128706
Description
Mind Map by Sarah Mather, updated more than 1 year ago
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Created by Sarah Mather
almost 11 years ago
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Social Structure vs.
Social Action
- Social Structure
refers to the
pre-existing social
structures within
which people live
- It is taught in
institutions such as the
family and education
via primary and
secondary
socialisation
- They shape
individual
behavious
- It is complex and often
problematic for sociologists
because it is not directly
observable/verifiable. It leads to
reification and suggests that
behaviour is DETERMINED.
- Durkheim, Parsons, Merton, Marx,
Althusser and Walby = structural theorists.
- It is taught in
institutions such as the
family and education
via primary and
secondary
socialisation
- Social action however refers to the
free will to alter behaviour in society
- Weber is a key theorist and
focusses on the rationalisation of
the modern world. We should avoid
over generalised theories as people
are NOT determined by social
laws/norms
- There are different types of
social action
- traditional action (i.e. custom of Christmas/Easter/buying
gifts), affective action (e.g. emotions at a funeral), rational
value-oriented action (e.g. overriding ideal value such as
committment to religious belief) and rational goal-oriented
action (i.e. students thinking of the benefits/costs of
university).
- The last 2 types are ideal for interpretivist
analysis. They can be applied to individuals
or groups
- Its also exemplified in his study "The
Protestant Work Ethic and the Spirit of
Capitalism"
- The last 2 types are ideal for interpretivist
analysis. They can be applied to individuals
or groups
- Weber is a key theorist and
focusses on the rationalisation of
the modern world. We should avoid
over generalised theories as people
are NOT determined by social
laws/norms
- George Ritzer (2004)
- Developed Weber's view of rationalism
- He used fast-food restaurants as an analogy
and argued that the process of McDonaldisation
and its impact on many areas of our lives
- He used fast-food restaurants as an analogy
and argued that the process of McDonaldisation
and its impact on many areas of our lives
- Developed Weber's view of rationalism
- Influence of Weber
- Developed sociology and
his approch lead to a view
called methodological
individualism
- People are often NOT determined by society as
structuralism implies
- He criticised dominant theories
particularly Marx's claim that he had
discovered the laws of development of
the economic structure. Weber believed
that individuals shape the development
of society however, this is NOT FIXED.
- Developed sociology and
his approch lead to a view
called methodological
individualism
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