theories & methods- social action theory

Question 1

traditional action

Answer 1

doesn’t require conscious thought, eg going to college, expected of us

Question 2

affective action

Answer 2

based on emotions of the actors, eg smiling because you’ve done well in a formal

Question 3

value-rational action

Answer 3

achieve an important goal, eg choosing a levels

Question 4

instrumentally rational action

Answer 4

calculate most efficient way to achieve goal, eg 5 power hours of revision a week

Question 5

AO3 Weber

Answer 5

how can we ever get verstehen as we can never be sure we have understood motivations of others

Question 6

Weber

Answer 6

structure + action = real understanding, to gain validity through verstehen we need to look at 1) structures and 2) actions based on the structures as we not passive puppets, gave 4 explanations

Question 7

social action theories

Answer 7

own choice, interpretivist, micro, bottom up, structures not dictate our behaviour, we not passive puppets, criticises functionalist determinism

Question 8

symbolic interactionism

Answer 8

we create social world through our actions, our actions based on meanings we give which determines how we respond, meanings conveys through symbols and this creates how we act in reponse

Question 9

Mead

Answer 9

to understand social world, have to understand the meanings they give, allows verstehen

Question 10

Blumer

Answer 10

1) actions not automatic
2) meanings not fixed at interaction
3) meaning comes from taking role of others

Question 11

AO3- SI

Answer 11

functionalists- we are passive puppets as we have to conform to norms and values in order to keep society functioning

Question 12

Cooley

Answer 12

looking glass theory- we become what others see us as, achieve role of other, see ourselves through someone else’s eyes, makes SFP, ability to change our behaviours

Question 13

Goffman

Answer 13

dramaturgical model- we construct our self instead of being passive to other people’s labels, manipulate own behaviours to change way people label us and view us

Question 14

ways to give a convincing performance

Answer 14

1) impression management- have to manage how audience percieves us and is responding, present particular image, control impressions our performance gives, change body language, tone, props to fit desired role
2) roles- are not fixed within a label, we have loose scripts, freedom because we have ‘role distance’, we never aware of our true self

Question 15

AO3 Goffman

Answer 15

Reynolds- lacks structure, ignores power and class conflict, not everyone has free choice

AO2- links to Weber

Question 16

Giddens

Answer 16

structuration theory- structures and free will helps us understand how society works, similar to Weber

duality of structures- we have choice if we conform or not

Question 17

Giddens 5 assumptions

Answer 17

1) we are aware of structures
2) people are not puppets
3) sociology not a science
4) people create and reproduce existing structures
5) structures have set of rules

Question 18

reproducing structures

Answer 18

rather than changing, carry on conforming

1) structures give us rules
2) contain how to live our lives

provides ontological security

Question 19

changing structures

Answer 19

we can change through our actions

1) reflecting to find new course, more likely in PM society
2) actions have unintended consequences, eg Fletcher romantic love

Question 20

Giddens AO3

Answer 20

tries to overcome division and explain importance of both but Archer- ignores structures resistant to change and some not have power to change