robert merton structural functional theory

ROBERT MERTON STRUCTURAL FUNCTIONAL THEORY SERIES

ROBERT MERTON STRUCTURAL FUNCTIONAL THEORY SERIES

This paper (Part A) is the first in a series of three together these introduce social theory by taking a close look at functionalism (Parts A and B), and then identifying its impact on other social theories and discussing the implications for OR (Part C). However, the barriers to gaining an understanding of the theoretical basis of the subject are formidable.

Since the 1970s a number of OR researchers interested in the process of OR have engaged with sociology. Functionalism thus can be used to provide an introduction to the development of modern social theory. Many of the modern schools of sociological thought can be viewed as deriving from functionalism or from the criticism it attracted. At the same time functionalism has been strongly criticised and it behoves OR to at least understand what it is that is being criticised. The sociological theory of functionalism dominated sociology in the middle of the 20th century and OR has inherited some of its concepts and assumptions. A subsequent paper (Part C) examines criticisms of functionalism, describes other schools of social theory in relation to it, and discusses the use made of social theory in OR. At the same time sufficient detail is provided to enable the reader to appreciate the complexity and depth of social theory in general and the functionalism of Parsons in particular. This paper summarizes the attempt by Parsons to develop an extensive and arguably comprehensive foundational basis for sociology. Further developments published in Working Papers in the Theory of Action (with Bales and Shils) and Economy and Society (with Smelser) focused on the relationship between the social and the economic system introducing the ‘four-function paradigm’ or AGIL model. In these books he introduces his system of ‘pattern variables’. In 1951 the results were published in two books, Towards a General Theory of Action (with Shils) and The Social System. He developed some key concepts to characterise the structure of social interaction and then expanded the scope of his framework to cover all aspects of society including some initial thoughts on how it maintains its stability and how it changes. Having developed his action frame of reference and his voluntaristic theory of action in The Structure of Social Action (described in Part A), Talcott Parsons turned his attention to the social system per se.

Robert merton structural functional theory