Social Action theories

Question 1

What is symbolic interactionism?

Answer 1

Human beings interact with others based on a collection of accepted symbols and meanings - this creates a social reality.

Question 2

Name the main 2 sociologists in symbolic interactionism

Answer 2

Mead

Blumer

Question 3

What does Mead say about how social reality is constructed?

Answer 3

He says that as we are not run by instincts like animals we have to choose how to respond in all our different interactions. This is called the INTERPRETIVE PHASE and it involves us taking on the role of the other person to understand how we should respond.

Question 4

Give some symbols in real life

Answer 4

Traffic lights
Shushing
Thumbs up

Question 5

Evaluate Mead’s theory - positive and negative

Answer 5

+ there are real life examples

- functionalists would say that if there is shared meanings between everyone there is some sort of value consensus

Question 6

How does Blumer elaborate on Mead’s theory?

Answer 6

He speaks of negotiated actions - that meanings are not fixed but changeable and that they are only somewhat predictable as sometimes we can get it wrong. Blumer emphasises free will and choice and attacks positivists who focus on laws and predictions for human behaviour.

Question 7

Give a piece of negative evaluation for Blumer

Answer 7

• Blumer acts as if interactions occur ‘in a vacuum’ with no influence from social structures when obviously this cannot be true (eg lower class people do not have the same choices)

Question 8

Who came up with the dramaturgical model?

Answer 8

Goffman

Question 9

Summarise Goffman’s dramaturgical analogy

Answer 9

He believes we construct our sense of self by managing other people’s impression of us. In life we are all actors performing whatever role is required of us at that time so we can be perceived positively.

Question 10

Define:
Role distance
Performance failure
Regions

Answer 10

Role distance - the gap between our real selves and the person we’re portraying
Performance failure - when we slip up and compromise our role
Regions - whether it is front or backstage

Question 11

Give a piece of negative evaluation for Goffman

Answer 11

• it doesn’t consider the difference between deliberately manipulating others’ perception of us and just passively doing things by habit.

Question 12

What is phenomenology?

Answer 12

The belief that the world only makes sense because we construct meanings through mental categories

Question 13

Who is the main sociologist for phenomenology and what’s their theory?

Answer 13

Schutz - believed people in society have shared categories called TYPIFICATIONS. The meanings of actions are all bound by context like hugging your teacher and hugging your friends - these meanings help everyone feel they are speaking the same language and leads us to assume the social reality is solid.

Question 14

Give a sociologist who supports Schutz’s threory

Answer 14

Cicourel - police stereotypes - they use typifications of what a criminal looks like to do stop and search - eg black and male

Question 15

Give a piece of positive evaluation

Answer 15

+ highlights free will as people themselves construct these meanings and therefore create social reality

Question 16

What is ethnomethodology?

Answer 16

The idea that social order is an illusion that doesn’t exist outside a individual’s consciousness - we use our own common sense and assumptions to make the world seem predictable and reliable.

Question 17

Who is the main sociologist for ethnomethodology and what is their theory?

Answer 17

Garfinkel - he said that the indexicality of the world (everything being unsure and based on context) is dealt with by reflexivity (using common sense assumptions to determine meaning). E.g hearing a loud bang in England is unlikely to be a bomb or gunshot so to clam ourselves we think it is more likely to be a car backfire

Question 18

How did Garfinkel support his theory?

Answer 18

With breaching experiments where his students attempted to book a room in their parents’ house - the parents couldn’t explain why this was happening through common sense or context. This showed social reality is fake.

Question 19

Give a piece of negative evaluation for Garfinkel

Answer 19

This is preoccupied by trivial issues rather than systemic problems like inequality - which are more structural

Question 20

What are the two integrated approaches studied? - with sociologists

Answer 20

Weber - social action theory (ikr)

Giddens - structuration theory

Question 21

Outline Weber’s social action theory

Answer 21

Believed that people had choice and are not just puppets but are restricted by social structures of inequality. He thinks that understanding society means analysing the LEVEL OF CAUSE from structures and the LEVEL OF MEANING which are the meanings people attach to their actions.

Question 22

Give an example of level of cause and level of meaning in action

Answer 22

The Protestant reformation (a structural change) created a branch called Calvinism which believed in a simple lifestyle without lavish commodities. So people’s actions changed as they kept working hard but saved their money - this created capitalism. (action affected structures)

Question 23

Weber believed that there were 4 types of social action what were they?

Answer 23

Instrumentally rational action - taking an action as it is the most efficient way of achieving a goal
Value rational action - taking an action because it is in itself right or valuable
Traditional action - taking an action because it is what has always been done
Affectual action - taking an action due to strong emotions

Question 24

Give a piece of negative evaluation for Weber

Answer 24

• not every action fits cleanly into one of the 4 categories

Question 25

Outline Giddens’ structuration theory

Answer 25

He thinks society is based on the ‘duality of structure’ where neither social structures or actions can exist without the other - we produce structures and then they make our actions possible (RELATIONSHIP STRUCTURATION). We reproduce structures through our actions for ONTOLOGICAL SECURITY (feeling that our world is orderly and predictable) but can choose to change them through social action.

Question 26

Give 2 examples of structuration theory in real life

Answer 26

We largely choose to follow the laws but we can also change laws such as on homosexuality
Schools follow the syllabus set by the government but the syllabus has changed depending on what the public demands should be on it - multiculturalism

Question 27

Give a piece of negative evaluation for Giddens

Answer 27

• Archer says he overestimates the choice we have in changing structures such as slaves and slavery