ROBERT S. BROADHEAD NOTES ON THE SOCIOLOGY OF THE ABSURD: An Undersocialized Conception of Man.

This article presents information regarding the concept of oversocialization of man in modern sociology. But functionalism is on the demise, its inadequacies are now calmly admitted, negative criticism toward it is losing wind, and further critical analysis will probably be redundant. Functionalism implies an oversocialized conception of man, the sociology of the Absurd implies an undersocialized conception. An undersocialized conception is one that first, sees action to be primarily the result of intention and subjective meaning: and underplays, if not negates, the contributory influence of social norms, values, habits, routines, customs, contracts, or rituals in determining social behavior. Because the Absurd argues that the social world is continually created and recreated by man, it eschews and denies the existence of any social world that influences or channels the behavior of people. The Sociology of the Absurd implies an wider-socialized conception of man in that it depicts human behavior as being in a constant state of conflict and alienation with other men, as opposed to having a multidimensional relationship consisting of consensus, cooperation, loyalty, and competition.