Social Action Theory

Nota:

• Structural theories fail to recognize we have free will. Macro theory thinks our actions are due to the structure of society.

1. Weber
   1. 'Level of cause' - external structure influences actions
   2. 'Level of Meaning' - subjective, individual interpretations
   3. Types of Action
   4. Evaluation
      1. Too individualistic - shared meanings
      2. Typology is difficult to apply or too restrictive
      3. Can never truly understand their motives
2. Symbolic Interactionism
   1. Symbol versus instincts
      1. Taking the role of the other - based on experience and prior learning (Socialization)
      2. Interpretive Phase
   2. Blumer
   3. Labeling Theory
      1. SFP
      2. Looking glass self
   4. Dramaturgical Model
      1. Impression Management

         Nota:

         • Roles - Script - Front Stage - Back Stage - Props
      2. Roles
         1. Role distance

            Nota:

            • Roles are loosely scripted by society and have freedom in how we play them
   5. Evaluation
      1. Loose collection of ideas rather than an explanatory theory
      2. Ignores wider structures

         Nota:

         • Interactionist questionnaire - indentified concepts they felt were essential, most popular were 'role', 'self' and 'interaction'. Only two chose 'power' or 'class'.
      3. Actions preformed unconsciously
      4. Everyone plays both actor and audience, and interactions are unrehearsed
      5. Fails to explain how actors create meanings
3. Phenomenology
   1. Typification
      1. Awareness through Socialisation

         Nota:

         • Allows us to communicate effectively. Accurate individual responses, stabilize meanings of how to act
   2. Natural Attitude

      Nota:

      • Assume unknown will perform a whole series of operations in particular sequence.
4. Ethnomethodology
   1. Indexicality: clear ideas that we share, but they can change
   2. Reflexivity: Commonsense understanding
   3. Evaluation
      1. Actively construct order and meaning, rather than just being puppets.
      2. 'Uncovering' taken-for-granted rules that aren't a surprise to anyone.
      3. No particular reason to accept EM's views

         Nota:

         • If EM argues everyone creates order and meaning by identifying patterns and producing explanatiosn that are essentially fictions.
      4. People share wider concepts of society.
      5. 'Commonsense knowledge' is ruling-class ideology
5. Giddens Structuration
   1. Combine Structure and Action to understand behaviour
   2. Evaluation
      1. Capacity of structures to resist change.
      2. Isn't really a theory, doesn't explain society, only describes things we'll find when we study society
      3. Fails to apply his theory to large-scale structures like economy and the state