social action theory

• 2 types of sociological theories

  1. structural - functionalism, marxism
  2. action - phenomenology, ethnomethodology, weber social action, symbolic interactionism
• action theories are micro theories - society is constructed by acts of individuals
• action theories focus on meanings and interactions of individuals
• our actions are not determined by society - we have free will and can create our choices, meanings, actions
• weber - social action theory 


  found that there are an infinite number of subjective meanings that actors may give to their actions

  1. instrumentally rational action
  2. value-rational action
  3. traditional action
  4. affectual action
• instrumentally rational action

  where actor calculates the most efficient means of achieving a goal
• value rational action

  action towards a goal that the actor regards as desirable/ importance of the purpose of the action

  e.g believer worshipping their god in order to get to heaven
• traditional action

  actions based upon custom and habit of individual
• affectual action


  action that expresses emotion / emotional factors
• schutz - phenomenology 


  idea that the categories and concepts we use are not unique to ourselves - rather we shared them with other members of society

  typifications - shared categories
• typifications -schutz


  shared categories

  meaning of any experience varies according to its social context

  we develop common sense knowledge in order to communication and exist in a shared society

  help stabilise and clarify meanings
• phenomenology 


   idea that society is made by people rather than the other way around.
• husserl - phenomenology 


  argues the world only makes sense because we impose meaning and order on it by constructing mental categories that we use to classify and file information
• ethnomethodology 


  focuses on individuals and the way they make sense of the world
• Garfinkel - ethnomethodology


  social order is an accomplishment - something that members of society actively construct using common sense knowledge
• Garfinkel - indexicality 


  nothing has a fixed meaning - depends on the context

  no meaning is fixed or clear

  can be a threat to social order as if meanings are unclear, communication becomes difficult and relationships break down
• Garfinkel - reflexitivity


  refers to the fact that we use common sense knowledge to construct a sense of meaning and order and stop indexicality from happening
• Garfinkel -

  language is vital in achieving reflectivity
• garfinkel - reflexitivity and suicide


  coroners make sense of deaths by selecting particular features from infinite number of facts about the deceased

  e.g mental health, employment

  then treat these features as a real pattern

  e.g use this info to conclude suicide is due to mentally ill, unemployment
• symbolic interactionism 


  focuses on our ability to create society through our actions and interactions

  sees interactions as based on the meanings we give to situations through symbols and language
• mead - symbolic interactionist

  unlike animals our behaviour is not shaped by fixed instincts

  we respond to world by giving meanings

  use symbols to create meaning
• mead - taking the role of the other 


  interpret meanings by putting ourselves in the place of the other person
• blumer - symbolic interactionist 


  identified 3 principles to symbolic interactionism

  1. actions are based on meanings we give to situations - not based on automatic responses to stimuli
  2. meanings arise from interaction processes
  3. meanings we give are result of interpretive procedures
• blumer


  argues our actions are partly predictable as we internalise expectations of others however it is not completely fixed

  we can negotiate and choose how we perform our roles - can create infinite meanings
• labelling theory

  1. the definition of the situation
  2. the looking glass self
  3. career
• Thomas - definition of a situation


  argued that if people define a situation as real, then it will have real consequences
• cooley - the looking glass self 


  how we develop our self concept - idea of who we are

  helps us take the role of the other

  due to this, a self-fulfilling prophesy occurs
• labelling process

  1. definition of situation- individual defined as mentally ill
  2. looking glass self - individual takes role as mental patient
  3. career - 'mental patient' may become their master status
• Becker and lemert - career


  label become master status, what they're most known for
• goffman - dramaturgical model 


  describes how we actively construct our self by manipulating other peoples impression of us

  were all actors using scripts, props, stages

  aim to carry convincing performances

  1. impression management
  2. presentation of self
• goffman - presentation of self 


  seek to present a particular image to audiences
• goffman - impression management 


  use language , tone of voice, gestures, costumes, props to manage how we perceive to others

  using these techniques, we create the desired image we want to present to audiences