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Social Action Theories (Structure and Action (Critcisms (Archer:…
Social Action Theories
Weber
Types of action
Instrumentally rational action is where the actor calculates the most efficient means of achieving a given goal.
Value-rational action involves action towards a goal that the actor regards as desirable for their own sake
Traditional action involves customary, routines or habitual actions
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Protest Reformation brought about all new religions, one of which was Calvinism. Calvinism brought about the rise of capitalism by promoting a work ethic
Criticisms: Shutz (1972) argues this view too individualistic and cannot explain the shared nature of meanings. That people can fit into one or more category
Symbolic Interactionism
G.H. Mead observed that our behaviour is not shaped by instinct. Instead, we give meanings to things that are important to us.
We don't respond to a stimulus in an automatic way. But in an interpretive phase - we interpret the meaning before responding
We interpret other people's meanings by 'taking the role of the other' - putting yourself in their shoes
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Blumer agrees with Mead and believes that our actions are based on meanings. However, he believes their is room for negotiation and choice of actions.
Criticisms
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Ignores wider structural factors, not all action is meaningful
Ethnomethodology
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Garfinkel: Indexicality, meanings are unclear, it depends on context. Commonsense knowledge constructs a sense of meaning. Garfinkel: 'breaching experiments.' Coroners use commonsense theory when classing deaths as suicides.
Phenomenology
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Schutz : Typifications enable us to organise out experiences. Commonsense knowledge makes sense of experience
Structure and Action
Giddens: neither structure nor action can exist without the other. We produce the structures which make action possible
Language: Structure language rules, Action- using it. Action can also change structure- new meaning and rules.
We need to feel the world is as it appears to be, encouraging actions to maintain existing structure
Choosing new actions increases change. Our actions may have unintended consequences such as Calvinism
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