▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁influ ential ▁figures ▁in ▁soci ology ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century . ▁After ▁ear ning ▁a ▁Ph D ▁in ▁econom ics , ▁he ▁served ▁on ▁the ▁fac ulty ▁at ▁Harvard ▁University ▁from ▁ 1 9 2 7 ▁to ▁ 1 9 2 9 . ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 0 , ▁he ▁was ▁among ▁the ▁first ▁profess ors ▁in ▁its ▁new ▁soci ology ▁department . ▁Later , ▁he ▁was ▁instrument al ▁in ▁the ▁establishment ▁of ▁the ▁Department ▁of ▁Social ▁Rel ations ▁at ▁Harvard . ▁ ▁Based ▁on ▁empir ical ▁data , ▁Par s ons ' ▁social ▁action ▁theory ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁broad , ▁system atic , ▁and ▁general izable ▁theory ▁of ▁social ▁systems ▁developed ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁Europe . ▁Some ▁of ▁Par s ons ' ▁largest ▁contributions ▁to ▁soci ology ▁in ▁the ▁English - spe aking ▁world ▁were ▁his ▁transl ations ▁of ▁Max ▁We ber ' s ▁work ▁and ▁his ▁anal ys es ▁of ▁works ▁by ▁We ber , ▁É mile ▁Dur k heim , ▁and ▁Vil fred o ▁P are to . ▁Their ▁work ▁heavily ▁influenced ▁Par s ons ' ▁view ▁and ▁was ▁the ▁foundation ▁for ▁his ▁social ▁action ▁theory . ▁Par s ons ▁viewed ▁volunt ar istic ▁action ▁through ▁the ▁l ens ▁of ▁the ▁cultural ▁values ▁and ▁social ▁structures ▁that ▁const rain ▁choices ▁and ▁ultimately ▁determine ▁all ▁social ▁actions , ▁as ▁opposed ▁to ▁actions ▁that ▁are ▁determined ▁based ▁on ▁internal ▁psych ological ▁processes . ▁ ▁Although ▁Par s ons ▁is ▁generally ▁considered ▁a