Talcott Parsons

The Social System:

1. mutually dependent parts
2. parts contribute to functioning of system
3. moving equilibrium; disturbance induces counter-reaction to maintain equilibrium

Properties of System to Which Parts Contribute

1. Adaptation (economy)
2. Integration (courts; police; law)
3. Pattern Maintenance and tension management (family; education; culture contribute to socialization and role commitment)
4. Goal attainment (political)

Social Stratification Defined:

"differential ranking of human individuals who compose a given social system and their treatment as superior or inferior relative to one another in certain socially important respects" (Parsons, Analytical Approach to Social Strat., 69)

Fundamental Axis of Stratification: Ascription vs. Achievement

1. Ascribed Status: results from birth or biological herditary qualities (e.g. age, sex)
2. Achieved status: results from personal actions (effort, hard work, talent)

Moral Evaluation

Ranking done on basis of moral evaluation, resulting in degrees of respect or disapproval (status)

6 Bases of Differential Moral Evaluation:

1. Membership in kinship unit (by birth, marriage)
2. Personal qualities (sex, age, personal beauty, intelligence strength)
3. Achievements (result of individual's actions)
4. Possessions (material & non-material things belonging to an individual and transferrable)
5. Authority ("institutionally recognized right to influence actions of others", p. 76; resides in position or office)
6. Power (ability to influence others and secure possessions which is not institutionally sanctioned)

Kinship Groups as Units of Stratification

"the class status of an individual is that rank in the system of stratification which can be ascribed to him (sic) by virtue of those of his (sic) kinship ties which bind him to a unit in the class structure" (77-8)

2 Dominant Aspects of American Stratification:

1. Occupation: universalistic criteria; achieved status; not determined at birth; equality of opportunity
2. Kinship: ascribed status determined at birth

Contradiction between Occupation and Kinship:

Parsons: In the American system of stratification, women cannot be allowed to compete on an equal footing for the jobs of men; otherwise, this would threaten the stability of the family, and hence of society.

Separation of sex roles to prevent competition:

"One mechanism which can serve to prevent the kind of 'invidious comparison' between husband and wife which might be disruptive of family solidarity is a clear separation of the sex roles such as to ensure that they do not come in competition with each" (Parsons, 79-80).

Exclusion of Women's Independent Status

"The separation of the sex roles in our society is such as, for the most part, to remove women from the kind of occupational status which is important for the determination of the status of a family" (Parson, 80)

Instrumental vs Expressive Roles:

1. Instrumental Roles = men = outside family; occupational world; adaptation of society
2. Expressive Roles = women = inside family; tension management in family; socialization of children

Dress and Sex-1

"Women's interests...run... far more in the direction of personal adornment and the related qualities of personal charm... . Men's dress is practically a uniform, admitting of very slight play for differentiating taste" (Parsons, 80)

Click on Pic: Adorned Woman vs Working Man

Dress and Sex - 2

"This serves to concentrate the judgment and valuation of men on their occupational achievements, while the valuation of women is diverted into realms outside the occupationally relevant sphere. " (Parsons, 80)

Dress and Sex-3:

This difference appears particularly conspicuous in th urban middle classes where competition for class status is most severe. ... this phenomenon is functionally related to maintaining family solidarity in our class structure" (Parsons, 80)

Dress and Sex-4:

"...the qualities and achievements of the feminine role have come to be significant as symbols of the status of the family, as parts of its 'standard of living' which reflect credit on it. The man's role ... is primarily to determine the status of his