Action theories

Question 1

4 features of action theories

Answer 1

1) society and social structures/ institutions are socially constructed
2) people have free will to do things and form their identities
3) prefer to research on small groups of individuals (micro)
4) peoples behaviours are driven by their beliefs

Question 2

Weber- 4 types

Answer 2

1) instrumentally rational action-
the actor calculates the most efficient means of achieving a given goal
2) value rational action-
action towards a goal that is desirable for ones own sake
3) traditional action-
customs, habitual action, which are often automatic
4) affectual action-
action which expresses emotion

Question 3

Thomas’s theory

Answer 3

Labelling theory

Question 4

labelling theory

Answer 4

defining a situation as real will have real consequences

Question 5

Erving Goffman’s theory

Answer 5

Dramaturgical model

Question 6

dramaturgical model

Answer 6

believes people use ‘presentation of self’ and ‘impression management’ to control how we come across, as well as the roles that we play

Question 7

Dramaturgical analogy- like a stage

Answer 7

as in the theatre, roles aren’t fixed, people can interpret their roles in different ways
people are aware they are doing this and life is a process of ‘self presentation’
we are props, stages etc to control how we appear to others
this is made possible by our ability to see ourselves as others see us

Question 8

Mead’s theory

Answer 8

Taking the role of the other

Question 9

taking the role of the other

Answer 9

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 the other
such as children taking the role of the parents

Question 10

schutz theory

Answer 10

phenomenology

Question 11

phenomenology

Answer 11

schutz says that the social world is experienced by us through our senses
we experience someone by meeting them, give them a typification which provides order to the word
social world is only possible when people share the same meanings
the fact that the social world appears real to us shows that it is working

Question 12

typification

Answer 12

individual stereotypes of society

Question 13

Garfinkel’s theory

Answer 13

Ethnomethology

Question 14

Ethnomethology

Answer 14

Garfinkel believes social order is created from the bottom up
believes that a sociologists job is to uncover the rules that govern our lives, which are sometimes hidden or taken for granted

Question 15

indexicality

Answer 15

meanings are always unclear, this is a threat to social order

Question 16

reflexivity

Answer 16

the way we stop indexicality from occurring, through using common sense knowledge to construct meaning

Question 17

Marxist evaluation on action theory

Answer 17

Marxists believe that action theorists ignore the impact of capitalism.
and that people have little choice in their actions as they are constantly oppressed

Question 18

feminist evaluation on action theory

Answer 18

Feminists believe that action theorists ignore the power of patriarchy.
they believes that women need to be studied on a large scale to address social inequalities

Question 19

Functionalists evaluation on action theory

Answer 19

functionalists believe that action theorists disregard the influence of social structures, specifically the family.