Answer to Question #309027 in Philosophy for Lungelo

Question

Talcott parsons was a structural functionalist and an author of numerous publications. What was his view on how society

Answer 1

Talcott Parsons saw society as working like a human body, arguing that institutions in society were like organs in the body each performing specific functions which were necessary to the maintenance of the whole. Parsons argued that parts of society should be understood in terms of what they contribute to the maintenance of the whole.

Parsons believed that societies had certain ‘functional prerequisites which need to be met in order for society to survive. Just like human beings need certain things to survive, so every society has to have certain things in order to function properly. For example, a society must produce and distribute resources such as food and shelter; there has to be some kind of organization that resolves conflicts, and others that socialize the young. According to him a social system has four needs which must be met for continued survival. These are adaptation, goal attainment, integration and latency.