ABSTRACT
Systems theory was first introduced into sociology by the US-American sociologist Talcott Parsons (1902–1979). He laid the foundation for what was to become known as structural functionalism and developed a general theory of action. Parsons was probably the most influential sociologist during the 1940s–1960s, maybe even of the twentieth century. Perhaps as is to be expected, he was and is one of the most criticized sociological writers as well. Parsons was said to ignore the conflicts of social life and to miss the dynamic aspect of social change. 1 To many colleagues, Parsons seemed to present an “oversocialized conception of man” 2 that underrated the creativity and autonomy of human actors. 3
