1. SOC4044 Sociological Theory
Sunday, April 23, 2017
Max Weber
Rationality and Organization
© by Ronald Keith Bolender

2. Background http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBMNDJZHEeI&feature=fvst
Maximilian Karl Emil "Max" Weber
Born in Erfurt, Germany (1864)
Well-to-do family
Eldest of eight children
Sickly child
Physical problems
Mental problems

3. SOC4044 Sociological Theory
Sunday, April 23, 2017
Background
His mother (Helene Fallenstein):
Calvinist
Concerned with social issues
Very religious
His father (Max Weber):
Politician
Lawyer
Self-centered and authoritarian
© by Ronald Keith Bolender

4. Mr. and Mrs. Max Weber

5. Background Parents had marriage problems
Different beliefs and values
Max Weber and his brother Alfred became sociologists and economists.

6. SOC4044 Sociological Theory
Sunday, April 23, 2017
Max Weber
Weber
Pronounced:
“vay-bear”
Max, Alfred, and Karl ->
(1879)
© by Ronald Keith Bolender

7. SOC4044 Sociological Theory
Sunday, April 23, 2017
Max Weber’s Sociology
Concerned with individuals, as well as social structure
Macro
Micro
© by Ronald Keith Bolender

8. SOC4044 Sociological Theory
Sunday, April 23, 2017
Max Weber: Sociology
Comprehensive science of
Social Action
Behavior versus Action
Behavior= move, react, eat etc.
Action=Behavior + Meaning
© by Ronald Keith Bolender

9. Different from Other Theorists
Spencer: Evolution of society as analogous to an organism
Natural laws of society
Durkheim: Society as an organism
Maintaining cohesion of social structures
Social Solidarity

10. Different from Other Theorists
SOC4044 Sociological Theory
Sunday, April 23, 2017
Different from Other Theorists
Marx: Society influenced by economy
Conflict between social classes
Mauss: System of gift-exchange as basic to society
© by Ronald Keith Bolender

11. Max Weber: Social Action
SOC4044 Sociological Theory
Sunday, April 23, 2017
Max Weber: Social Action
Weber’s primary focus:
Subjective meanings that humans attach to their actions and interactions
Within specific social contexts
Behavior without meaning, is not in
the purview of sociology
© by Ronald Keith Bolender

12. Max Weber: Social Action
SOC4044 Sociological Theory
Sunday, April 23, 2017
Max Weber: Social Action
Four Major Types of Social Action
1. Traditional Action
Guided by custom or habit
Action is simply "always done"
Example: Celebrating holidays
© by Ronald Keith Bolender

13. Max Weber: Social Action
SOC4044 Sociological Theory
Sunday, April 23, 2017
Max Weber: Social Action
2. Emotional or Affective Action
Motivated by emotional state
Love, Anger, Happiness, Revenge
Examples:
Hitting a person out of anger
© by Ronald Keith Bolender

14. Max Weber: Social Action
SOC4044 Sociological Theory
Sunday, April 23, 2017
Max Weber: Social Action
3. Value-oriented Rational Action
Working toward a goal, which may not be rational
But is pursued through rational means
Values: Ethical, Religious, Philosophical
Not rationally "chosen“
Example: Going to college because you value learning and knowledge
© by Ronald Keith Bolender

15. Max Weber: Social Action
4. Instrumental Rational
(Goal-oriented Rational Action)
Goals & means are rationally chosen
Example:
Earning a college degree in order to get a good paying job
How to get rich

16. Max Weber: Social Action
SOC4044 Sociological Theory
Sunday, April 23, 2017
Max Weber: Social Action
Primarily concerned with modern Western society
Behavior increasingly dominated by goal-oriented rationality
In the past: Motivated by tradition, affect, or value-oriented rationality
© by Ronald Keith Bolender

17. Rationalization
Rational calculation, Efficiency, and Control (Bureaucracy)
Replace:
Affective ties
Spirituality
Tradition

18. SOC4044 Sociological Theory
Sunday, April 23, 2017
Max Weber: Ideal Types
An ideal type not meant to refer to “best” or to a moral ideal
e.g., Ideal type brothel or Ideal type chapel
Analytical construct that provides a basic method for comparative study
© by Ronald Keith Bolender

19. Max Weber: Ideal Types
Identifies “logically consistent” features of social institution
Compare “ideal type” to reality
Used to develop research hypotheses

20. Example of Ideal Type-Democracy
SOC4044 Sociological Theory
Sunday, April 23, 2017
Example of Ideal Type-Democracy
1. A political system with the quality of being responsive to all or nearly all of the citizens.
2. Free to form & join organizations
3. Freedom of expression
4. Right to vote
© by Ronald Keith Bolender

21. Example of Ideal Type-Democracy
5. Eligibility for public office
6. Right of political leaders to compete for support
7. Alternative sources of information
8. Free and fair elections

22. Legitimation & Authority
SOC4044 Sociological Theory
Sunday, April 23, 2017
Legitimation & Authority
Legitimation-> Turns coercion into acceptable Authority
Authority = Legitimate Power
Three modes of authority
1. Legal-rational
2. Traditional
3. Charismatic
© by Ronald Keith Bolender

23. 1. Legal-rational authority Based on impersonal rules
Max Weber: Authority
1. Legal-rational authority
Based on impersonal rules
Rules are legally enacted or contractually established
Who has legal-rational authority? Presidents, judges

24. SOC4044 Sociological Theory
Sunday, April 23, 2017
Max Weber: Authority
2. Traditional authority
Based on belief in tradition
Passed down generation to generation
Who has Traditional Authority? Aristocracy, Parents, Elders
© by Ronald Keith Bolender

25. SOC4044 Sociological Theory
Sunday, April 23, 2017
Max Weber: Authority
3. Charismatic authority
Allegiance to leader
Leader’s characteristics
Quality of individual's personality
Source of change
Who has had Charismatic authority? Martin Luther King Jr., Gandhi
© by Ronald Keith Bolender

26. Max Weber: Bureaucracy
SOC4044 Sociological Theory
Sunday, April 23, 2017
Max Weber: Bureaucracy
Formal organization of large-scale enterprises for example:
Government
Military
Economy
Religion
Education
© by Ronald Keith Bolender

27. Max Weber: Ideal–type Bureaucracy
SOC4044 Sociological Theory
Sunday, April 23, 2017
Max Weber: Ideal–type Bureaucracy
Clearly defined division of labor
Rationality
Attention to implementing goals of organization
Impersonal application of rules
Routinization of tasks
© by Ronald Keith Bolender

29. 1.Rigidity:
Rules and regulations often rigid and inflexible.
Discourages initiative and creativity.
2. Goal Displacement:
Rules become ends to themselves.
3. Impersonality:
Stresses mechanical way of doing things.
Organizational rules and regulations given priority over individual’s needs and emotions.
4. Compartmentalization of Activities:
Jobs divided into categories,
Encourages preservation of jobs even when redundant

30. 5. Paperwork:
Involves excessive paperwork --every decision must be put into writing.
All documents have to be maintained in their draft and original forms.
Leads to great waste of time, stationery, and space.
6. Empire Building:
People to use their positions and resources to perpetuate self­ interests.
Every superior tries to increase the number of subordinates
As if this number is symbol of power and prestige
7. Red Tape: Procedures involve inordinate delays and frustration in the performance of tasks

31. Bureaucracy: Advantage & Disadvantages
SOC4044 Sociological Theory
Sunday, April 23, 2017
Bureaucracy: Advantage & Disadvantages
George Tooker paintings illustrate rationality and modernity
© by Ronald Keith Bolender

32. Max Weber: Class, Status, and Party
SOC4044 Sociological Theory
Sunday, April 23, 2017
Max Weber: Class, Status, and Party
Method for Studying Social Stratification: Sources of Power
Social Class
“…property…and lack of property…”
Life chances
Socio-economic category
Lower class
Middle class
Upper class
© by Ronald Keith Bolender

33. Sources of Power: Class, Status, & Party
SOC4044 Sociological Theory
Sunday, April 23, 2017
Status
Prestige
Honor
Evaluations people make of one another
Ranking desired behavior & traits
© by Ronald Keith Bolender

34. 2009

35. SOC4044 Sociological Theory
Sunday, April 23, 2017
Max Weber: Party
Association that attempts to influence social action
Religious
Political
Age-based
Race/Ethnicity
Lobbyists
Working toward a goal in a planned manner (i.e., rationally)
© by Ronald Keith Bolender

36. Weber’s Contribution to Sociology
Stratification theory (class, status, party)
Bureaucracy & large scale organizations
Power & Authority
Sociology of law
Sociology of religion

37. Weber’s Contribution to Sociology Theory and Methodology
“Verstehen” helps in understanding why certain behaviors occur
Social Action: Subjective meanings
Values: Role in relationships

38. Weber’s Contribution to Sociology
Multi-causality of Social Phenomena
Complete Objectivity is Impossible
Values & Value relevance

39. Weber’s Contribution to Sociology
The Protestant Ethic & The Spirit of Capitalism
Cultural barriers can prevent an economy from growing to its full potential
Ex: religion

40. Weber’s Contribution to Sociology
Max Weber had more powerful positive impact on a wide range of sociological theories than any other sociological theorist
Created the German Association for Sociology (1909)
Starting Point for Careers:
Karl Mannheim, Talcott Parsons, Robert Merton and C. Wright Mills