Social Action Theories

Social action theorists argue that behavior and life chances are not determined by an individual's social background. They say that the individual and interactions with others help to shape identity and then wider society.

WEBER: VERSTEHEN AND SOCIAL CHANGE

• observation is not enough to understanding human action on its own and so we need an empathetic understanding of it
• the main idea of sociology is to gain Verstehen
• individual motives - understanding the changes to social structure (e.g., The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism)
• generalisations about the motive for action - instrumentally rtional, value rational, traditional action, affectual action
• societies and groups have differences - society still affects individual motives but in a general way

SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM:

• self concepts are based on how others perceive them (looking glass self)
• people act towards others based on how…