From Jonathan Turner The Structure of Sociological Theory, The Dorsey Press

(1) Society as a bounded system is self-regulating, tending toward homeostasis and equilibrium.

(2) As a self-maintaining system, similar to an organism, society perhaps has certain basic needs or requisites, which must be met if survival is to ensue, if homeostasis is to be preserved, or if equilibrium is to be maintained.

(3) Sociological analysis of a self-maintaining system with needs and requisites should therefore focus on the function of parts in meeting system needs and hence maintaining equilibrium and homeostasis.

(4) In systems with needs, it is probable that certain types of structures must exist to ensure survival/homeostasis/equilibrium. While perhaps several alternative structures can exist to fulfill the same need, a delimited range of necessary alternative structures exists to fulfill any system need.