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action (theories) Flashcards

1
Q

what r action theories the opposite of

A

structural theories
(functionalism n marxism)

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2
Q

what type of approach r they

A

bottom up, micro level

focus on actions n interactions of individual

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3
Q

what do they believe individuals have

A

free will and choice
more voluntaristic

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4
Q

what r the main action theories??
(4)

A

social action
symbolic interactionism
phenomenology
ethnomethodology

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5
Q

key functionalist for action theories

A

MAX WEBER

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6
Q

action theory- what r the 2 levels to understand human behaviour

A
  1. the level of cause
    = understanding objective structural factors that shape behaviour.
  2. level of meaning
    = understanding the subjective meaning that individuals attach to their action.
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7
Q

what r the 4 types of action based on meaning for the actor??

(weber)

A
  1. instrumentally rational action
    = actor calculate most efficient means of achieving given goal.

2.value rational action
=towards a goal the actor regards as desirable for its own sake e.g. worshipping to get to heaven

  1. traditional action
    =custonmy, routine or habitual

4.affectual action
=express emotion e.g. crying out of grief

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8
Q

list all the topics in symbolic interactionism

A
  1. G.H mead
    -symbols vs instincs, taking role of others.

2.Herbert Bulmer (3)

  1. labelling theory
  2. Gothmans dramatyrgical model
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9
Q

give definition of symbolic interactionism

A

focuses on how we create the social world thru our interactions. these interactions r based on the meaning we give to situations, conveyed thru symbols especially LANGUAGE

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10
Q

what was G.H mead
1. symbols vs instincts

A

unlike animals beh is governed by instincts, we respond by giving meanings to things that are significant to us.
create a world of meanings by attacking symbols to the things around us.

TF- an interpretive phase between stimulus & our response to it, in which we interpret its meaning.

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11
Q

what is G.H Mead
2. taking the role of other

A

we interpretative other pals meanings by taking their role i.e. putting ourselves in their place, seeing ourselves how they see us.

this ability develops thru interaction. young children internalise significant others such as parents, while later in life we see ourselves from the point of view of society in general
GENERALIISED OTHER

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12
Q

what was HERBERT BULMER
3 key principles of interactionism??

A
  1. our actions r based on the meanings we give to situations, ppl act. NOT automatic response to stimuli.
  2. these meanings arise from interactions n r able to some extent negotiable n changeable

3.these meanings we give to a situation r mainly the result of taking the role of the other.

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13
Q

so what is BULMER basically arguing

A

although our action is partly predictable bc we internalise the expectations of others there is always room for choice in how we perform our roles.

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14
Q

what r the 3 labelling key interactionist concepts??

A
  1. definition of the situation
  2. looking glass-self
  3. career
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15
Q

LABELLING
explain 1. definition of the situation

A
  1. defining something labels it.

THOMAS argues- if ppl define a situation as real, it will have real consequences: if we believe something to be true this will affect how we act & in turn may affect those involved.

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16
Q

LABELLING
explain 2. looking-glass self

A
  1. COOLEY
    argues- our self-concept arises from our ability to take the role of other.
    others act as a looking-glass to us: we see our self mirrored in how they respond to us & become what they see us as.
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17
Q

LABELLING
explain 3. career

A
  1. BECKER & LEMERT
    apply this concept to mental patients.
    the individual has a strict career funning from ‘pre-patient’ with certain symptoms thru labelling by a psychiatrist, to a hospital in-patient to discharge ect. ‘mental patient becomes our MASTER STATUS.
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18
Q

what r the 2 topics in rothmans dramaturgical model??

A
  1. presentation of self & impression management
  2. roles
19
Q

brief explanation of dramaturgical model n how it differs to labelling:

A

labelling theory - sees individuals passive victim of other pols labels. G describes how we ACTIVELY contract our self by manipualting other ppl impression of us.

uses analogies with drama ‘actors’ ‘scripts’ ‘props’ ‘backstage’

20
Q

G’s dramaturgical model
1. presentation of self & impression management

A

-we seek to present a particular imagine to our audiences, controlling the impression our performance gives.

IMPRESSION MANAGMENT:
techniques include, tone of voice, gestures, props, settings, dress, makeup, equipment, decor & premises.

As in the theatre, there is FRONT STAGE where we ACT OUR ROLES while BACKSTAGE we can STEP OUT OF OUR ROLE & ‘be ourselves’
e.g. teachers beh in the classroom & staffroom

21
Q

G’s dramaturgical model
2. roles

A

is a ‘gap’ or role distance between our real self & our roles, which r only loosely scripted by society & allow us a lot of freedom in how we play them.

-ROLE DISTANCE implies: do not always believe the roles we play.
we may be calculating, manipulating audiences into accepting an impression that conceals our true self.

22
Q

who discussed phenology

A

SCHUTZ

23
Q

philosophy definition of phenology

A

term ‘phenomenon’ describes things as they appear to our senses. some philosophers argue we can nvr have definite knowledge of what the external world is rlly like: all we can know is what our mind tells us abt it (idealism)

SCHUTZ applies this - social world. share the categories that we use to classify the world with other members of society.

24
Q

what does schutz call these shared categories

A

typifications

25
Q

what do typifications enable us to do
(phenomenology)

A

enable us to organise our experiences into a shared world of meaning.

26
Q

explain phenomenology
typifications - meaning of an action

A

the meaning of an action varies according to its social context, not the action itself, = meanings r potentially unclear n unstable.

27
Q

what’s a benefit of typifications??

phenomenology

A

T make social order possible bc they give members of society a shared ‘life world’ of common sense knowledge that we can use to make sense of our experience.

this is called ‘recipe knowledge’

28
Q

PHENOMENOLOGY

explain recipe knowledge

A

like a recipe we can follow it without thinking too much, using it to make sense of the everyday world.

the social world is inter-subjective one that can only exist when we share the same meanings.

29
Q

PHENOMENOLOGY

explain why sharing same meanings is good

A

fact society appears to guys as real, objective thing outside of us simply shows that all members of society share the same meanings.
in turn this allows us to cooperate & achieve goals!

30
Q

what does ETHNOMETHODOLOGY reject??

A

also rejects the idea of society as a real objective structure ‘out there’.

31
Q

what does GARFINKEL argue abt social order
(ETHNOMETHODOLOGY)

A

argues- social order is created from ‘bottom up’. it is something members of society actively construct in everyday life using their common sense knowledge.

taken-for-granted rules ppl use to construct social reality.

32
Q

ETHNOMENTHOLOGY
indexicality

A

refers to the fact meanings r always potentially unclear. this is a threat to social order, bc if meanings r unclear or unstable, communication & cooperation becomes difficult & social relationships will break down.

33
Q

ETHNOMENTHOLOGY
reflexivity

A

is the use of our common sense knowledge tp contract a sense of meaning & order & prevent indecicsality occurring.

language - vital in achieving R
-gives us sense if reality existing out there

34
Q

ehtnomethodology
what did Garfinkel do to disrupt pols expectations of a situation??

A

use breaching edxpriments
e..g students behaving like lodgers in parents homes.

show how orderliness of everyday situations is not inevitible & how we use our commonsensse, taken-for-granted assumptions to actively create social order.

35
Q

how do structural theories view the world

A

macro-level, deterministic
see society as objective & external to individuals.

(whereas action, micro level- society inter-subjective)

36
Q

who combined both the structural n action

A

GIDDENS

37
Q

structuration theory - giddens

A

argues- duality of structure. structure & agency r two sides of the same coin; neither can exist w/out each other:

-our actions produce, reproduce & change structures over time & space, while these structures r what make our actions possible in the 1st place.

RELATIONSHIP CALLED STRUCTURATION

38
Q

what’s giddens relationship between structure n actions called

A

STRUCTURATION

39
Q

reproducing structures thru agency
what is the 2 elements ??
(giddens)

A
  1. rules
  2. resources
40
Q

reproducing structures thru agency
explain 1. rules

A

R = the norms, customs & laws that govern action

41
Q

reproducing stucrures thru agency
explain 2. resources

A

Re= both economic resources & power over others

42
Q

how do rule and resources get reproduces over and over???

(GIDDENS STRUCTURATION THEORY)

A

RULES & RESCOURCES can either be reproduced or changes thru human actions.
however- our actions generally tend to reproduce rather than change them.
bc - society rules contain stock of knowledge abt how to live our lives, so our routine activities tend to reproduce existing stroke to society

  • we also reproduce existing structures bc we have deep-seated meed for ontological security - need to feel that the world is orderly, stable , predictable.
43
Q

HOW DOES CHANGE HAPPEN??

changing structures thru agency

(GIDDENS)

A
  1. our reflexively monitor’ (reflect upon) our actions & we can deliberately choose a new course of action. in late modern society, where tradition no longer dictates action, this is even more likely.
  2. our actions may have unintended consequences producing changes that were not part of our goal

sociology (46 decks)

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