Systemic Analysis of Politics in the Light of Reconstruction of Structural Functionalism of Jeffrey C. Alexander

  • Author: Jarosław Nocoń
  • Institution: Univeristy of Gdańsk (Poland)
  • ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1202-7580
  • Published online: 16 July 2021
  • Final submission: 29 June 2021
  • Printed issue: December 2021
  • Year of publication: 2021
  • Source: Show
  • Page no: 14
  • Pages: 7-20
  • DOI Address: https://doi.org/10.15804/ppsy202139
  • PDF: ppsy/50/ppsy202139.pdf

Applying systems analysis in political science research is still one of the important dimensions of political science methodology. Reconstruction of the functional model of the social system seems to be an attractive proposition for policy researchers. Signed by the name of Jeffrey Charles Alexander, the American version of neofunctionalism is one of the responses to the crisis of traditional forms of structural functionalism. The main purpose of the reconstruction of T. Parsons’s theory was its revitalization consisting in restoring the possibility of its application in contemporary social research. The reinterpretation of the classical approach was to a large extent “forced” by harsh criticism of the current approach and focused especially on attempts to overcome the limitations contained therein, which manifested in the impossibility of correlation of functional theorems with newly developing research currents Jeffrey Alexander restored relevance and emphasizes suitability for interpreting and explaining political processes and phenomena. Understanding the concept of functions and functional relations in the political environment allows for effective application in the analysis of contemporary political systems. Therefore, changing the method of functional analysis is a useful methodological tool in developing a political theory.

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functional explanation political analysis political system

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