Social action/ interpretivist theories

Question 1

Interpretivism definition

Answer 1

an approach emphasising that people have consciousness involving personal beliefs, values and interpretations, and these influence the way people act. People have choices and do not simply respond to forces outside themselves. Therefore, to understand society you have to understand the meanings people give to their behaviour, and how these are influenced by the behaviour and interpretations of others.

Question 2

Features of social action/ interpretivist theories

Answer 2

• society and social structures/ institutions are seen as socially constructed by individuals
• emphasis on voluntarism (free will and choice)
• research is focused on individuals or small groups, taking a micro approach
• behaviour is seen as driven by people’s own beliefs, meanings, feelings and emotions
• mostly uses interpretivist methodological approach, using qualitative research methods to study meanings of behaviour

Question 3

Micro approach definition

Answer 3

one that focuses on small groups or individuals, rather than on the structure of society as a whole
eg a study on a single criminal gang to see how they are labelled and their views and beliefs

Question 4

2 main branches of social action theory

Answer 4

Symbolic interactionism and ethnomethodology

Question 5

Strengths of social action theory (symbolic interactionism and ethnomethodology)

Answer 5

• shows that human beings create and negotiate meanings, and make sense of the world through interaction with others (symbolic interactionism) or through common understandings (ethnomethodology) and recognises that people have motivations and reasons for their actions, thus overcoming the determinism of structuralist theories
• recognises the importance of understanding meanings and motivations in explaining people’s actions
• provides insights into how the construction of meanings can have consequences for individuals (eg through labelling theory)
• interpretative approach and qualitative methods often have high levels of validity

Question 6

Weaknesses of social action theory (symbolic interactionism and ethnomethodology)

Answer 6

• doesn’t address wider structures in society (eg class, gender)
• doesn’t recognise that people don’t have completely free choices eg due to poverty
• doesn’t explain people’s motivations (why they do what they do and what they hope to achieve)
• tends to ignore the distribution of power in society (eg interactions between youth and police don’t happen on equal terms)
• postmodernists would label social action theory as a metanarrative