Social Action Theory Flashcards
(40 cards)
What are social action theories?
They start at micro level- they are bottom up approaches that focus on the actions and interactions of individuals.
Social Action Theories are voluntaristic, what does this mean?
They see individuals as having free will and choice. Our actions and ideas are not determined by society. Rather, we possess agency- the ability to act as free agents, creating and shaping society through our choices
What are the four main action theories we look at?
Social action theory, symbolic interactionism, ethnomethodology, and phenomenology
What two things did Weber see necessary for a full understanding of human behavior?
Both structural and action approaches
Weber argued that an adequate sociological explanation had two levels, what are these?
The level of cause- explaining the objective structural factors that shapes people’s behavior
The level of meaning- understanding the subjective meanings that individuals attach to their actions
What are the four types of subjective meanings that Weber attempts to classify?
Instrumentally rational action
Value-rational action
Traditional action
Affectual action
What did Weber mean by instrumentally rational action ?
This is where the actor calculates the most efficient means of achieving a given goal e.g., a capitalist may calculate that the most efficient way of maximizing profit is to pay low wages
What did Weber mean by value-rational action?
It involves actions towards a goal that the actor regards a desirable for its own sake- for example, a believer worshipping their god in order to get to heaven
What did Weber mean by tradition action?
It involves customary, routine or habitual actions. The actor does it because they have always done it
What did Weber mean by affectual action?
It is action that expresses emotion- for example, violence sparked by anger. Weber sees affectual action as important in religious and political movements with charismatic leaders who attract a following based on emotional appeal.
What did Mead discuss?
Symbols versus instincts
Taking the role of the other
What did Mead mean by symbols vs instincts?
Our behavior is not shaped by fixed, pre-programmed instincts. Instead, we respond to the world by giving meanings to the things that are significant to us.
According to Mead, how do we create and inhabit a world of meanings?
We attach symbols to the world
Why does mead argue that we are not like animals?
Because we do not simply respond to a stimulus in a pre-determined way. We have an interpretive phase- before we know how to respond to the stimulus, we have to interpret its meaning.
What did Mead mean by taking the role of the other?
We manage other people’s meanings by taking on the role of the other- putting ourselves in the place of the other person and seeing ourselves the way they see us
How does our ability to take the role of the other develop?
It develops through our social interaction. We take on the role of significant others and late we come to see ourselves from the point of view of the wider community- the generalized other.
What 3 principles did Blumer identify and develop from Mead?
Our actions are based on the meanings we give to situations, events, people. Our actions are not based on automatic responses to stimuli
These meanings arise from the interaction process. They are not fixed at the outset of interaction, but are negotiable and changeable to some extent
The meanings we give to situations are the result of the interpretive procedures we use- especially taking on the role of the other
What does Blumer argue about the functionalists views of socialisation and social control?
That although our action is partly predictable because we internalise the expectations of others, is not completely fixed. There is always room for negotiation and choice.
What does Labelling theory do?
Develops interactionists theory to look at many key areas in education, health, and crime and deviance
What is meant by the definition of the situation?
This is a label. Thomas argues that if people define a situation as real, then it will have real consequences. If a teacher labels a student as a troublemaker, the labelling theorists would argue that the student will become a troublemaker
What does Cooley mean by the looking glass self?
We develop a self-concept based on our ability to take on the role of the other. In interactions, by taking on the role of the other, we come to see ourselves as they see us. In other words, a self-fulfilling prophecy occurs
What did Becker mean by career?
To identify how individuals take on a status based on a given label and this becomes their master status and shapes interactions with others.
What does labelling theorist Goffman describe?
He describes how we actively construct our ‘self’ by manipulating other peoples impressions of us. He describes this as a dramaturgical model because he uses an analogy, with drama as a framework for analysing social performances. We perform ourselves to audiences and so on.
What did Goffman mean by impression management?
We seek to present ourselves in a favorable light, so we must control the impression our performance gives. This involves constantly studying our audience to see how they are responding and monitoring and adjusting our performance to present a good image. As in theatre, there is a front stage where we act our our roles, whilst backstage we can be ourselves
