soc4044 sociological theory max weber dr. ronald …faculty.winthrop.edu/solomonj/spring 2012/socl...

Monday, March 26, 2012© 1998-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender

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Max Weber

SOCL/ANTH 302: Social Theory

Backgroundhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBMNDJZHEeI&feature=fvst

Born in Thuringia, Germany (1864)

Eldest of eight children

Weber was a sickly childSuffered from physical and mental problems

Background

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His Mother was a Calvinist and very religious.

His father was a prominent liberal politician and civil servant.

Background

Parents had marriage problems because of different beliefs.

Max Weber and his brother Alfred became sociologists and economists.

Monday, March 26, 2012© 1998-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender

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Max Weber

Monday, March 26, 2012© 1998-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender

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Pronounced “vey-bear”

1864-1920

Max Weber

Monday, March 26, 2012© 1998-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender

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Sociology concerned with individuals, not just social structure

MacroMicro

Max Weber: Social Action

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Sociology: Comprehensive science of social action

Focus on individual human actors

Differed from social-structural approach

For example:Spencer concentrated on evolution of society as analogous to an organism

Max Weber: Social Action

Monday, March 26, 2012© 1998-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender

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Durkheim’s central concern:Maintaining the cohesion of social structures (social solidarity)

Marx’s focus: Conflicts between social classes

Max Weber: Social Action

Monday, March 26, 2012© 1998-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender

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Weber’s primary focus: The subjective meanings that human actors attach to their actionsWithin specific social-historical contexts

Behavior without meaning, is not inthe purview of sociology

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Monday, March 26, 2012© 1998-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender

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Four Major Types of Social Action1. Rationally Purposeful or Goal-

oriented Rational Action

Both goal and means are rationally chosen

Example: Earning a college degree in order to get a good paying job

Max Weber: Social Action

Monday, March 26, 2012© 1998-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender

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2. Value-oriented Rational Action

Working toward a goal, which may not be rationalBut is pursued through rational meansExample: Going to college because you value learning and knowledge

Max Weber: Social Action

Monday, March 26, 2012© 1998-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender

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3. Emotional or Affective ActionMotivated by emotional state (e.g., love, stress, revenge)

Rather than rationally weighing means and ends

Example: Going to college for the social lifeBecause your boyfriend or girlfriend is attending that school

Max Weber: Social Action

Monday, March 26, 2012© 1998-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender

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4. Traditional ActionGuided by customary habits of thought

Example: Celebrating religious holidaysAttending college because it’s traditional for your family

Max Weber: Social Action

Monday, March 26, 2012© 1998-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender

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Primarily concerned with modern Western society

Behavior increasingly dominated by goal-oriented rationality

In the past: Motivated by tradition, affect, or value-oriented rationality

Max Weber: Ideal Types

Monday, March 26, 2012© 1998-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender

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An ideal type not meant to refer to “best” or to a moral ideale.g., ideal type brothel or ideal type chapel

Analytical construct that provides a basic method for comparative study

Max Weber: Ideal Types

Identifies “logically consistent” features of social institution

Compare “ideal type” to reality

Used to develop research hypotheses

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Example of Ideal Type

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Four characteristics of Ideal type Capitalism (economic system)

1. Private ownership Means of production

2. Pursuit of Profit

3. Competition

4. No government intervention

Max Weber: Authority

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Three modes of authority Authority is legitimate power

1. Legal-rational authorityBased on impersonal rulesRules are legally enacted or

contractually established

Examples: Presidents, judges

Max Weber: Authority

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2. Traditional authorityBased on belief in traditionPassed down generation to generation

Examples: Aristocracy, Parents, Elders

Max Weber: Authority

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3. Charismatic authorityAllegiance to leader Leader’s characteristics Quality of individual's personality

Examples: Martin Luther King Jr., Gandhi

Max Weber: Bureaucracy

Monday, March 26, 2012© 1998-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender

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Formal organization of large-scale enterprises for example:

GovernmentMilitaryEconomicReligiousEducational

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBCAlZPF0D0

Max Weber: Bureaucracy

Ideal-type Bureaucracy:Clearly defined division of labor

RationalityBusiness-like attention to implementing goals of organization

Impersonal application of rules

Routinization of tasks

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Max Weber: Bureaucracy

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Calculability of resultsDysfunctions of bureaucracy

Depersonalization Difficult to deal with individual casesPersonnel are replaceableInformation flows from top-downhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TypEb0tbFhoTooker paintings illustrate rationality and modernity

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Method for studying stratification of populations for sociological purposes

Social Class (economic)“…property…and lack of property…” is basis of all class situations

Class is a type of socioeconomic category

Max Weber: Class, Status, and Party

Max Weber: Class, Status, and Party

Monday, March 26, 2012© 1998-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender

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Status (social)Evaluations people make of one anotherRanking desired behavior & traitsValue-oriented behavior

Max Weber: Party

Parties (power)Associations of people that attempt to influence social action

Working toward a goal in a planned manner (i.e., rationally)

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Weber’s Contribution to Sociology

◦ Stratification theory (class, status, party)

◦Bureaucracy & large scale organizations

◦ Legitimate authority

◦Role of power

◦ Sociology of law

◦ Sociology of religion

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Weber’s Contribution to SociologyTheory and Methodology

“verstehen” helps in understanding why certain behaviors occur

Social Action: Subjective meanings

Values: Role in relationships

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Weber’s Contribution to Sociology

Multi-causality of Social Phenomena

Complete Objectivity is Impossible◦Values & Value relevance

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Weber’s Contribution to Sociology

The Protestant Ethic & The Spirit of Capitalism◦Cultural barriers can prevent an economy

from growing to its full potentialEx: religion

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Weber’s Contribution to Sociology

Max Weber had a more powerful positive impact on a wide range of sociological theories than any other sociological theoristCreated the German Association for Sociology (1909)Starting Point for Careers:

Karl Mannheim, Talcott Parsons, Robert Merton and C. Wright Mills

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