talcottparsons he was one of the leading American sociologists of the 20th century. Parsons served for 46 years as a professor and researcher at Harvard University, and, among the achievements of his career, the introduction of the thinking of the German sociologist Max Weber in intellectual circles in the United States and the creating a functionalist theory in sociology that tries to understand the individual role of groups and people in the social environment.
Parsons was also responsible for a workinterdisciplinary at Harvard University that united sociology, anthropology and psychology, and resulted in the creation of the Department of Social Relations at the university.
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Talcott Parsons Biography
Talcott Edgar Frederick Parsons was born on December 13, 1902, in the city of Colorado Springs, Colorado. He studied biology and philosophy at Armhest College, teaching as an assistant at the same university for a year. In 1925, the sociologist studied for a year at the London School of Economics, where he came into contact with the work of great sociologists, anthropologists and political scientists such as Polish anthropologist Bronislaw Malinowski and historian, economist and sociologist Richard Henry Tawney.
It was during his doctorate in sociology at the University of Heidelberg (Germany) that Parsons met the work of the classical German sociologist Max Weber. Back in the United States in 1928, the sociologist began working as an assistant professor at the University from Harvard, teaching in the economics department, and as a visiting professor at other institutions of teaching.
In 1937, the sociologist published his first work that made him prominent in academic sociology research in the United States, the book The structure of social action. Also in 1937, became full professor of sociology at Harvard University, teaching at the institution until 1973.
![Brazilian edition of the first work by Talcott Parsons. [1]](/f/eaecd90bcb270832cae59868d65455ee.jpg)
At Harvard, Professor Talcott Parsons founded an interdisciplinary laboratory, which combined the studies of sociology, anthropology and psychology, which would become the Department of Social Relations at Harvard University. parsons too chaired the American Society of Sociology, being elected in 1949. After retiring from Harvard, the sociologist continued teaching at other institutions (such as the University of Heidelberg), writing and giving lectures. He passed away on May 8, 1979, in the city of Munich, during a trip to Germany.
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Talcott Parsons Functionalism
In general, the functionalist theory of anthropology and sociology admits that society is a whole organized through functions that individuals, institutions and social groups perform. In that regard, society is a complex whole divided into parts, being that each part plays an individual role. The joining of these fragmented parts explains the whole. Society is, then, a complex and systematic totality.
Parsons deepened functionalist theory, drawing elements from the work of Max Weber and the classic French sociologist Emile Durkheim. For Parsons, functionalism is structural and it is a step towards constituting a secure method of analysis of the social sciences.
Functionalism, according to Parsons, must pay attention to the social structure, seeking understand society as a system that seeks balance. In this sense, the elements of a society are structured in order to maintain a self-regulation of the whole that is, in some way, maintaining a certain balance in social relations, thus creating a system Social.
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Social System for Talcott Parsons
Parsons intended to formulate a general social theory that merged elements from all areas of social science studies into a single base. The first step in formulating this theory was the adoption of functionalism. The second step was the understanding of social actions and social cohesion.
Talcott Parsons had a conception of social action very similar to that of the German sociologist Max Weber. ActionSocial for him it is any human conduct motivated and inspired by the meanings that the author discovers in the world exterior, meanings it takes into account and responds to (when it reacts to some event external). In this sense, there is a relationship between individual – society – environment. The key to having a good social organization is the balance of actions between these three elements.
It is also important to point out (a difference from Parsons' theory of social action enters here when compared to Weber's theory) that social action is not merely individual, as it also takes the form of of a interaction between system parts (individual with environment, individual with society, institutions, collectives, etc.).
THE cohesionSocial it occurs when the individual is absorbed by the collective, not clashing with it. In this sense, it is necessary that individuals and social groups are aligned with the general thinking of the larger group for cohesion to be effective. Social action can be decomposed into more elements, as it is not an isolated action, and the social system itself can be decomposed.
Parsons stated that a social system is a systematic set of units of acts by one or more actors, that is, it is a set of actions by individuals or groups. Thus, social systems can be decomposed, and this decomposition facilitates the understanding of social systems. There are also rules that social systems must comply with if they are to actually be considered systems. There needs to be a structure well defined, that they are divided into functions, and that individuals and their actions are understood as system processes and in the system.
The action systems are composed of smaller subsystems. These are:
Behavioral organism: responsible for the individual's adaptation to the social environment;
Personality of the individual: guides the search for goals and determines the performance of personal tasks;
Social system: it integrates the action parts of the various members of the system, forming a cohesive whole;
Cultural system: it has the function of identifying groups to maintain order and cohesion.
All these elements seek stabilization so that there is an effective functioning of the system and guarantee of order. Everything that destabilizes this system is, in Parsons' view, an obstacle to the proper functioning of society. The total balance of the system also takes place in the balance of different forces: activityand learning. Activity is what is done through actions, while learning is a process by which the individual learns to act in accordance with social norms.
Social Movements for Talcott Parsons
Talcott Parsons takes a postureconservative as for social movements. As the sociologist emphasizes the importance of balance and stability of social systems, he argues that any the demand of social movements made through strikes, pickets and demonstrations shakes the system, putting its stability.
See too: Domination for Max Weber – intrinsic phenomenon to society
Talcott Parsons Phrases
"Ideology is a belief system agreed upon by the members of a collectivity."
"Family roles in a highly differentiated society should not be interpreted as roles directly on behalf of society, but rather on behalf of personality."
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[1]Voices Editor (Reproduction)
by Francisco Porfiro
Sociology Professor