Talcott Parsons and the Theory of Action. II. The Continuity of the Development
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 7613511 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Richard Munch (corresponding author) |
| Year | 1982 |
| Volume | 87 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 771-826 |
| Publication date | 1982-01-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | American Journal of Sociology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0002-9602 • E-ISSN: 1537-5390 |
| Publisher | University of Chicago Press (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1086/227522 |
| OpenAlex | W2072669570 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 25 |
| References cited | 28 |
In The Structure of Social Action, Talcott Parsons developed a theory of action which corresponds in structure and method to Kant's critical philosophy. The core of this theory is the assertion that every action is to be understood as a product of the interaction of dynamizing and controlling forces. This basic proposition is elaborated into a theory through the construction of a four-dimensional "action space," which can be further differentiated into subsystems possessing varying degrees of orderedness. The differential effect of dynamizing and ordering forces on any given action is determined by its locationin the action space and by the kind of relation obtaining between the subsystemsof the action space. The relation between these subsystems which enables them simultaneously to expand their areas of effectiveness is interpenetration. The entire development of Talcott Parsons's theory of action is a progressive refinement of the theoretical devices available for the analysis of such processes of interpenetration. This is demonstrated in this essay for all the various stages of Parsons's theoretical development, from the laying down of thetheoretical core in The Structure of Social Action (1937) through The Social System (1951) to Action Theory and the Human Condition (1978
Action (physics · Action theory (sociology · Assertion · Development (topology · Epistemology · Mathematical analysis · Physics · Proposition · Quantum mechanics · Relation (database · Space (punctuation) · Complex Systems and Decision Making · Computer Science · Critical Realism in Sociology · Management and Organizational Studies · Mathematics · Philosophy
Exploring an extinct society through the lens of Habitus-Field theory and the Tocharian text corpus
Deciphering cultural differences between local and foreign contracting firms using Hofstede’s national culture model in the construction industry
Power and Authority in Organized Religion
Puritan America in the Modern World
Socialization and Personality Development From the Point of View of Action Theory, the Legacy of Emile Durkheim
The Parsons Revival in German Sociology
Orientation Theory in Industry
Hybrid Organizations – What’s in a Name
The state of medical sociology in the United States, Great Britain, West Germany and Austria
El nuevo movimiento teórico
Järnburen smids på nytt
The Functions of The Social Bond
T. Parsons’ “Societal Community” in G. Sciortino’s Theoretical-empirical Interpretation
Modern Science and Technology
Equilibrium, structural contradictions, and social conflicts
From Pure Methodological Individualism to Poor Sociological Utilitarianism
A Response to Jeffrey Alexander's Theoretical Logic in Sociology Concerning the Alleged Unidimensionality of Marxian Theory
Talcott Parsons
Formal model building and theoretical interests in sociology
Institutions as production systems
Talcott Parsons and the Sociology of Morality
Social Theory and Talcott Parsons in the 1980
Parsons's Emergent Durkheims
A Weberian Account of Social Norms and Trust in Financial Markets
Overcoming Structure and Agency
The form of sociology
The broken covenant
Kritik der reinen Vernunft
Working papers in the theory of action
Theories and theory groups in contemporary American sociology
The coming crisis of western sociology
Out of Utopia
"Comment on R. Stephen Warner's "Toward a Redefinition of Action Theory
Toward a General Theory of Action
Power and Privilege
An Alternative to Parsons' Four-Function Paradigm as a Basis for Developing General Sociological Theory
The Social Theories of Talcott Parsons
The Hobbesian Problem of Order
Classic on Classic
But Some Are More Equal Than Others
On the Divergence of Weber and Durkheim
De-Parsonizing Weber
The Oversocialized Conception of Man in Modern Sociology
Social Stratification and the Functional Theory of Social Differentiation
A Logical Analysis of the Davis-Moore Theory of Stratification
Sociology and Philosophy (Routledge Revivals)
Beyond Belief
Talcott Parsons and American Sociology
Toward a Redefinition of Action Theory
Talcott Parsons, the Problem of Order in Society, and the Program of an Analytical Sociology
An Analytical Approach to the Theory of Social Stratification
| Unique citing works | 25 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,56 |
| Citation span | 1981 - 2024 (44) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 25 |