Social Action theories Flashcards
Which type of sociological approach does the labelling theory take?
Interactionist/ micro-theory / interpretivist
What are the two approaches to studying society?
The structural approach and the social action approach
What is the structural approach?
How society is organised is the most important influence
What is the social action approach?
Individuals actions and perceptions are the most important influences
What examples are there of the structural approach/
Functionalism, marxism and feminism
What example if there of social action approach?
Interactionism
What are examples of symbolic interactionism?
looking glass self, labelling theory, impression management and dramaturgical approach
What the term for when people have free will and free choice?
Voluntarism
Who started the work on symbolic interactionism in the 20th century?
George herbert Mead
George mead said the development of an individual was a…
Social process
Why do people assign meaning to things?
In order to decide how they act
Who coined the term symbolic interactionism?
Herbert Blumer
Identify the three tenants…
- Action depends on meaning
- Different meanings for different people
- meaning can cause change
Karl marx (marxist) key concepts
bourgeoisie, proletariat, exploitation, alienation, false consciencesness and revolution
Gramsci (humanistic marxist) key concepts
hegemony, dual consciousness and organic intellectuals
Althusser’s (structuralist Marxism) key concepts
the repressive state apparatus.
Marxism applied to education
the ideological state apparatus, reproduction of class inequality, legitimation of class inequality, correspondence principle
Liberal Feminism
does not seek revolutionary changes: they want changes to take place within the existing structure; the creation of equal opportunities is the main aim of liberal feminists – e.g. the Sex Discrimination Act and the Equal Pay Act
Marxist Feminism
capitalism rather than patriarchy is the principal source of women’s oppression, and capitalists as the main beneficiaries, through the housewife role for example; overthrowing capitalism remains the main objective.
Radical Feminism
Society is patriarchal, dominated and ruled by men – men are the ruling class, and women the subject class. Rape, violence and pornography some of the key tools through which men control women; separatism can be part of the solution.
Difference Feminism
women are not a homogenous group, they experience disadvantage in different ways.
Postmodern Feminism
critiqued preceding Feminist theory as being part of the masculinist Enlightenment Project; concerned with language (discourses) and the relationship between power and knowledge rather than ‘politics and opportunities‘.
Max Weber: Verstehen, and Social Change
observation alone is not enough to understand human action, we need empathetic understanding. Gaining Verstehen is the main point of Sociology, e.g. The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism).
Symbolic Interactionism
people’s self-concepts based on their understanding of how others perceive them (the looking glass self); need to understand meanings to understanding actions; social roles are not specific or fixed; they can be interpreted in various different ways.
Goffman’s Dramaturgical Theory
People are actors on a ‘social stage’ who actively create an impression of themselves
Durkheim’s functionalism
social facts and anomie
Parson’s systems theory
the organic analogy and social evolution
Merton’s internal critique of functionalism – latent and manifest functions
Functionalism applied to education
meritocracy, social solidarity, school as a bridge between home and society (particularistic and universalistic values)
What were the four ideal categories that Weber classified human actions into?
Instrumentally rational action
Traditional action
Affective action
Value-rational action
Who came up with the dramaurgical effect?
Goffman
Looking glass self
- Charles Cooley’s study of the ‘looking-glass self’ believes that this is how individuals form their own view of themselves; essentially internalising the labels that their social audience places upon them.
- He calls this the ‘self-concept’.
- By doing this, the individual starts to view themselves in a different way and therefore becomes the label that they have had imposed upon them.
