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Max Weber1864-1920

Rationality and Organization

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

Maximilian Karl Emil "Max" Weber

Born in Erfurt, Germany (1864)

Well-to-do family

Eldest of eight children

Sickly child Physical problems Mental problems

Background3

His mother (Helene Fallenstein):

Calvinist Concerned with social issues Very religious

His father (Max Weber): Politician Lawyer Self-centered and authoritarian

Mr. and Mrs. Max Weber4

Background

Parents had marriage problems

Different beliefs and values

Max Weber and his brother Alfred became sociologists and economists.

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Max Weber6

WeberPronounced:

“vay-bear”

Max, Alfred, and Karl -> (1879)

Max Weber’s Sociology7

Concerned with individuals, as well as social structure Macro Micro

Max Weber: Sociology8

Comprehensive science of

Social ActionSocial Action

Behavior versus Action Behavior versus Action BehaviorBehavior= move, react, = move, react, eat etc.eat etc.

ActionAction=Behavior + =Behavior + MeaningMeaning

Different from Other Theorists

Spencer: Evolution of society as analogous to an organism

Natural laws of society

Durkheim: Society as an organism

Maintaining cohesioncohesion of social structures

Social Solidarity

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Different from Other Theorists

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Marx: Society influenced by economy

Conflict between social classessocial classes

Malinowski: Malinowski: Society functions to Society functions to meet needs of individualsmeet needs of individuals

Holistic approachHolistic approach

Max Weber: Social Action 11

Weber’s primary focus: Subjective meanings that humans attach to their actions and interactions

Within specific social contexts

Behavior without meaning, is not inthe purview of sociology

Max Weber: Social Action12

Four Major Types of Social Action

1. Traditional ActionGuided by custom or habit

Action is simply "always done"

Example: Celebrating holidays

Max Weber: Social Action13

2. Emotional or Affective ActionMotivated by emotional state Love, Anger, Happiness, Revenge

Examples: Going to college because your boyfriend or girlfriend is attending that school

Hitting a person out of anger

Max Weber: Social Action14

3. Value-oriented Rational ActionWorking toward a goal, which may not be rational

But is pursued through rational meansValues: Ethical, Religious, Philosophical Not rationally "chosen“

Example: Going to college because you value learning and knowledge

Max Weber: Social Action

4. Instrumental Rational (Goal-oriented Rational Action)Goals & means are rationally chosen

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

How to get richhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yz81sLCy--c

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Max Weber: Social Action16

Primarily concerned with modern Western society

Behavior increasingly dominated by goal-oriented rationality

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

Rationalization

Rational calculation, Efficiency, and Control (Bureaucracy)

Replace:Affective tiesSpiritualityTradition

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Max Weber: Ideal Types18

An ideal type not meant to refer to “best” or to a moral ideal

e.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 Type20

Four characteristics of Ideal type Capitalism

1.Private ownership Means of production

2.Pursuit of Profit

3.Competition

4.No government intervention

TR Legitimation & Authority21

Legitimation-> Turns coercion into acceptable Authority

Authority = Legitimate Power

Three modes of authority 1. Legal-rational2. Traditional3. Charismatic

Max Weber: Authority

1. Legal-rational authority Based on impersonal rules Rules are legally enacted or

contractually established

Examples: Presidents, judges

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Max Weber: Authority23

2. Traditional authorityBased on belief in traditionPassed down generation to

generation

Examples: Aristocracy, Parents, Elders

Max Weber: Authority24

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

Examples: Martin Luther King Jr., Gandhi

Max Weber: Bureaucracy25

Formal organization of large-scale enterprises for example:

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

Max Weber: Bureaucracy

Ideal-type Bureaucracy:Clearly defined division of labor

Rationality Attention to implementing goals of organization

Impersonal application of rulesRoutinization of tasks

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Max Weber: Bureaucracy27

Major advantageCalculability of results

Dysfunctions of bureaucracy Depersonalization Difficult to deal with individual casesPersonnel are replaceableInformation flows from top-down http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TypEb0tbFho George Tooker paintings illustrate rationality and modernity

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Method for Studying Social Stratification: Sources of Power

Social Class“…property…and lack of property…”Life chancesSocio-economic category

Lower class Middle class Upper class

MW Max Weber: Class, Status, and Party

Sources of Power: Class, Status, & Party

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StatusPrestigeHonor Evaluations people make of one

anotherRanking desired behavior & traits

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2009

Max Weber: Party

Association that attempts to influence social action ReligiousPoliticalAge-basedRace/EthnicityLobbyists

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

◦Power & Authority

◦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 more powerful positive impact on a wide range of sociological theories than any other sociological theorist

Created the German Association for Sociology (1909)

Starting Point for Careers: Karl Mannheim, Talcott Parsons, Robert Merton and C. Wright Mills

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