▁Par s ons ' ▁theory ▁stands ▁at ▁least ▁with ▁one ▁foot ▁in ▁the ▁sphere ▁of ▁herm ene ut ics ▁and ▁similar ▁interpret ive ▁parad ig ms , ▁which ▁become ▁particularly ▁relevant ▁when ▁the ▁question ▁of ▁" ends " ▁must ▁be ▁considered ▁within ▁systems ▁of ▁action - orientation . ▁As ▁such , ▁system ▁the or ists ▁such ▁as ▁Par s ons ▁can ▁be ▁viewed ▁as ▁at ▁least ▁partially ▁ant ip os it iv ist . ▁Par s ons ▁was ▁not ▁a ▁functional ist ▁per ▁se , ▁but ▁an ▁action ▁the or ist . ▁In ▁fact , ▁he ▁never ▁used ▁the ▁term ▁functional ism ▁to ▁refer ▁to ▁his ▁own ▁theory . ▁Also , ▁his ▁use ▁of ▁the ▁term ▁" struct ural ▁functional ism ", ▁generally ▁understood ▁as ▁a ▁character ization ▁of ▁his ▁theory , ▁was ▁used ▁by ▁Par s ons ▁in ▁a ▁special ▁context ▁to ▁describe ▁a ▁particular ▁stage ▁in ▁the ▁method ological ▁development ▁of ▁the ▁social ▁sciences . ▁ ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁main ▁features ▁of ▁Par s ons ' ▁approach ▁to ▁soci ology ▁was ▁the ▁way ▁in ▁which ▁he ▁stated ▁that ▁cultural ▁objects ▁form ▁an ▁autonom ous ▁type . ▁This ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁reasons ▁why ▁Par s ons ▁established ▁a ▁careful ▁division ▁between ▁cultural ▁and ▁social ▁system , ▁a ▁point ▁he ▁highlight ed ▁in ▁a ▁short ▁statement ▁that ▁he ▁wrote ▁with ▁Alfred ▁K roe ber , ▁and ▁is ▁expressed ▁on ▁his ▁AG IL ▁parad ig m . ▁For ▁Par s ons , ▁adaptation , ▁goal ▁att ain ment , ▁integration ▁and ▁laten cy