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
Monday, March 26, 2012© 1998-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
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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
Monday, March 26, 2012© 1998-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
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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
3/27 Max Weber: Social Action
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
Monday, March 26, 2012© 1998-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
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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
Monday, March 26, 2012© 1998-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
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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
Monday, March 26, 2012© 1998-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
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2. Traditional authorityBased on belief in traditionPassed down generation to generation
Examples: Aristocracy, Parents, Elders
Max Weber: Authority
Monday, March 26, 2012© 1998-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
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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
Monday, March 26, 2012© 1998-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
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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
Monday, March 26, 2012© 1998-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
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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
Monday, March 26, 2012© 1998-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
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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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