The theory I have chosen to focus on is the theory of structural functionalism. The theory of structural functionalism “explains the expectations of a society and the inability of members of that society to move away from those expectations. It focuses on the organization of a society and the relationships between the social units that make up that society. The theory provides a general law and guidelines by which individuals are governed. (ask.com, 2014) In Applerouth and Edles' 2nd Edition Handbook of Classical and Contemporary Sociological Theory, two theorists focus on structural functionalism. These theorists are Talcott C. Parsons and Robert K. Merton. Talcott Parsons was known as the greatest contributor and scholar of structural functionalism. Parsons' theory was built from the AGIL system which has four functional imperatives. These imperatives include: “(1) The adaptive function, by which a system adapts to its environment, (2) The goal achievement function, that is, the way in which a system defines and achieves its objectives, (3) The integrative function, or regulation. of system components, (4) Latency, or pattern maintenance function, that is, how motivation and the dimensions of culture that create and maintain motivation are stimulated. (Mcgraw-hill.com) Once he developed this system of exchange, he began to focus on the evolution of societies. Parsons believed that action within society cannot be considered in isolation, but must be "understood as a 'process over time' or as a system." » (Edles, 2012, p. 328) Parsons used a number of terms to explain his theory. One term he used was unitary act, which he used to refer to "a hypothetical actor in a hypothetical situation limited by a set of parameters and conditions...... middle of article..... The heorist had strong opinions on how to achieve and maintain social order, but ultimately both theories somewhat achieve the same goal. Retrieved April 29, 2014 from Mcgraw-hill.com: http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0072817186/student_view0/chapter7/chapter_summary.html (April 29, 2014). Retrieved April 29, 2014 from Ask.com: http://www.ask.com/question/what-is-structural-functional-theory(2012). In S. a. Edles, Classical and contemporary sociological theory (p. 328). Thousand Oaks: SAGE. Functionalism and Parsons. (nd). Retrieved May 1, 2014, from http://uregina.ca/~gingrich/n2202.htmParson's Social System (Structural Functionalists). (nd). Retrieved April 30, 2014 from http://faculty.babson.edu/krollag/org_site/encyclop/parsons.htmlWikipedia. (nd). Retrieved April 2, 2014 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Structural_functionalism