Chapter Outline

I. Structural Functionalism

A. Biographical Sketch: Talcott Parsons

B. The Functional Theory of Stratification and Its Critics

C. Talcott Parsons's Structural Functionalism

D. Biographical Sketch: Robert Merton

E. Robert Merton's Structural Functionalism

F. The Major Criticisms

II. Neofunctionalism

A. Biographical Sketch: Jeffrey Alexander

III. Conflict Theory

A. The Work of Ralf Dahrendorf

B. The Major Criticisms and Efforts to Deal with Them

C. A More Integrative Conflict Theory

IV. Summary