Term Paper: Talcott Parsons vs. Max Weber: Social Action and Social System

Among Talcott Parsons contributions to sociology and functionalism are his theory of action and Parsons's system levels. His theory of action includes how societies are structured and fit together. In this theory of action he includes four systems: the cultural system, the social system, the personality system, and the behavioral organism as a system. Max Weber also has his interpretation of individual actions in the social environment along with their interactions in that environment. Weber addresses these topics from a conflict theorist perspective, although his more micro-sociological approach may seem as if it were from the symbolic interactions perspective. Talcott Parsons addresses these topics from a functionalist perspective. It is important to provide a thoughtful and critical comparison on how the topic of social action and social system are interpreted by these two theorists in order to better understand the topics.

Talcott Parsons' Theory of Action will provide the clearest interpretation o

Wallace, Ruth A., and Alison Wolf. (1995)

A social system for Parsons is the interaction between actors, possibly in a physical environment in order to achieve 'optimal gratification.' Social interaction for Weber would be considered the same as Parsons social system.

...a social system consists in a plurality of individual actors interacting with each other in a situation which has at least a physical or environmental aspect, actors who are motivated in terms of a tendency to the "optimization of gratification" and whose relation to their situations, including each other, is defined and mediated in terms of a system of culturally structured and shared symbols.

Secondly, Weber would argue that not all action is 'social.' Even intentional, obvious action might not be social.

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Approximate Word count = 2493
Approximate Pages = 10 (250 words per page double spaced)