Talcott parsons theory

Talcott Parsons December 13, — May 8, was an American sociologist of the classical tradition , best known for his social action theory and structural functionalism. Parsons is considered one of the most influential figures in sociology in the 20th century.

Talcott parsons contribution to sociology pdf

In , he was among the first professors in its new sociology department. Based on empirical data, Parsons' social action theory was the first broad, systematic, and generalizable theory of social systems developed in the United States and Europe. Their work heavily influenced Parsons' view and was the foundation for his social action theory.

Parsons viewed voluntaristic action through the lens of the cultural values and social structures that constrain choices and ultimately determine all social actions, as opposed to actions that are determined based on internal psychological processes. From the s on, a new generation of sociologists criticized Parsons' theories as socially conservative and his writings as unnecessarily complex.

Sociology courses have placed less emphasis on his theories than at the peak of his popularity from the s to the s. However, there has been a recent resurgence of interest in his ideas.

Talcott parsons' theory of functionalism

Parsons was a strong advocate for the professionalization of sociology and its expansion in American academia. He was elected president of the American Sociological Association in and served as its secretary from to His father had attended Yale Divinity School , was ordained as a Congregationalist minister, and served first as a minister for a pioneer community in Greeley , Colorado.

At the time of Parsons' birth, his father was a professor in English and vice-president at Colorado College. During his Congregational ministry in Greeley, Edward had become sympathetic to the Social Gospel movement but tended to view it from a higher theological position and was hostile to the ideology of socialism. As an undergraduate, Parsons studied biology and philosophy at Amherst College and received his BA in Amherst College had become the Parsons' family college by tradition; his father and his uncle Frank had attended it, as had his elder brother, Charles Edward.