Social Action Theory Flashcards
(10 cards)
What are social action theories ?
Action theories are a micro approach which focuses on individuals and the way they interact with each other. The reason for this is that they believe our behaviour is the result of the way we interpret and negotiate with others over noms and values.
What are the main features of action theories ?
Main features of Action theories are:
• Society and social structures/institutions are social constructed (family doesn’t exists externally to our minds)
• People have free will to do things and form their own identity
• Prefer to research on small groups of individuals (micro)
• People’s behaviour is driven by their beliefs , meaning and emotions to a given situation
What does Weber state about social action theories ?
Weber’s theory is based on both Structure and Action theory. He liked both a micro and macro theory to understand what external forces people are vulnerable to.
He fused history and sociology to come up with his idea. He aid sociologists should use their empathy to understand human action (Verstehen). They must put themselves in people’s shoes to understand why they behave as they do and not just simply judge.
He believes that human behaviour can only be understood if you know the level of cause and the level of meaning.
The level of cause is the structure in place to structure behaviour.
The level of meaning is the interpretation of meaning (VERSTHEN)
Weber classifies action into 4 different types of:
• Instrumentally rational action - the actor calculates the mot efficient means of achieving a given goal
• Value rational action - action towards a goal that is desirable for one’s own sake
• Traditional action - customs , habitual actions , which are often automatic
• Affectual action - action which expresses action
What does Thomas and Cooley state about the labelling theory ?
The key concepts that underpin the concept are :
The definition of the situation - if we attach a label to something , it will affect the way we act and has real life consequences (Thomas)
The loading glass self - self-concept comes from the ability to take the role of the other - this allows us to see ourselves as others see us - this leads to the self-fulfilling prophecy : w become what others see us as - our label becomes part of our self concept (Cooley)
Through the looking glass self, the label becomes part of the individual’s self-concept. He takes on the role of ‘mental patient’ and a self-fulfilling prophecy is created when he acts it out. Even if the initial definition of him was false, it has become true and may have real consequences. For example, he may find himself detained in a psychiatric hospital
What does Mead state about taking the role of others ?
Mead believes that humans are different from animals , because our behaviour is more than just instinct , because of the meaning we give things.
Crucially, we gain this meaning through taking the role of other. As children, we do this through seeing ourselves through the eyes of those close to us ,like our parent. As we get older , we begin to see ourselves from anybody and everybody else - the generalised other.
What does Goffman say about the Dramaturgical model ?
The roles we play in society are loosely scripted and we have freedom and choice in when no how we play
Goffman believes people use ‘presentation’ of self’ and ‘impression management’ to control how we come across, as well as the roles that we play.
Dramaturgical analogy - life is like a stage
As in the theatre , roles are not fixed. People can interpret their roles in many different ways
People are aware they are doing this and life is a process of ‘self-presentation’
We use props , stages , etc. to control how we appear to others. This is made possible by our ability to see ourselves as others see us.
Asylums - participant observation - ‘institutionalised’ , ‘disculturalisation’ , ‘notion of self’
What does Schutz state about phenomenology ?
Essentially , a phenomenon is something that we can experience through our senses
Schutz :
He states that the social world is experienced by us through our senses. For example, we experience someone by meeting them, and Schutz believes we give them a typification , which helps provide order to our world.
He also believes that the social world is only possible when people share the same meanings. The fact that the social world appears real to u shows that it is working
What does Garfinkel state about ethnomethodology ?
This analyses the way people , as rational actors , make sense of their everyday world by employing practical reasoning rather than formal logic.
Garfinkel :
He believes that social order is created from the bottom up. He believes that a sociologists job is to uncover the rules that govern our lives , which are sometimes hidden or taken-for-granted
Indexicality - meanings are always unclear , ad this is a threat to social order
Reflexivity - the way we stop indexicality from occurring , through using common sense knowledge to construct meaning
He was interested in how individuals make sense of the world , and how they impose the sense of order in their lives. He aimed to experiment with the taken for granted assumptions and rules they imposed on the social world by using ‘breaching experiments’. These aimed to get the reactions from breaching the taken for granted assumptions people have embodied into social rules and norms. He had this done by having students act like lodgers in their own homes in front of their parents and record how heir parents reacted to the breach in their everyday taken for granted relationship with their children. Through the parents reactions of bewilderment, anger and etc he not only displayed how these people create social order through assumption but also how fragile this system is.
What is the AO3 of social action theories ?
Strengths -
Unlike structural theories it explains that to fully understand actions and social order you have to understand motivations and meanings
Not deterministic like other theories e.g. Marxism
Gives insight into social interactions have consequences for individuals - setting and streaming , deviant label = crime
Uses qualitative methods which have high levels of validity
Weaknesses -
Doesn’t look enough at the structures on society and how these constraints behaviour
Doesn’t explain people’s motivations
PM think SA is still a meta narrative
