, ▁a ▁criticism ▁of ▁the ▁theoretical ▁found ations ▁for ▁so - called ▁conflict ▁theory . ▁ ▁Crit ic ism ▁of ▁theories ▁From ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 5 0 s ▁to ▁the ▁student ▁re bell ion ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁and ▁its ▁after math , ▁Par s ons ' ▁theory ▁was ▁critic ized ▁by ▁some ▁sch ol ars ▁and ▁intellect uals ▁of ▁the ▁left , ▁who ▁claimed ▁that ▁Par s ons ' s ▁theory ▁was ▁inher ently ▁conserv ative , ▁if ▁not ▁reaction ary . ▁G ould ner ▁even ▁claimed ▁that ▁Par s ons ▁had ▁been ▁an ▁oppon ent ▁of ▁the ▁New ▁De al . ▁ ▁Par s ons ' ▁theory ▁was ▁further ▁regarded ▁as ▁unable ▁to ▁reflect ▁social ▁change , ▁human ▁suffering , ▁pover ty , ▁dep riv ation , ▁and ▁conflict . ▁Th eda ▁Sk oc pol ▁thought ▁that ▁the ▁apart heid ▁system ▁in ▁South ▁Africa ▁was ▁the ▁ult imate ▁proof ▁that ▁Par s ons ' s ▁theory ▁was ▁" wr ong ". ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁same ▁time , ▁Par s ons ' ▁idea ▁of ▁the ▁individual ▁was ▁seen ▁as ▁" over social ized ", ▁" re press ive ", ▁or ▁sub j ug ated ▁in ▁norm ative ▁" con form ity ". ▁In ▁addition , ▁J ürgen ▁Hab erm as ▁and ▁count less ▁others ▁were ▁of ▁the ▁belief ▁that ▁Par s ons ' ▁system ▁theory ▁and ▁his ▁action ▁theory ▁were ▁inher ently ▁opposed ▁and ▁mut ually ▁host ile ▁and ▁that ▁his ▁system ▁theory ▁was ▁especially ▁"