Armond Harold
Soc 385
Blog 5
In Talcott Parson’s theory of structural functionalism, he gives a universal formula for the smooth operation of any action system. These rules were given by his infamous AGIL outline.
Parson believed that systems thrived when four functions, or intricate moves taken that are motivated by satisfying the needs of the system took place, all would be well in the system.
The four functions are (A) Adaptation, or the ability of the system to cope and adjust to any internal and external forces that act on it, (G) Goal attainment, or a system with clear objectives that it reaches, (I) Integration, or the system’s ability to police all of its connected parts, and finally (L) Latency, which is essentially making sure all parts are motivated by providing that motivation and tweaking it when necessary. Although Parson’s theory is no longer used in sociology, I have found a fascinating example of a system that adheres to the rules set forth by him—a Major League Baseball Team.
When relating to the Adaptation function, a MLB team has to constantly cope with forces that act upon it. For example, when an injury occurs to an everyday player on a team, he can be replaced in a number of ways. That player can be replaced by a player from the bench reserves, which would solve the problem for at least one game. However, since bench players are typically less skilled than everyday players, this would usually be a solution for one or two games. A longer term solution can be for the team to make a trade with another team to replace the everyday player that was just lost, but that has the potential to deplete the team further. Another option would be for the team to replace the everyday player with a player from their minor league system. Any of these three options help the team cope with the injury to that player.
A MLB team has a clear goal, to win baseball games. Every single baseball team in the league adheres to this common goal. Many teams take different routes to make this happen with their personnel choices. The basic way to win a baseball is to score more runs than your opponent. Some MLB teams attempt to achieve this goal in a few different ways. There are teams that score more runs with an outstanding pitching staff that is effective at preventing the opponent from scoring more runs than them. Other teams take the alternative route with an exceptional offensive attack that hits numerous home runs throughout the game to overwhelm the opposing team with a deficit that they cannot overcome.
Teams in Major League Baseball have a management system that regulates all of the players on it. The head coach decides the hitting order for every game, he arranges the pitching staff, he decides when to take out hitters and pitchers that are not performing in a helpful matter to the team, and he even decides where the players position themselves on the field. The General Manager decides who the players on the team will be, he decides how much to pay them each year, and how many years they should play for the team.
The commissioner of MLB motivates all teams to continue to win games by creating a postseason playoff system. The top ten MLB teams at the end of the regular playing season are rewarded with the opportunity to play in a tournament that determines the MLB champion every year. Year after year, teams retool their staffs, and tweak their rosters to have a chance to compete in this “prestigious” tournament. The extra money that comes to teams playing in the postseason isn’t a bad motivator either.
Talcott Parson’s structural functionalism may be a “dead theory,” but examples of it can be found here and there in the social world. Major League Baseball teams are very deep, complex systems, and applying the AGIL concepts to them shows us that Parson’s theory wasn’t completely useless,
Soc 385
Blog 5
In Talcott Parson’s theory of structural functionalism, he gives a universal formula for the smooth operation of any action system. These rules were given by his infamous AGIL outline.
Parson believed that systems thrived when four functions, or intricate moves taken that are motivated by satisfying the needs of the system took place, all would be well in the system.
The four functions are (A) Adaptation, or the ability of the system to cope and adjust to any internal and external forces that act on it, (G) Goal attainment, or a system with clear objectives that it reaches, (I) Integration, or the system’s ability to police all of its connected parts, and finally (L) Latency, which is essentially making sure all parts are motivated by providing that motivation and tweaking it when necessary. Although Parson’s theory is no longer used in sociology, I have found a fascinating example of a system that adheres to the rules set forth by him—a Major League Baseball Team.
When relating to the Adaptation function, a MLB team has to constantly cope with forces that act upon it. For example, when an injury occurs to an everyday player on a team, he can be replaced in a number of ways. That player can be replaced by a player from the bench reserves, which would solve the problem for at least one game. However, since bench players are typically less skilled than everyday players, this would usually be a solution for one or two games. A longer term solution can be for the team to make a trade with another team to replace the everyday player that was just lost, but that has the potential to deplete the team further. Another option would be for the team to replace the everyday player with a player from their minor league system. Any of these three options help the team cope with the injury to that player.
A MLB team has a clear goal, to win baseball games. Every single baseball team in the league adheres to this common goal. Many teams take different routes to make this happen with their personnel choices. The basic way to win a baseball is to score more runs than your opponent. Some MLB teams attempt to achieve this goal in a few different ways. There are teams that score more runs with an outstanding pitching staff that is effective at preventing the opponent from scoring more runs than them. Other teams take the alternative route with an exceptional offensive attack that hits numerous home runs throughout the game to overwhelm the opposing team with a deficit that they cannot overcome.
Teams in Major League Baseball have a management system that regulates all of the players on it. The head coach decides the hitting order for every game, he arranges the pitching staff, he decides when to take out hitters and pitchers that are not performing in a helpful matter to the team, and he even decides where the players position themselves on the field. The General Manager decides who the players on the team will be, he decides how much to pay them each year, and how many years they should play for the team.
The commissioner of MLB motivates all teams to continue to win games by creating a postseason playoff system. The top ten MLB teams at the end of the regular playing season are rewarded with the opportunity to play in a tournament that determines the MLB champion every year. Year after year, teams retool their staffs, and tweak their rosters to have a chance to compete in this “prestigious” tournament. The extra money that comes to teams playing in the postseason isn’t a bad motivator either.
Talcott Parson’s structural functionalism may be a “dead theory,” but examples of it can be found here and there in the social world. Major League Baseball teams are very deep, complex systems, and applying the AGIL concepts to them shows us that Parson’s theory wasn’t completely useless,