Social Action

Question 1

What does Mead say in the Social Action theory?

Answer 1

Symbolic Interactionism

Question 2

What are the 3 parts of symbolic interactionism?

Answer 2

1) Action depends on meaning
2) Different people assign different meanings to things
3) Meanings can change

Question 3

What does Mead mean by action depends on meaning?

Answer 3

People act in accordance with the meanings that they attach to things

Question 4

What does Mead mean by a successful interaction?

Answer 4

A successful interaction involves correctly interpreting what sort of person you are dealing with, how they see you, what they expect from you, what you expect from them

Question 5

How does Meads symbolic interactionism contrast with a structuralist perspective?

Answer 5

They see people as simply acting out roles handed down by the social structure, as people are in constant process of forming and negotiating roles and how they interact with others, making choices about how they do this.

Question 6

What is Cooley’s theory?

Answer 6

The ‘looking-glass self’

Question 7

What is meant by the ‘Looking-glass self’?

Answer 7

• the idea that our image of ourselves is reflected back to us like a mirror in the view of others
• adopt new identities in accordance of what other people think or see us
• modify our behaviour and try to change peoples views of them
• our self concept is socially constructed and subject to constant change through the process of interaction

Question 8

What is Becker’s theory?

Answer 8

The Labelling theory

Question 9

How is symbolic interactionism applied to Becker’s labelling theory?

Answer 9

It suggests that people label or define individuals and situations in particular ways, which will affect the way those with the labels behave

Question 11

What are the 5 key words of the labelling theory?

Answer 11

1) Master status
2) Educational Triage
3) Ideal Pupil
4) Halo effect
5) Pygmalion effect

Question 12

Master Status

Answer 12

• exceptional importance that can be ascribed or achieved
• shapes a persons entire life e.g. criminal

Question 13

Educational triage

Answer 13

• only put effort into students in the ‘middle group’
• can pass with help
• top will pass anyway
• bottom will fail anyway

Question 14

Ideal Pupil

Answer 14

• educational support at home, obedient, hard working, articulate
• pre-determined stereotype a teacher holds
• MC girls, white, asian

Question 15

Halo effect

Answer 15

• Positive labels on students, uphold a good reputation
• teacher see them as good bad thick bright
• can do no wrong
• stereotyped from first impressions

Question 16

Pygmalion effect

Answer 16

When someone’s high expectations improve performance

Question 17

What is Goffman’s model called?

Answer 17

The dramaturgical model

Question 18

What is the dramaturgical model?

Answer 18

• sees society as a stage
• when on front you can see and audience
• when backstage you release your identity

Question 19

What does Goffman mean by presentation of self?

Answer 19

• people try to project particular impressions of themself

Question 20

What does Goffman mean by impressions management?

Answer 20

• individuals try to convince us with different identities known as impression management
• good actors can persuade that they really are the characters they are playing

Question 21

What is the concept Garfinkel discusses?

Answer 21

Ethnomethodology

Question 22

Ethnomethodology

Answer 22

• rejects the idea of an external social structure and sees society as a social construct
• unwritten rules
• can be disrupted- fragile social life is
• denies there is a real society, construct our own social world
• breaching experiment telling children to act as lodgers

Question 23

What are the strengths of the social action theory?

Answer 23

1) overcomes the determinism of structuralist theories by recognising people have reasons for what they do
2) provides real insights into how the construction of meaning has consequences- labelling can lead to self-fulfilling prophecy
3) qualitative methods gave high levels of validity

Question 24

What do Marxists say about Social Action theory?

Answer 24

• ignores the power distribution in society
• e.g. people are more likely to pay attention to the labels given to them by a person of power

Question 25

What do feminists say about the Social Action theory?

Answer 25

• ignores the fact that social constructions are influenced hugely by gender
• e.g. certain behaviours have been constructed to be ‘worse’ if done by a female

Question 26

What do functionalists say about the Social Action theory?

Answer 26

• studying at a micro level ignores the impact of social institutions and the role they play in creating such meanings and norms

Question 27

What do Postmodernists say about Social Action theory?

Answer 27

• Action theory is as much a metanarrative as any other theory that claims to provide a full explanation of social life
• Action theory is just one of many competing points of view

Question 28

What are Weber and Giddens both a part of?

Answer 28

Integrated approaches

Question 29

What is the integration approach?

Answer 29

Combining structure and action theories

Question 30

What does Weber say about the integration approach?

Answer 30

• rejected crude determinism
• recognised people had choice and could act to change structures, not simply puppets controlled by them
• people did not have completely free choice in how they behaved
• did not dismiss the importance of social structures. how they influence people ideas, shape their lives and life chances

Question 31

What does Gidden’s say about the integration approach?

Answer 31

• structure and action are two parts of the same process
• structures only exist because of peoples action and people can only act because of the structures that allow meaningful action

Question 32

How is law an example of Giddens theory of structuration?

Answer 32

• law exists separate from and above the individual
• law can only exist as long as people continue to support and conform to it
• International change in law on cannabis use came into action because of societies changing beliefs