Societies: evolutionary and comparative perspectives.

by Talcott Parsons

This is the first of a two-volume study of societies that pursues and expands upon comparative problems and methods pioneered by Max Weber in order to apply and further develop the general theory of action. This theory is explicitly formulated in congruence with the major tenets of modern evolutionary biology, beginning with the notion that general patterns of culture serve as structural anchors of action systems in the same way that genetic patterns anchor species. In Parsons’ view, genetic systems and cultural systems impose the major cybernetic limits within which human organisms can develop structurally independent personality systems and social systems. All of these analytically independent systems are seen to interpenetrate and articulate simultaneously in a hierarchy of control and a hierarchy of conditioning factors, so that the relatively “high information” systems exert organizing control over those lower information “high energy” systems that set necessary but not sufficient conditions underlying action.

Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 1966

About the author

Talcott Parsons 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. After earning a PhD in economics, he served on the faculty at Harvard University from 1927 to 1973. In 1930, he was among the first professors in its new sociology department. Later, he was instrumental in the establishment of the Department of Social Relations at Harvard.