The Influence of Systems on Human Actions and Behavior

1. The Concept of Action

“Action” is a key term and the starting point for structural-functional analysis. This concept can be studied extensively and determines and guides all forms of human movement and conduct—whether collective or individual, conscious or unconscious.

Therefore, the term “action” not only defines external human behavior but also shapes thoughts, emotions, and needs. According to Parsons, four factors determine human actions:

Biological Factor: This refers to human actions shaped by physiological needs, as studied in biological sciences. The body, seen as an inherited (genetic) structure, determines specific types of behavior. For instance, when we are hungry, we eat, or when thirsty, we drink water. These biological needs influence certain behaviors. In other words, the human biological system determines physiological actions and behaviors.

Psychological Factor: This reflects the unique personality of individuals, guiding specific behaviors. It pertains to the psychological system, influencing both physiological behavior and mental states.

Social Factor: This refers to the reactive element stemming from specific social relationships among individuals or groups, operating as social actors and governed by prevailing norms, a subject of sociological study.

Cultural Factor: This includes ideological elements (beliefs), ideals, knowledge, values, and social symbols, studied in cultural anthropology (Parsons, T., 1965).

Human actions result from the interplay among these four systems. Distinguishing these factors is necessary for methodological and analytical purposes within different fields of science. Each discipline, focused on a specific analytical perspective, cannot always consider the other influencing factors that collectively shape human behavior.

Systemic analysis does not focus on individual behaviors or social group patterns. Instead, it examines society as an independent system whose functionality is distinct from individual actions. Just as a mechanic aims for the systemic operation of a car and ensures the proper functioning of each component, they understand that movement results from the regulated interaction of all parts, not each part independently.

Sociologists aim to study societal movement, change, correction, transformation, and evolution by understanding the entire social system as an independent entity. Changing individual behavior alone does not alter society’s trajectory. To change societal behavior, the social structure—or the systemic relationships between its components—must be transformed. Consequently, individual behavior aligns with the new social structure. Marx recognized that the mode of production determines culture and behavior, advocating changes in production methods to transform human actions and attitudes.

The goal of sociology is not to study individual or group behavior in society; that is more relevant to psychologists or behavioral scientists in management. Instead, sociology examines the governing principles within the social system to achieve new social functionalities through structural transformation.

2. General Subsystems of Action

As mentioned, human action is influenced by biological, psychological, social, and cultural factors, each studied as independent systems. These systems are open, interconnected, and mutually influential, collectively forming the general system of human action.

An open system means constant exchange of matter and energy between the subsystems and the environment, such as exchanges between culture and personality, personality and organism, and organism and the physical environment. These exchanges explain behavioral differences within a single socio-economic system.

Open systems also imply constraints imposed by subsystems on each other. A system exists when a set of factors and their interrelations show mutual dependency and stability at a given time. These constraints indicate significant differences between internal system operations and external influences.

Biological, psychological, sociological, and cultural factors are interrelated and complementary. Thus, it is logical to consider them as subsystems of a broader system shaping human action in society. No subsystem holds superiority; all must be viewed within the larger system of action. Therefore, sociologists studying social subsystems must consider the broader humanities context, as Parsons suggested.

Each system is part of a broader system. For instance, an atom, composed of a nucleus, neutrons, protons, and electrons, is part of a molecule, which is part of a tissue, an organ, and ultimately the universe. The interconnectedness of social systems dismisses narrow or biased views of human action. Researchers focus on a specific subsystem, treating it as closed for study purposes, controlling variables to observe changes, highlighting the relative nature of all scientific studies.