The Theory of Classical Social Action. An analytical review from Talcott Parsons

Abstract

Exposing the characteristic features of the concept of classical social action is a fundamental exercise for sociological theory, as it allows improving conceptual clarity, carrying out a critical evaluation of the different theories, promoting theoretical development and having practical applications in the understanding of phenomena and social intervention. This text focuses on exposing the analytical assumptions of the notion of social action, to do so, it is based on the study of the North American sociologist Talcott Parsons, The Structure of Social Action (Parsons, 1968: Vol. I and II), where the exposition of the sociological models of classical action is broken down: the utilitarian (Marshall and Pareto), the Durkheimian and the Weberian, to later carry out a critical review of the model of action that Parsons proposes in the “Voluntarist Theory of Action” . Finally, some conclusions are presented where the main contributions of the authors seen in the theory of social action are highlighted.