Social Action theories Flashcards
(27 cards)
What is symbolic interactionism?
Human beings interact with others based on a collection of accepted symbols and meanings - this creates a social reality.
Name the main 2 sociologists in symbolic interactionism
Mead
Blumer
What does Mead say about how social reality is constructed?
He says that as we are not run by instincts like animals we have to choose how to respond in all our different interactions. This is called the INTERPRETIVE PHASE and it involves us taking on the role of the other person to understand how we should respond.
Give some symbols in real life
Traffic lights
Shushing
Thumbs up
Evaluate Mead’s theory - positive and negative
+ there are real life examples
- functionalists would say that if there is shared meanings between everyone there is some sort of value consensus
How does Blumer elaborate on Mead’s theory?
He speaks of negotiated actions - that meanings are not fixed but changeable and that they are only somewhat predictable as sometimes we can get it wrong. Blumer emphasises free will and choice and attacks positivists who focus on laws and predictions for human behaviour.
Give a piece of negative evaluation for Blumer
- Blumer acts as if interactions occur ‘in a vacuum’ with no influence from social structures when obviously this cannot be true (eg lower class people do not have the same choices)
Who came up with the dramaturgical model?
Goffman
Summarise Goffman’s dramaturgical analogy
He believes we construct our sense of self by managing other people’s impression of us. In life we are all actors performing whatever role is required of us at that time so we can be perceived positively.
Define:
Role distance
Performance failure
Regions
Role distance - the gap between our real selves and the person we’re portraying
Performance failure - when we slip up and compromise our role
Regions - whether it is front or backstage
Give a piece of negative evaluation for Goffman
- it doesn’t consider the difference between deliberately manipulating others’ perception of us and just passively doing things by habit.
What is phenomenology?
The belief that the world only makes sense because we construct meanings through mental categories
Who is the main sociologist for phenomenology and what’s their theory?
Schutz - believed people in society have shared categories called TYPIFICATIONS. The meanings of actions are all bound by context like hugging your teacher and hugging your friends - these meanings help everyone feel they are speaking the same language and leads us to assume the social reality is solid.
Give a sociologist who supports Schutz’s threory
Cicourel - police stereotypes - they use typifications of what a criminal looks like to do stop and search - eg black and male
Give a piece of positive evaluation
+ highlights free will as people themselves construct these meanings and therefore create social reality
What is ethnomethodology?
The idea that social order is an illusion that doesn’t exist outside a individual’s consciousness - we use our own common sense and assumptions to make the world seem predictable and reliable.
Who is the main sociologist for ethnomethodology and what is their theory?
Garfinkel - he said that the indexicality of the world (everything being unsure and based on context) is dealt with by reflexivity (using common sense assumptions to determine meaning). E.g hearing a loud bang in England is unlikely to be a bomb or gunshot so to clam ourselves we think it is more likely to be a car backfire
How did Garfinkel support his theory?
With breaching experiments where his students attempted to book a room in their parents’ house - the parents couldn’t explain why this was happening through common sense or context. This showed social reality is fake.
Give a piece of negative evaluation for Garfinkel
This is preoccupied by trivial issues rather than systemic problems like inequality - which are more structural
What are the two integrated approaches studied? - with sociologists
Weber - social action theory (ikr)
Giddens - structuration theory
Outline Weber’s social action theory
Believed that people had choice and are not just puppets but are restricted by social structures of inequality. He thinks that understanding society means analysing the LEVEL OF CAUSE from structures and the LEVEL OF MEANING which are the meanings people attach to their actions.
Give an example of level of cause and level of meaning in action
The Protestant reformation (a structural change) created a branch called Calvinism which believed in a simple lifestyle without lavish commodities. So people’s actions changed as they kept working hard but saved their money - this created capitalism. (action affected structures)
Weber believed that there were 4 types of social action what were they?
Instrumentally rational action - taking an action as it is the most efficient way of achieving a goal
Value rational action - taking an action because it is in itself right or valuable
Traditional action - taking an action because it is what has always been done
Affectual action - taking an action due to strong emotions
Give a piece of negative evaluation for Weber
- not every action fits cleanly into one of the 4 categories
