CrackingIAS.com CrackingIAS.com CrackingIAS.com CrackingIAS.comIAS EXPRESS Fueling Pages and not Filling Pages IAS EXPRESS Fueling Pages an d not Filling Pages IAS EXPRESS Fueling Pages an d not Filling Pages IAS EXP RESS Fueling Pages an d not Filling Pages IN FOCUS IN FOCUS IN FOCUS IN FOCUS – – – ARTICLES ARTICLES ARTICLES ARTICLES MAINS 2014 SPECIAL - 3 Study materials available –Political Science, Sociology, General Studies, Essay & CSAT– Paper 1& 2 Z-block. 3007, 2 nd street, 13 th main road, Shanti Colony Road. Anna Nagar, Chennai-40. Landmark: Adjacent to Natesan Institute. (Take 2 nd RIGHT from police booth). WEBER - SOCIAL ACTION Action in sociology can either mean a basic action cone that has a meaning or a more advanced Social action (one that not only has a meaning but is directed at other humans and induces a response). The term “SOCIAL ACTION” was introduced by Max Weber. Weber holds that Sociology is the interpretive understanding of social action. Sociology tries to group inwardness and meanings of social action . Weber calls it “Interpretive Sociology” that lays stress on the study, interpretive and recognition of the following factors: (a) Social Action (b) Inwardness of social action (c) Inherent meanings (d) The mutuality developed as a result of turning to others. Social action has relationship with the action of the others and is not i solated. It is always of struggle on the one hand and co- ordination on the other hand between individual and members of society. A crowd can start doing social action only when its members begin to behave with each other. E.g.when an individual prays in a temple lonely it cannot be called Social action. At the most it can be called individual action. Weber tries to understand the meaning of a social action from the viewpoint of social actors and therefore its cause. He called it Verstehen, which due to an inability to translate its nuance has come to be the technical term for this form of understanding - placing oneself in the other's place to see the operative social force that determined action. Action and Verstehen are used by Weber to suggest why people accept authority . Weber says “action is social in so far as by virtue of the subjective meaning attached to it by the acting individual (or individuals), it takes account of the behaviour of others and is there by oriented in its course”. Thus Social action has four elements- Actor, Situation, Means and Ends. Social action should have meaningful orientation. Social action may be influenced by an action of past, present and future. Weber distinguishes four major types of Social Action:- Traditional/ Habitual action It is directed by customs or habits. People engage in this type of action often unthinkingly, because it is simply “always done”. This form of action is important for Weber in that this can become the basis for authority and legitimacy, To the extent that people feel a duty to abide by customs or tradition, social order is created and maintained and this acquires legitimacy in the minds of those who accept the traditions. Some traditional actions can become a cultural artifact. E.g.Putting on clothes, Relaxing on Sundays. Emotional/Affective action It is taken due to one's emotions, to express personal feelings on account of love, hatred, anger etc. These may or may not be rational Social action of this type is not ordinarily considered to be rational in any normal sense of the Term. An uncontrolled reaction to some exceptional stimulus is called sublimation when affectually conditioned action occurs in the form of conscious release of emotional tension. Sublimation leads to usually, though not always, the road to "value-rational" or end-rational action, or the combination of both. E.g.Cheering after a victory, Crying at a Funeral would be affec tion actions. Wert-rational/ Value rational It is characterized by striving for a goal which is rational and is purchased through rational means. The end Sanctifies the means. Such actions are taken because it leads to a valued goal, But with no thought of its consequences and often Without consideration of the appropriateness of the means to achieve it. •Affectual action is oriented to the satisfaction of a direct emotion such as revenge, sensuality, devotion, and contemplative bliss, or, finally, toward discharging emotional tensions regardless of how mass-conditioned or sublimed they may be. •Pure value-rational action without considering possible cost of its consequence, orients to duty, dignity, beauty, religious call, piety, or "cause" no matter in what it consists.
