Parsons

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St. Augustine's University *

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331

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Sociology

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Apr 3, 2024

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Parsons & Merton Homework (Chapter 4 What was the state of American sociology when Parsons entered it, and how did Parson's ideas about sociology differ from this state? He promoted a structural-functional approach, which examines how the interconnected and interacting parts that make up a social system's structures contribute to its growth and upkeep. Talcott Parsons is known as the leader of functionalism of sociology. Parsons argued that sociology needed to be a “theoretical system.” What did he mean by this, and what functions should such a system of theory serve? A social system, according to him, is a web of interactions between actors. Parsons contends that for a society to be considered a social system, it must have a system of language and culture. In sociology, Talcott Parsons developed the functionalism theory. To develop a role-based explanation of how people contribute to society by being of service and performing a valuable role, he combined clinical psychology and social anthropology. How was Parsons’ view of the individual like the view of Weber and Durkheim? The theories of Weber deal with how individuals conduct in a social setting and how they interact with their surroundings. The primary distinction between the two is that while Parsons approaches the same from a functionalistic standpoint, Weber approaches it from a symbolic-interactions perspective in his theories. According to Parsons, what are the four core functional requirements of all social systems? Describe what he means by each of these. Any successful social system, according to Parsons, must be able to adapt, achieve goals, integrate, and maintain patterns. Any community must have access to fundamental necessities like food and shelter to adapt. Any society that possesses these has influence over its environment. According to Parsons, what is a unit act, and what are the four elements of a unit act? According to Parsons, a unit act is one that involves an active, conscious agent, specific aims, a variety of options, an environment that imposes a variety of restrictions, and a normative orientation. How was Merton’s view of theory different than Parsons’ view? Make sure you explain each. Parsons seem to believe that every aspect of society contributes to society. Merton contends, however, that some facets of society could be unhealthy for groups, which connects to conflict perspectives.

What is the difference between manifest functions and latent functions? With which of these did Merton believe the more important advances in sociology lied? Functions or dysfunctions that are manifest are planned and recognized. But many people are unaware of or unintentionally ignore hidden functions or dysfunctions. Visible functions are the anticipated, positive effects of a person, thing, or other social phenomenon that are plainly visible to the public. The beneficial effects of a thing or a social phenomenon that are unintended and frequently not immediately apparent are called latent functions. According to Merton, tension arises when people's goals are financial or money-related and their present circumstances are uncoordinated. What did Merton mean by unintended consequences? Every action has results that are not intended by the actor, according to the law of unintended consequences, which is an often- observed phenomenon. The unintended consequences could have positive, negative, or neutral effects, and they could be foreseen or not. They might even be instantly apparent. What kind of strain did Merton believe existed that led to deviance? What were the five potential outcomes of this strain? Merton asserts that these standards lead to five distinct categories of deviation: conformity, innovation, ritualism, retreatism, and rebellion. According to Merton's theory of strain, social systems can coerce people into committing crimes. According to the classic strain theory, deviation is more likely to occur when possibilities for people to attain "cultural goals" (such as financial prosperity) are not aligned with the "culture aims" of the society.

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