Social actions

Social action is called an " action ", ie an action, toleration or omission, insofar as the subjective "social" is the doer ( the " actor " ), as it relates to the behavior of others and oriented it is.

For Max Weber, social action is the object that wants to understand the science of sociology pointing and causally explain.

Social Action in Max Weber

General

The technical conception of " social action " was coined for the social sciences largely from Max Weber. The concept of " social action " occupies a very special place in sociology with him. For in his thought processes in the economy and society with the sub floor plans of interpretive sociology, he lays claim to clarify methodological issues and to develop basic concepts ( ideal types ) that are universally applicable. He developed various ideal types of social action, but expressly points out that it is always handle only a mental picture of an actual empirical intentioned meaning.

Subjective sense means to him that any action that connects individuals, must have a meaning. Communication between individuals or society based on the fact that other sense of facial expressions, gestures, language, inter alia, m. understand. Out of mind, the motivation to be realized in action. " Social " is this action if it according to mutually on the actions of others is related to his sense and is oriented in its course to it. These others do not have to be physically present.

Since only individuals can be carriers of meaningfully oriented action, ie in the collective ( communities, groups, companies, governments, institutions ) and need not be explained alone, systems need to be broken down to the pattern of action of individuals. Thus, for example, the state is only the result of the specific processes and contexts of action of the various actors, which sensuous oriented. Only social action is relevant for sociology. One difficulty is to distinguish social action from the general action.

Weber's typology

Social action is determined by instrumentally rational, value- rational, affective and / or traditional motifs.

Weber speaks of " pure types " of social action, which means that the real action stayed within these types. These four types form on which to base its most basic terms the foundation. Such as "community" and " society", where Weber is closely inspired by Ferdinand Tönnies ' Community and Society from 1887 ( but not on the theory of types ).

Weber says the pooling: " From, community action ' we want to talk there, where human action is subjectively meaningful way based on the behavior of other people. Part of Community action is the expectation with respect to a particular subjective behavior of others. Subjectively meaningful exemplary behavior can be expected, therefore, where communication takes place or arrangements to be made. "

In contrast to socialization: " socialized action ( Gesellschaftshandeln ) we want a community action then as far as to call when it is first oriented meaningfully to expectations that are harbored on the basis of orders 2 thereof, statute ' purely purposive-rational done with regard to the as a result expected actions of socialized, and if the third meaningful orientation is done subjectively purposive-rational. "

Comparing Émile Durkheim's theories were here for the "mechanical" and see " organic solidarity."

Purpose Rational Agency

Under zweckrationalem action is understood as the rational balance between purpose / goals, means, consequences. Who is purposive-rational, carefully weighed before purpose, means and side-effects against each other, and then opt for the best possible solution.

Value of Rational Agency

Value rational action is determined by the conscious belief in the ( ethical, aesthetic, religious, and others) eigenvalue of an action. Who is worth rational, acts according to his conviction, without regard to foreseeable consequences. The agent is governed by its own rules, demands that it places on itself.

Affektuelles action

Affektuelles action is triggered by a momentary emotional state and emotions. It is beyond what we can influence conscious or meaningful way and may be an uninhibited response to an extra- ordinary appeal.

Traditional action

Traditional action is an ingrained habit. Just as the affective behavior, it is beyond what you can " meaningfully " call -oriented action. Sticking to rules can either be explained by "habit" or with conscious adherence to a particular rule.

Example

An example would be: Two passengers who are unhappy with the situation at the airport travel, chat about it ( " shared " action ) and decide to complain to the airline ( " social " action ). All four types of action can play along: to complain yourself, is a purposive-rational; they assess the treatment of passengers as unworthy ( worth a rational motive for action ), resent affektuell and came ever just from trusting conversation because they speak the same dialect ( own authentic motif).

Other sociological approaches

A theory of " social action " must axiomatized theory of social " actors " like any theory of " acting" a ( anthropological, biosoziologische ). Older approaches ( as that of Ferdinand Tönnies ) use as a source of meaning for the acting subject, the concept of the will. Recent approaches use the concept of reflection ( about Jürgen Habermas ), or the concept of "Ratio " (→ rational choice theory ( rational choice theory ), such as Hartmut Esser ) or the " autopoiesis " ( Niklas Luhmann).

See also the article about the actions and work.

The contrast to the term " social action " is in sociology, the " social behavior ". Its approach avoids the " sense " category (or is it always an ideological statement ), so that " behavior " which allows users to compare animals, even plants and robots and especially the bridge to sociobiology little effort makes (less seems to make trouble).

Other authors (such as Norbert Elias ), the concept of " social " action is dismissed as misleading and unnecessary. Since the sociality, ie living together in societies, a fundamental feature of our species is that there is no human action that is not social, that is in any way related to other people.

740310
de