Max Weber 1864-1920 - Carol Rambo
Max Weber 1864-1920.
Father a Bureaucrat who was said to have enjoyed “earthly pleasures.” Never did much to threaten his position.
Mother a devout Calvinist who led a very ascetic lifestyle.
Created a dynamic tension in Weber.
In college started out like dad- One thing written about Weber claims he developed socially because of beer. Liked to duel. Had a scar on his face from fencing.
Later, started to live his life like his mother, became a work-a-holic
1897 had a bad fight with his father and shortly after the fight, where he told his dad he would not ever see him again if he didn’t change the way he was treating his mother, the father died of a stroke.
Weber had a nervous breakdown. Mental institutions.
After recovery, ended up rejecting religion though he studied it a great deal.
Qualitative sociology and theory owes a great deal to Weber. He believed that you needed to not just develop mechanistic models of how society works, but that you had to actually understand the people in the situations you were trying to describe. This opens the door for participant observation and interviewing.
Dual approach Verstehen and Ideal types
Verstehen- An empathetic understanding of what people’s subjective meanings are.
Much debate about what Weber meant by this:
1. Literal German translation- to stand under
2. Understand- to be able to put yourself in the position of the other.
3. Be able to explain a social phenomena.
Depends on your own methodological orientation and agenda as a researcher how you will interpret the above.
Carol- LOVE
Ideal types- Abstraction from reality, a form of social action that is rarely found by itself. Measuring rod. Sensitizing concept.
Example:
Discussion of how authority emerges within a society.
Types of authority:
1. Traditional Authority- long lasting system of beliefs. Father, king. “We do things because this is the way they have always been done.
2. Charismatic Authority- People believe in the leader and follow them.
3. Rational/legal Authority- Bureaucracy. Hierarchical, efficient, highly specialized division of labor.
Not a straight line of development, each can shift into the other. Salvation is in which type of authority?
Also, remember, these were ideal types he developed. They are not “real.” They are concepts used to compare and contrast. Durkheim’s types of solidarity could be said to be ideal types.
Weber saw society going in the general direction of rationalization and efficiency. This depressed him. He spoke of this as the Disenchantment of the world
His work in part is a reaction to Marx.
The protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism
Marx said economy determines ideology.
Weber said Ideology determines the economy.
Argued that the protestant ethic was an ideology driving social change.
Protestants- You can’t really tell who the chosen ones are and who will go to heaven. But if you work hard and live right, it is a sign that you are probably one of the chosen people. Social position and earned wealth are a sign of God’s grace.
Ascetic Protestantism- an orientation which encourages hard work, thrift, and righteous godliness. Highly disciplined, self denying.
Protestant Ethic- stresses saving and investing. Business practices are an expression of religious faith.
But…what if you are the kids of the kids who created this system.
Iron Cage- The spirit of Capitalism is gone and the shell remains. We are trapped in Bureaucracy.
Is there any hope to escape the iron cage??
Also did work in the area of Stratification.
What kind of order ties people together people who never see each other?
More ideal types:
People with common positions and interests are likely to associate with one another and exclude those who are unequal.
Stratification Institution
Economics- Class Group
Politics- Power group (Party)
Culture- Status group- Most complex and subtle. Multitudes of them. Any time you find yourself “liking” or “respecting” something not the other two you are probably in this realm. Religion can so it. Accomplishments or knowledge about Art, science, literature, music, having “good taste.” Even Sports.
Each realm influences the others.
Cultural, economic, and political goods can be traded off for one another.
If you have a higher level in one you are likely to seek to use it to attain a higher level in the other two.
2 ways to stabilize relationships:
1. Patrimonialism- Strengthen personal ties.
2. Bureaucratic- set up general rules.
These too are ideal types. A good administration uses a combination of the two to get things done.
Parkinson’s law- the tendency for officials to see rules as an end unto themselves rather than as a means to an end.
Read Weber Quote on 128.
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