Weber: Social action theory

• Saw both structural and action approaches as necessary for a full understanding of human behaviour.
• An adequate sociological explanation involves 2 levels:

  1. level of cause: explaining the objective structural factors that shape peoples behaviour.
  2. level of meaning: understanding the subjective meanings that individuals attach to their actions.
• We need to account for both levels, unless our explanation will be incomplete and false.
• Study - Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism:

  Published in 1905. The level of structural cause, the Protestant Reformation introduced a new belief system, Calvinism. This changed people's worldview, which led to changes in their behaviour. E.g. promoted a work ethic that brought about the rise of capitalism.
• Study - Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism:

  Level of subjective meaning, work took in a religious meaning for Calvinists, as a calling by God to glorify his name through their labour. This motivated them to work systematically. As a result, they accumulated wealth and became the first modern capitalists.
• Types of action - Instrumentally rational action:

  Where the actor calculates the most efficient means of achieving a given goal. This action is not about whether the goal itself is desirable. Rational action is about the most efficient way of reaching that goal, whatever it may be.
• Types of action - Value-rational action:

  Involves action towards a goal that the actor regards as desirable for its own sake. There is no way of calculating whether the means of achieving the goal are effective.
• Types of action - Traditional action:

  Customary, routine or habitual actions. Weber does not see this type of action as rational, because no conscious thought or choice has gone into it. The actor does it because 'we have always done it'.
• Types of action - Affectual action:

  Action that expresses emotion. Important in religious and political movements with charismatic leaders who attract a following based on their emotional appeal.
• Evaluation of Weber:

  Valuable corrective to the over-emphasis on structural factors that we see in functionalism and many forms of Marxism, and an affirmation that we must also understand actors' subjective meanings if we want to explain their actions adequately.
• Evaluation of Weber:

  Schutz: Weber's view of action is too individualistic and cannot explain the shared nature of meanings.
• Evaluation of Weber:

  His typology of action is difficult to apply. Something may be seen as a traditional action or it could be seen as an instrumentally rational action.
• Evaluation of Weber:

  He advocated for the use of Verstehen or empathetic understanding of the actor's subjective meaning - where we put ourselves in the actors shoe to understand their motives and meanings. We cannot actually be that person, we can never fully understand their motives.