American sociologist (1902 – 1979)
Talcott Parsons (December 13, 1902 – May 8, 1979) was an American sociologist and professor of sociology at Harvard University, known for the development of a general theory for the study of society, called action theory.
From: Wikiquote (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Every social system is a functioning entity. That is, it is a system of interdependent structures and processes such that it tends to maintain a relative stability and distinctiveness of pattern and behavior as an entity by contrast with its - social or other - environment, and with it a relative independence from environmental forces. It "responds", to be sure, to the environmental stimuli, but is not completely assimilated to its environment, maintaining rather an element of distinctiveness in the face of variations in environmental conditions. To this extent it is analogous to an organism