Parsons’ Evolutionary Theory
He divided evolution into four sub-processes:
Differentiation: Any society composes of a series of subsystems.
Adaptation: Those systems evolve into more efficient versions.
Inclusion: It includes elements previously excluded from the given systems.
Generalization: It generalizes values and legitimizes the increasingly complex system.
Critiques to Parsons’ Evolutionary Theory
When he said “evolutionary theory,” it seems that the theory deal with social change.
However, Parsons’ analysis of evolution does not look at process, rather it is an attempt to “order structural types and related them sequentially” (Parsons, 1966:111).
It is comparative structural analysis, not really a study of the process of social change. • Thus, he is structural-functionalist after all.