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parson

Uploaded by

jp
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Parsons

10 November 2024 10:02

2. Social System
CYBERNETIC HIERARCHY OF control
It explains how different systems in society manage and regulate themselves to maintain order
and stability. He organizes this control into a hierarchy of four interconnected subsystems, each
with specific functions.
1. Cultural System (Top Level):
○ Provides values, norms, and meaning to guide behavior.
○ Ex: Religion or ideology shaping societal beliefs.
○ Function: Supplies direction and purpose.
2. Social System:
○ Structures relationships and roles in society, like family, schools, or legal systems.
○ Ex: Laws and customs organizing interactions.
○ Function: Enforces norms and coordinates action.
3. Personality System:
○ Represents the individual's motivation and ability to act in alignment with societal
values.
○ Ex: Personal ambition driving one to follow cultural goals.
○ Function: Ensures individuals contribute to societal goals.
4. Behavioral System (Bottom Level):
○ Governs the biological and physical needs of individuals.
○ Ex: Physical health or survival instincts.
○ Function: Maintains basic functioning and energy.
Key Idea:
Each level controls the one below it through a flow of information and regulation:
• The cultural system gives meaning to actions.
• The social system organizes these actions into societal structures.
• The personality system motivates individuals to act.
• The behavioral system provides the energy and basic capabilities.
Together, they form a self-regulating system that balances human needs and societal demands.

Q. How 1 system is linked with other systems through information control and energy flow
R. In Parsons' cybernetic hierarchy of control, the systems are interconnected through
information control (guiding purpose) and energy flow (providing resources and effort).
Each system depends on and influences the others, ensuring a balanced and functional
society.
1. Cultural System → Social System
• Information Control:The cultural system provides values, norms, and goals to guide
how the social system should function (e.g., ethical guidelines influencing laws).
• Energy Flow: The social system implements these values by organizing institutions and
roles that maintain social order.
2. Social System → Personality System
• Information Control: The social system sets expectations and roles for individuals
(e.g., job roles, family responsibilities).
• Energy Flow: Individuals channel their efforts into fulfilling these roles, which supports
the larger social structure.

3. Personality System → Behavioral System


Social thinkers Page 1
3. Personality System → Behavioral System
• Information Control: The personality system motivates individuals to align their
actions with societal and cultural goals.
○ Example: A person’s desire for achievement or belonging encourages them to
work or follow societal norms.
• Energy Flow: Biological and physical resources (e.g., health, stamina) are used to carry
out tasks and meet societal expectations.

4. Behavioral System → Personality System → Social System →


Cultural System (Upward Feedback)
• Energy Flow: The behavioral system provides basic energy and survival needs for
individuals (e.g., food, health), enabling them to act.
• Information Flow: Experiences and feedback from individual actions influence societal
norms and even cultural values over time (e.g., societal adaptation to new
technologies).

Key Dynamics:
• Information flows downward (from cultural to behavioral): Provides guidance and
purpose.
• Energy flows upward (from behavioral to cultural): Supplies the effort and resources
to implement the guidance.
This circular flow ensures adaptability, stability, and continuity in the system.

Social thinkers Page 2

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