Social Theory, Social Research, and a Theory of Action

TLDR

Parsons’ early attempt to base social theory on purposive action failed, leading to a functionalist trajectory that diverged from the increasingly individual‑behavioristic direction of social research, widening the gap between theory and empirical study. The paper outlines pathways to restore mutual relevance between social research and theory. It proposes two key elements: grounding social theory in a theory of purposive action that embraces methodological individualism over holism, and aligning research and theory around the transition from individual actions to macrosocial system behavior.

Abstract

After an extraordinarily promising beginning in 1937 with The Structure of Social Action, Talcott Parsons abandoned his attempt to ground social theory in a theory of purposive action. The functionalism that resulted moved in one direction, while social research has progressively moved in an individual-behavioristic direction, resulting in an ever-widening divergence between research and theory. This paper describes paths in research and in theory development, that will reconstitute relevance of each for the other. The essential elements are two. The first is use of a theory of purposive action as a foundation for social theory; this entails acceptance of a form of methodological individualism and rejection of holism. The second is a focus in social research and theory on the movement from the level of individual actions to macrosocial functioning, that is, the level of system behavior.