Social Action Theory

Question 1

SAT - Webers Interactionism

Answer 1

• Versthen –> must understand/emphasise with individs
• Understand soc on 2 levels:
- Cause –> explain structural factors shaping beh
- Meaning –> How individs understand actions
• Believed pre-destination caused capitalism (calvinism)
- know whether we have a spot in heaven: work hard, wealthy
• 4 types of action based on meaning:
- Instrumentally rational –> Calculate most efficient way to achieve
- Value-rational –> Action towards desirable goal
- Traditional –> Routine/unconscious Action
- Affectual–> Express emotion

Question 2

SAT - Evaluating Webers Interactionism - Shultz

Answer 2

• Weber is too individualistic ignored shared meaning
• 4 actions too broad - difficult to apply

Question 3

SAT - Symbolic Interactionism - Mead - Rationalise + Symbols

Answer 3

• Instincts –> Humans don’t respond with instincts (natural), have to rationalise response
• Symbols –> understand world through symbols, know how to respond
• Understand others meaning by taking their role + put self in their shoes

Question 4

SAT - Symbolic Interactionism - Blumler - Means + Labelling

Answer 4

1) Actions based on meanings (not natural)
2) Meanings arise from interacting with others + are interpreted
• Labelling Theory –>
- Definition = label it
- Self-Fulfilling Prophecy = labelled puts self in others shoes
- The Career = once labelled = SFP = career

Question 5

SAT - Symbolic Interactionism - Goffman - Dramaturgical Model

Answer 5

• Dramaturgical Model –> no such thing as self, we are all actors
- create characters we think others will like (presentation of self)
- Perform + change character depending on reactions (impression management)

Question 6

SAT - Symbolic Interactionism - Evaluation

Answer 6

• Loose collection of descriptive concepts, doesn’t explain
• Ignores wider soc structures - individualistic
• Fails to explain lables origin
• Can’t explain concisteny pattern of beh
• Not all action is meaningful, lots is unconscious

Question 7

SAT - Phenomenology - Husserl

Answer 7

• Can’t understand reality, it’s chaotic
- universe is impossible to predict/control (weather)
- Humans have constructed mental categories to make sense of reality - world is product of your mind

Question 8

SAT - Phenomenology - Schutz - Typifications

Answer 8

• Soc produces typifications = shared mental categories
- soc is composed of social Constructs, not reality -> Red = stop

Question 9

** SAT** - Ethnomethodology - Garfinkle - 2 rules of meaning (Reflexivity)

Answer 9

• Social order is achieved through understanding typificationd
• Rules of meanings:
- Reflexivity –> Meaning is unclear = indexicality
• soc have common sense meanings - guiding understanding
- Challenging Reflexivity –> Expose patterns in beh by challenging common assumptions
- Patterns in social interaction –> human strive for meaning by identifying patterns that are social Constructs

Question 10

SAT - Evaluating Ethnomethodology

Answer 10

• Structuralists = identifying patterns = structural
- research is same as structuralist approaches
• Even if meaning is a construct = real consequences