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StructuralFunctionalismContent•Parsons:FunctionalImperatives,StructureoftheGeneralActionSystemandPatternVariables•Merton:Clarifyingfunctionalanalysis,Dysfunctions,andManifestandLatentfunctions.Thedebatebetween“consensustheoriesandconflicttheories•Consensustheoriesseesharednormsandvaluesasfundamentaltosociety,focusonsocialorderbasedontacitagreements,andviewsocialchangeasoccurringinaslowandorderlyfashion.Incontrast,conflicttheoriesemphasizethedominanceofsomesocialgroupsbyothers,seesocialorderasbasedonmanipulationandcontrolbydominantgroups,andviewsocialchangeasoccurringrapidlyandinadisorderlyfashionassubordinategroupsoverthrowdominantgroups.•Representativesofthedebate:MarxandComte,SimmelandDurkheim,DahrendorfandParsons.Functionandfunctionalimperatives•FunctionAfunctionisacomplexofactivitiesdirectedtowardsmeetinganeedorneedsofthesystem•FunctionalimperativesTherearefourfunctionalimperativesthatarenecessaryforallsystems—adaptation(A),goalattainment(G),integration(I),andlatency(L),orpatternmaintenance.AsetofassumptionsofStructuralfunctionalism•Systemshavethepropertyoforderandinterdependenceofparts•Systemtendtowardself-maintainingorder,orequilibrium.•Thesystemmaybestaticorinvolvedinanorderedprocessofchange.•Thenatureofonepartofthesystemhasanimpactontheformthattheotherstateofequilibriumofsystem.•Systemsmaintainboundarieswithenvironments.•Allocationandintegrationaretwofundamentalprocessesnecessaryforagivenstateofequilibriumofasystem.•Systemtendtowardself-maintenanceinvolvingthemaintenanceofboundariesandoftherelationshipofpartstothewhole,controlofenvironmentalvariations,andcontroloftendenciestochangethesystem.StructureoftheGeneralActionSystemLCulturalSystemISocialSystemBehavioralOrganismAPersonalitySystemG•Adaptation:asystemmustcopewithexternalsituationalexigencies.Itmustadapttoitsenvironmentandadapttheenvironmenttoitsneeds.•Goalattainment:asystemmustdefineandachieveitsprimarygoals.•Integration:asystemmustregulatetheinterrelationshipofitscomponentparts.Italsomustmanagetherelationshipamongtheotherthreefunctionalimperatives•Latency(patternmaintenance):asystemmustfurnish,maintain,andrenewboththemotivationofindividualsandtheculturalpatternsthatcreateandsustainthatmotivation.SocietyanditsSubsystemsLFiduciarySystemISocietalCommunityEconomyAPolityG•Adaptation:Theeconomyisthesubsystemthatperformsthefunctionforsocietyofadaptingtotheenvironmentthroughlabor,production,andallocation.•Goalattainment:Thepolity(orpoliticalsystem)performsthefunctionofgoalattainmentbypursuingsocietalobjectivesandmobilizingactorsandresourcestothatend.•Integration:Theintegrationfunctionisperformedbythesocietalcommunity(law),whichcoordinatesthevariouscomponentsofsociety•Latency(patternmaintenance):Thefiduciarysystem(schools,family)handlesthelatencyfunctionbytransmittingculturetoactorsandallowingittobeinternalizedbythem.PatternVariables•Patternvariablesare''theprincipletoolsofstructuralanalysisoutliningthederivationofthesecategoriesfromtheintrinsiclogicofsocialaction--theinherentdilemmasofchoicefacingactors''.Parsonsarguesthatthereareastrictlylimitedanddefinedsetofalternativesorchoicesthatcanbemade,andtherelativeprimaciesgiventochoicesconstitutethe''patterningofrelationalinstitutions.''Thesechoicesoralternativesarecalledorientation-selection.Affectivityvs.Affective-neutrality•Therearefivepatternvariablesofrole-definitionthatParsonsdiscusses,althoughhesaysthattherearemanymorepossibilities.Thefirstisthegratification-disciplinedilemma:affectivityvs.affective-neutrality.Thedilemmahereisindecidingwhetheroneexpressestheirorientationintermsofimmediategratification(affectivity)orwhethertheyrenounceimmediategratificationinfavorofmoralinterests(affective-neutrality).parsonssays,''noactorcansubsistwithoutgratifications,whileatthesametimenoactionsystemcanbeorganizedorintegratedwithouttherenunciationofsomegratificationswhichareavailableinthegivensituation''.Self-orientationvs.Collectivityorientation.•Thesecondsetofpatternvariablesofrole-definitionaretheprivatevs.collectiveinterestdilemma:self-orientationvs.collectivityorientation.Inthiscase,one'sroleorientationiseitherintermsofherprivateinterestsorintermsoftheinterestsofthecollectivity.Parsonsexplains,''arole,then,maydefinecertainareasofpursuitofprivateinterestsaslegitimate,andinotherareasobligatetheactortopursuitofthecommoninterestsofthecollectivity.Theprimacyoftheformeralternativemaybecalled''self-orientation,''thatofthelatter,''collectivity-orientation''.Universalismvs.Particularism•Thethirdpairofpatternvariablesarethechoicebetweentypesofvalue-orientationstandard:universalismvs.particularism.Simplyput,''intheformercasethestandardisderivedfromthevalidityofasetofexistentialideas,orthegeneralityofanormativerule,inthelatterfromtheparticularityof...anobjectorofthestatusoftheobjectinarelationalsystem''.Example:theobligationtofulfillcontractualagreementsvs.helpingsomeonebecausesheisyourfriend.Achievementvs.Ascriptiverolebehavior•Thefourthpairofpatternvariablesareachievementvs.ascriptiverolebehavior:thechoicebetweenmodalit