What three ways can we read his book, The Structure of Social Action?
- as a history of sociology
- as an exercise in theory construction
- as a site of canon formation
How is his book read as a history of sociology?
- it sets up Parsons interpretations of utilitarianism and work of four European thinkers
- Marshall, Pareto, Durkheim, Weber
What were Parsons interpretations of utilitarianism and European thinkers equal to?
- data Parsons used to generate his view of the history of sociology
- it moved from the positivistic theory of action to the voluntaristic theory of action
What is an exemplar, core idea and view of actors in the positivistic theory of action?
- the exemplar is utilitarianism
- the core idea is the concept of rationality of action
- actors were scientific investigators
What doesn’t have a place with the positivistic theory of action?
-there is no place for non-rational, evaluative aspects of social action
What was Parsons response to the positivistic theory of action?
- as an explanation of social life it is irremediably flawed
- no place for norms and values
- ignores the problem of order
What is Parsons alternative to the positivistic theory of action?
-voluntaristic theory of action
What is voluntarism?
- freedom of choice
- subjective (meaningful) decision making processes of individuals
Explain the making of the voluntaristic theory of action?
- voluntarism
- but subjective decision making are always constrained by normative factors
- so there must be normative integration of action
- solving the problem of order
How does normative integration of action solve the problem of order?
- by asking and answering what holds society together?
- this would be shared norms and values (Durkheim)
Where did Parsons come up with his convergence theory?
-by reading the four theorists works and discovering what they all converged on
What is the convergence thesis?
-Marshall, Pareto, Durkheim and Weber arrived independently at an approach to studying the social world that incorporates norms without suppressing human agency
What did the four theorists converge on?
-the voluntaristic theory of action a common theoretical framework
Is the convergence thesis thought to be good history of sociology?
- answer depends on the validity of the convergence thesis
- if Parsons reached conclusion about Durkheim and Weber that do no sustain
How was his book an exercise in theory construction?
- Parsons came up with his new theory, the voluntaristic theory of action
- he borrowed the four other’s works to make his own
Why and what did Parson use from Marshall?
- he used Marshall to show what utilitarianism got wrong and what utilitarianism got right;
- actors are goal seekers
- individuals have the ability to make choices through weighing alternative lines of action
- actors are the creators of social systems
What did Parson use from Pareto?
-non-rational aspect of human action
What did Parson use from Durkheim?
- non-contractual element of contract
- problem of order (and what holds society together)
What did Parson take from Weber?
- role of value elements as motors of social change
- importance of subjective meaning
Define the voluntaristic theory of action
- theory that combines a concern with human action with a concern for social structure
- does this via the unit act
What is the unit act?
- core idea that Parsons creates
- hypothetical construct
What are the essential elements of the unit act?
- an actor
- an end or goal
- a situation ( in which the action is initiated)
- norms (constrain decisions about goals)
What important part of the unit act separates voluntaristic from positivistic?
-actors are influenced by norms
What is the normative orientation of action?
- norms compel the conduct of the actor in the unit act
- S–>I
