCTION IS DEFINED AS "A COMPLEX OF ACTIVITIES
DIRECTED TOWARDS MEETING A NEED OR NEEDS OF THE
SYSTEM."
A SYSTEM MUST PERFORM THESE FOUR FUNCTIONS TO
SURVIVE (SMALL OR LARGE SYSTEM) THIS MAKES THEM
IMPERITIVE
I. ADAPTATION
MUST CONTEND WITH EXTERNAL SITUATIONS, MUST ADAPT
TO ENVIRONMENT AND ADAPT ENVIRONMENT TO ITS NEEDS.
GETTING RESOURCES FROM ENVIRONMENT AND
DISTRIBUTING IN THE SYSTEM
ECONOMIC INSTITUTION
II. GOAL ATTAINMENT
MUST DEFINE AND ACHIEVE PRIMARY GOALS. TO
PRIORITIZE AND ATTAIN GOALS
POLITICAL INSTITUTION
III. INTEGRATION
MUST REGULATE INTERRELATIONSHIP OF COMPONENT
PARTS. SOCIAL COHESION AND CONTROL; INTEGRATING
MEMBERS INTO HARMONIOUS RELATIONS
THIS IS ON A MANIFEST LEVEL
LEGAL INSTITUTION
IV. LATENT PATTERN MAINTENANCE-TENSION MANAGEMENT
"A SYSTEM MUST FURNISH, MAINTAIN, AND RENEW
BOTH THE MOTIVATION OF INDIVIDUALS AND THE
CULTURAL PATTERNS THAT CREATE AND SUSTAIN THE
MOTIVATION." (RITZER:208) ACTORS MUST PLAY PART,
MAINTAIN PATTERN OF VALUES IN THE SYSTEM &
INTERNAL TENSION MANAGEMENT SO MEMBERS TRANSMIT
VALUES MAINTAINING BASIC CULTURAL PATTERNS
EDUCATION, RELIGION & FAMILY INSTITUTIONS
PARSONS CLASSIFIES VALUES INTO WHAT HE REFERS TO
AS PATTERN VARIABLES
THAT IS, FUNDAMENTAL AND BASIC CHOICES PEOPLE NEED
TO MAKE WHEN THEY ENCOUNTER OR INTERACT WITH OTHER
PEOPLE (EVEN IF THEY ENCOUNTER THOSE PEOPLE AS
STATUS-ROLES)
YOU CAN JUDGE OTHERS ON WHAT THEY DO (ACHIEVEMENT)
OR WHAT THEY ARE (ASCRIBED)
TREAT PEOPLE ACCORDING TO GENERAL RULES LIKE LAW
(UNIVERSALISM) OR PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS LIKE
FRIENDSHIP (PARTICULARISM)
(DILEMMAS OF ORIENTATION WHICH MUST BE SOLVED
BEFORE ACTION CAN TAKE PLACE)
PATTERN VARIABLES |
EXPRESSIVE
(GEMEINSCHAFT) |
INSTRUMENTAL
(GESELLSCHAFT) |
ORIENTATION TOWARDS OTHERS
amount of emotion to be shown in an
interaction |
| ASCRIPTION |
ACHIEVEMENT |
RANGE OF DEMANDS ON RELATIONSHIP
how far reaching are the obligations in an
interaction situtation |
| DIFFUSENESS |
SPECIFICITY |
CAN ACTOR EXPECT EMOTIONAL GRATIFICATION
how much emotion is appropriate |
| RELATIONSHIP (Affectivity) |
(Affective) NEUTRALITY |
ACTING ON PARTICULAR RELATIONSHIP OR GENERAL
NORM
should the same satandard be used to evaluate
all actors in interaction situtations |
| PARTICULARISM |
UNIVERSALISM |
COLLECTIVE OBLIGATION OR PRIVATE INTEREST
is action oriented toward individual or group
action |
| COLLECTIVITY |
SELF |
SOCIAL CHANGE
PERHAPS THE MOST CRITICIZED ASPECT OF PARSONS
THEORY, AND FUNCTIONALISM GENERALLY
SOCIAL SYSTEMS CHANGE BY EITHER "DIFFERENTIATION"
; INCREASE IN DIVISION OF LABOR LEADING TO
STRUCTURES MORE SPECIALIZED IN THEIR FUNCTIONS, OR
"DE-DIFFERENTIATION," OR A DECREASE IN THE
DIVISION OF LABOR RESULTING IN STRUCTURES TAKING
ON MORE FUNCTIONS
CAN PLACE SOCIETIES (OR ANY SYSTEM) ON A CONTINUUM
FROM UNDIFFERENTIATED TO HIGHLY DIFFERENTIATED
AS SOCIETIES BECOME MORE COMPLEX - DIFFERENTIATED,
CULTURE BECOMES "UPGRADED" THAT IS, MORE ABSTRACT,
AND MORE GENERALIZED (THINK OF PATTERN VARIABLES)
DIFFERENTIATION CREATES PROBLEMS OF INTEGRATION
(THINK ABOUT AGIL)
RELY MORE ON POLITICAL SYSTEM (GOAL ATTAINMENT) TO
SOLVE PROBLEMS E.G. NATIONAL HEALTH CARE
WHAT CAUSES CHANGE?
SCIENCE (REMEMBER COMTE); ECONOMIC GROWTH,
TECHNOLOGICAL INVENTIONS, ALL HAVE RAMIFICATIONS
THROUGHOUT SYSTEM
IMPERFECT INTEGRATION WILL ALSO BRING CHANGE
THE BIG CHANGES IN HISTORY ARE BROUGHT ON BY
CHANGES IN RELIGIOUS BELIEFS -
VALUE SYSTEM CHANGES ARE THE PRIME MOVERS IN
HISTORY
