Max Weber & Interpretivist Tradition

Question 1

Weber: Years of Life

Answer 1

1864-1920

Question 2

Weber: Relation to Marx

Answer 2

In dialogue with

Question 3

Weber: Definition of Sociology

Answer 3

“Sociology…is a science concerning itself with the interpretive understanding of social action and thereby with a causal explanation of its course and consequence. We shall speak of “action” insofar as the acting individual attaches a subjective meaning to behavior…Action is “social” insofar as its subjective meaning takes account of the behavior of others and is thereby oriented in its course.”

Question 4

Weber: Major Concepts: Verstehen

Answer 4

Comes from hermeneutics (meaning of texts)
Development of a deep knowledge of both actor and their situation in order to infer subjective states
Used at different levels of analysis

Question 5

Weber: Major Concepts: Ideal Types

Answer 5

Method: develop pure concepts to use as a yardstick for empirical reality

Question 6

Weber: Major Concepts: Social Action

Answer 6

Any action that is not automatic–subjectively meaningful & takes others into account
4 Ideal Types:
- Value-Rational (external set of values, ex join military, have kids)
- Instrumental (strategic–cost-benefit)
- Affective (Emotional–ex revenge, devotion)
- Traditional (habits & customs)
In any context, different types exist

Question 7

Weber: Rationalization

Answer 7

Forms of Action become institutionalized
- Value-Rational -> substantive rationality???
- Instrumental -> formal rationality (bureaucrat/capitalist)
Forms compete: formal is becoming dominant today (Weber dislikes this)
Example: Protestant Ethic -> Capitalism is Value-Rational -> instrumental

Question 8

Weber: Structures of Authority (What makes authority legitimate)

Answer 8

3 Ideal Types:

• Rational-Legal (characterized by bureaucracy, legitimated by system of rules & laws, becomes self-legitimating–ex cops have power cos the law, “iron cage” of capitalism)
• Traditional Authority (rests on age-old accepted rules & powers, conservative force, barrier to formal rationality)
• Charismatic Authority (only one that is a force for social change, rests on leader who is set-apart, then routinization of charisma like Catholic church–ex MLK< Malcolm X)

Question 9

Weber: Social Stratification

Answer 9

Refining Marx–3 dimensions to Marx’s single dimension of class:
- Class (economic–similar in property, income, labor market opportunity)
- Status (social–similar social esteem/honor–education, job, lifestyle, hereditary)
- Party (social power–groups typically represented by class & social status)
Socioeconomic status–Weberian idea

Question 10

Protestant Ethic & Spirit of Capitalism

Answer 10

2 Puzzles: Why is business Protestant, Where does spirit of capitalism come from–its moral nature (ex Ben Franklin) is new?
“Elective Affinity”–value-rational to formal action
Reformation & Idea of Calling: all work pleases God
Calvinism & Predestination: Reformation to logical extreme–nothing you do can let you know salvation status THUS
Rational Self-Regulation & Self-Control
- “life of good works combined into a unified system”
- working hard and success show salvation–accumulation of goods is an end in itself
“Iron Cage” of capitalism: purely formal rationality–no substantive

Question 11

Weber: Legacy

Answer 11

Contributed to Rise of Symbolic Interactionism, Organizational Sociology (ex in business schools)
Rise of Conflict Sociology (& critical theory)
Contributed to sociological methods
- Durkheim is quantitative, Weber is qualitative–Verstehen, like an ethnography
- Weber does historical-comparative method in order to make generalizations