SUMBLOG10 Talcott Parsons

I find Talcott Parsons concept of pattern variable very useful.  I say this because the way people deal with certain situations can be explain through 1 of the 5 variables.  If you don’t deal with it in a certain way, then you are going to deal with it using another method (Patterns).  What I mean by this is that there are only so many ways that we can actually use to interact with each other, therefore Parsons’s 5 variable helps us understand why humans behave in these patterns.  The first pattern is the affectivity-affection neutrality pattern.  This pattern basically states that we are expected to have a more intimate relationship with the people we are close with, and act neutral with the people we don’t.  This make sense because, who would want to share personal information to strangers.  The second pattern is the diffuseness-specificity, which is a person’s willingness to help other.  Again, people are more likely do things for people that they know rather than people that they don’t.  Universalism-particularism is the third pattern.  Form my understanding of this is being a law abiding citizen VS hermit.  People are supposed to follow laws to ensure a safe environment, which is the norm.  However, a hermit is someone who chooses not to follow the norm and do what they see fit.  The fourth of these patterns is achievement-ascription.  The best that I can explain this pattern is people do the things they do to achieve a goal.  The last of these patterns is the collectivity-self-orientation.  What this is is if a person is in it for him/herself, or for the group.  An example of this is a ball player wanting the ball more to raise his stats VS working together with the team to achieve something greater.  I like to use this video of Italian striker Mario Bolitelli to showcase this (https://www.youtube.com/watchv=Ea6t_FCQ6Vc).  As you can see he clearly had a chance to put his team ahead in the game.  Instead he chose to showboat and brings instead the attention to himself. He is a prime example of a selfish individual.   In conclusion, in my mind I think that these five patterns really have an influence on our behavior in one way or another.