RK Merton

Merton's Sociology  is to find how minorities in pluralistic society evolved into full fledged personalities.

Talcot Parson interested to develop Grand Theory in Sociology.  Society works as a system where different parts are harmonically linked to each other.  Society as a organic system, personality system, social system and cultural system.  Society is an integrated system.  If there is a change occurs, since change is a continuous process.  It will never lead to destruction.  Change brings new form of continuity as against the old form of continuity.  Parson developed a sociology as a critic to Marxian Sociology.

Marx says Revolution is the key to social change.  Parson the defender of capitalism and industrial society.  Parson disagreed with Marx on Revolution and says change will comes through Negotiation, communication and adaptation.

Merton views on society different from Talcott Parsons.  The major problem of Parsonian is overemphasise on integration.  Integration cannot be guaranteed at all time.  System is made up of different parts.  The parts can conflict with other parts.

Education contribute to industrialisation, employment, information sharing.  Education can also seen as dysfunctional to the society if it provides larger unemployment.  Merton is more committed to realistic approach on Integration and harmony.

Merton questioned the Parsononian Postulates of Classical functionism such as functional unity, functional universality, functional indispensability.

Functional Unity: Unity cannot be taken for granted.  In tribal society, economy relates to culture.  Tribes perform rituals before harvesting.  Ritual started by tribal chiefs.  In modern society, it is too difficult to believe automation can relate values, norms.

        Functional unity concerned about how parts are interconnected with each other but ignore about structural parts such as Family, School, Peer group have different proposition of  norms.  For example, Family is a social structure.  Two children socialize with same parents.  But integration with other institutions differs one child is brilliant in studies and other child is a slow learner but good in sports.

Functional Universality: Law in every society concerned about pattern maintenance and tension management.  But Merton's view on sociology should not study only the functions.  He should also concerned about dysfunctional aspects.

        Function is not always visible.  It can be manifest and latent.  Empirical understanding between different institutions.

        Subject matter of sociology should be functional, dysfunctional, and non-functional.  Ex. Students go to universities to obtain graduation and post graduation.  Subsequently enter into job market.  Universities an Colleges has dysfunctional role, when students are not attending the classes, then he will be experience the pathological condition.

Functional Indispensability: Adaptation is the role of economic system, Goal attainment is the role of Government, Integration is the rule of Law, Latency is the role of Family.

        These role cannot be altered.  But Merton says different institutions addressed same kind of needs.  Ex. Social control by rule of law, Police, Court.  But in Tribal society, it is controlled by Chiefs of tribal society in tribal population.  So social control done by different context in different society.

Merton liberate sociology from determinism which exist in Marxian economic determinism and Dynamism in functional theory.