ABSTRACT
The objectification of society or the "systems approach," with government as the responsible Subject and social scientists as professional advisors to government, is a general development in the policy sciences during the 1930's to the 1950's. This chapter surveys few prominent examples of this development. The most influential system theorist in sociology and in political science is Talcott Parsons. Parsonian functionalism focuses on the functional prerequisites that a system must satisfy in order to maintain itself in changing equilibrium, but which it can never fully satisfy. Parsons' functionalism has been most influential among political scientists, especially among the developmental functionalists. From a functionalist perspective consumption expresses the attempt to maintain an expected or proper standard of living. In the functionalist interpretation, families socialized into a certain class position have a concept of the proper way to live, and this standard of living requires a certain income level.
