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3/31/10

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Weber and Lhe ghosL of Marx
ulalogue wlLh Lhe 'ChosL of Marx'
1he soclal democraL
Crluclsm of economlc deLermlnlsm - Lhe
lmporLance of soclal acuon
Weber vs Marx
1he lndlvldual ls Lhe only reallLy
(Marx) lndlvlduaLed lndlvldual ls an ouLcome of maLerlal-
producuve processes
Analysls musL begln from Lhls polnL
(Marx) Analysls of conLradlcLory forces and relauons of
producuon (absLracL labour) as parL of a dlalecucal
maLerlallsL (hlsLorlcal) movemenL
1herefore, socleLy ls a fraglle ouLcome of lnLeracuon
and sLruggle beLween dlerenL groups
(Marx) 1he glven form of socleLy ls an ouLcome of class
sLruggle LhaL each ume seLs ln mouon new soclal
anLagonlsms. Class relauons ln caplLallsm ls Lhe puresL
expresslon of Lhls anLagonlsm (bourgeols and proleLarlaL)
1he rlmacy of Soclal Acuon
1he soclal world ls made by us Lhrough soclal
acuon
eople, Lhrough soclal acuon, are Lherefore
Lhe moLor of soclal change
ln order Lo undersLand - Lo produce causal
explanauons for - soclal llfe, we musL sLudy
Lhe !"#$%$&'() +,-%#) #-.,$ of people
A 1heory of Soclal Acuon
All human behavlour Lo whlch Lhe acLor
applles a sub[ecuve meanlng
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Behaviour includes failure to act and
passive acquiescence
Behaviour which is oriented to the behaviour of others
(past, present or future)
CLhers - elLher speclc lndlvlduals, or an
'lndenlLe plurallLy'
1he roLesLanL LLhlc
1he roLesLanL 8eformauon and /$0%1%0(#)%+!.
Calvlnlsm:
redesunauon and Lhe 'LlecL'
1he LuLheran 'Calllng'
SplrlL of Labour? - Labour as an end ln lLself
roLesLanLs (CalvlnlsLs) Lherefore have a
rellglous mouvauon for a parucular Lype of
behavlour - meanlngful soclal acuon
... and Lhe 'SplrlL' of CaplLallsm
1he relcauon of 'caplLal' - Lhe pursulL of
wealLh ls Lhe ob[ecL
1he relnvesLmenL of caplLal for fuLure galns
1he exLracuon of surplus value Lhrough labour
A commlLmenL Lo work (a work eLhlc) amongsL
workers
roLesLanusm and CaplLallsm en[oy an Llecuve
AmnlLy
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2,!3#4" 5, 6#47
Pow does Weber's Lheory on Lhe rlse of
caplLallsm dler from Marx?
ls Lhere such a Lhlng as a 'work eLhlc' ln
conLemporary socleLy?
Pow would Marx explaln such an 'amnlLy' Lo
Lhe mode of producuon?
1he 8ole of Soclal Acuon ln PlsLory
Soclal Acuon ls an lmporLanL feaLure of
hlsLorlcal change
Soclal Acuon ls noL reduclble Lo sLrucLural
change
(6"#$%$&'()) Soclal Acuon ls Lhe proper ob[ecL
of soclologlcal lnqulry
8"4+5"9"$
8"4+5"9"$ - undersLandlng
usually undersLood as empaLhlc
undersLandlng
lL ls Lhe soclologlsL's role Lo seek an
undersLandlng of :9; a glven acLor behaved ln
Lhe way Lhey dld - Lo undersLand Lhelr
meanlngs - sLep lnLo Lhelr shoes
Can be hlsLorlcal - 'one need noL have been
Caesar ln order Lo undersLand Caesar'
undersLandlng Meanlngful
Soclal Acuon
1wo fundamenLal Lypes of undersLandlng
<1"4+5"9"$)=
Cbservauonal undersLandlng - slmple
observauon ls enough Lo Lell us :9#5 ls
golng on
LxplanaLory undersLandlng - undersLandlng
Lhe sub[ecuve meanlngs and mouvauons
LhaL Lell us :9; cerLaln behavlour ls
occurrlng
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versLehen as a meLhod comblned wlLh oLher
Lechnlques can yleld a more compleLe accounL
of soclal reallLy / a meanlngful causal
sequence
SLep lnslde Lhelr shoes
1he meanlngs Lhey auach Lo Lhelr experlences and Lhelr mouvauons for
acung upon Lhem
ls lL posslble Lo undersLand?
WhaL do we seek Lo undersLand?
lrom whlch vanLage polnL?
Who ls Lo conducL such underLaklngs?
AL whaL level of emouonal deLachmenL?
Pow ls Lhls Lo be communlcaLed?
1hrough whlch dlscourse / ldeology?
Are we mouvaLed by unconsclous deslres?
SLepplng lnslde your shoes
1o whaL exLenL do we undersLand ourselves?
lor Marx Lhe polnL ls noL Lo acL on behalf of
someone else buL Lo recognlse our common
posluon and acL on LhaL basls
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ldeal Lypes
CaLegorles of ldeas whlch consuLuLe an
lnLerpreLauon of Lhe world
used Lo brlng some sense of order Lo a chaouc
reallLy
A 'uLopla' - a pure-form of a parucular
phenomenon
A yardsuck - by comparlng ldeal Lype forms Lo
Lhose found ln reallLy, we can seek Lo explaln
Lhe form and exLenL of Lhelr varlauon
ldeal-Lypes Loday
ldeal-Lype lndlvlduals ln Lhe popular consclousness / your ldeal-
Lypes
Who are Lhey?
WhaL are Lhelr characLerlsucs?
Why mlghL we asplre Lo be llke Lhem?
Pow useful are Lhey?
Marx clalmed LhaL consclousness / sub[ecuvlLy develops ouL of Lhe
maLerlal clrcumsLances lnLo whlch we are born.
lor Marx 'Communlsm' ls an ldea LhaL develops from a maLerlal
loglc (l.e. class sLruggle). Pow useful ls communlsm as an 'ldeal
Lype' dlvorced from a maLerlallsL undersLandlng of hlsLory?
values ln Soclal Sclence
Sclence ls gulded by values, such as lnLegrlLy,
rlgour, clarlLy, LruLh
Puman belngs are valulng belngs. 1hey llve llves
Lhrough and for values
PlsLory only makes sense lf lL ls consldered from
Lhe sLandpolnL of values
Soclal sclenusLs choose Lhelr llnes and ob[ecLs of
lnqulry by reference Lo values
values ln Soclal Sclence
SclenusLs can show people how Lo seL Lhe ends Lhey
seL for Lhemselves.
SclenusLs can show people Lhe consequences of
followlng cerLaln ends.
Lmplrlcal soclologlsLs can show how people's value
ldeas have gulded Lhelr behavlour and had
consequences for Lhem and oLhers.
(Albrow, 1990)
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value-lreedom
WlLh Lhls emphasls on value, how can we be
value-free?
value-freedom does noL mean lndependence
from values
Sclence ls a value-cholce - once Lhls cholce
has been made we have a shared
undersLandlng of whaL we do
value-freedom ls, ln facL, a value cholce
1ypes of Soclal Acuon
1he comblnauon of ldeas (lnLerpreLauon) and
wlll - lndlvldual reason
1radluonal Acuon
AecLual (emouonal) Acuon
value-8auonal Acuon
lnsLrumenLal- or urposlve-8auonal Acuon
1radluonal Acuon
Acuon whlch ls done because lL ls Lradluonal Lo acL LhaL
way - lL has always been so
lL ls oen Laken for granLed, worklng o LaclL
undersLandlngs of whaL ls expecLed of you
Meanlng ls acqulred Lhrough famlllarlLy and usage wlLhouL
necessary knowledge of Lhe purpose
AcLs as an opposlng force Lo modernlzauon
8orders on Lhe rauonal
CaplLallsm 'bauers down all Chlnese walls'. ulscuss ln relauon
Lo Lradluonal acuon
AecLual (emouonal) Acuon
Acuon whlch ls mouvaLed by emouonal facLors
ls of lmporLance because of meanlng, feellng and
purpose lnherenL Lo soclal acuon
Can also be meanlngless - crylng when hurL,
sexual drlve, eLc
8orders on Lhe rauonal
Are emouons rauonal / calculaLed / false?
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value-8auonal Acuon
Acuon ls Lhe end ln lLself
'8auonal orlenLauon Lo an absoluLe value'
Consclous bellef ln some value for lLs own sake
wlLhouL prospecLs for exLernal success
Colng Lo church Lo pray, dlrecL pollucal acuon
- proLesLs, hunger sLrlkes, eLc., sacrlce ln Lhe
name of duLy/honour
8auonal
lnsLrumenLal-8auonal Acuon
Also known as means-ends-rauonallLy
CrlenLauon Lo a sysLem of dlscreLe lndlvldual
alms
Conslderauon for Lhe behavlour of exLernal
ob[ecLs and lndlvlduals
ls calculauve - welghlng means agalnsL
purposes and slde-eecLs agalnsL purposes
1he ulumaLe rauonallLy
1o whaL exLenL ls acuvlLy Loday gulded
by lnsLrumenLal-rauonal acuon
Conslder Lhe cholces you make
unlverslLy
Career
Shopplng
lrlendshlps / love
ollucs
ersonal developmenL
lree-ume
'uon'L chop Lhe oLher guy's llver any ner Lhan
you have Lo. 1he fuLure ls an enlgma. none of
us can be cerLaln LhaL we'll never need
someLhlng from a former boss, compeuLor, co-
worker.' (Popklns, 1. 1983 [1982] >9" ?@-%#)
A(%0" 5, B(--"++C London: anLher 8ooks: 20)
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8auonallzauon: 1he Cver-Archlng
1heme of PlsLory?
1radluonal Acuon replaced by lnsLrumenLal-
8auonal Acuon.
PlsLory shows Lhe lncrease of rauonallLy: hunLer-
gaLherer socleLy - agrlculLural socleLy - lndusLrlal
socleLy, feudallsm and Lradluonal caplLallsm -
rauonal caplLallsm, rellglous socleLy - sclenuc
socleLy.
WesLern socleLy lncreaslngly domlnaLed by
4#.,$#) ways of Lhlnklng and worklng.
Where wlll Lhls lead?
8auonallLy
1hree (broad) concepuons of 8auonallLy:
1he relauonshlp beLween 'means' and 'ends'.
'1echnlcally adequaLe calculauon' (Colllns, 1986)
lorce for change - dynamlc and world-alLerlng
8auonallLy as predlcLablllLy and regularlLy wlLhln
sysLems and lnsuLuuons.
8auonal CaplLallsm
1he formal rauonallzauon of economlc llfe
provldes a sLrucLure for soclal llfe whlch ls
medlaLed Lhrough Lhe markeL
lndlvlduals, Lherefore, come lnLo relauon wlLh
each oLher Lhrough Lhls markeL
ls caplLallsm rauonal?
lrom whlch perspecuve?
lrom whlch crlLerla?
1o whaL ends?
Weber on Class
Powever, Lhls markeL-deLermlned lnLeracuon ls
noL all equal...
ulvlslons wlLhln Lhe proleLarlaL
values, lnLeresLs, sLaLus
>9(+ -)#++ +%5(#.,$ 4"D"-5+ !#4E"5 0"5"4!%$"0
F)%'" -9#$-"+G :9%-9 %$-)(0" 34,3"45;H+E%))+ #$0
"0(-#.,$IC

3/31/10
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Class
uened by properLy, economlc ownershlp
1o do wlLh Lhe opporLunlues lndlvlduals have
for 'asserung Lhelr lnLeresLs on Lhe markeL'
very close Lo Marx's analysls - power ls
conLrolled by Lhose who own properLy, lack of
ownershlp confers real powerlessness
SLaLus (or soclal honour)
Soclal esLeem ln whlch an lndlvldual ls held
LsLeem may be posluve or negauve
SLaLus groups are llkely Lo be accompanled by
dlsuncuve rules and llfesLyles
CerLaln groups malnLaln Lhe closure of Lhelr
sLaLus group Lhrough a monopoly of maLerlal or
ldeal goods
SLaLus groups can provlde power ln soclal
slLuauons lndependenLly of economlc power
arLy
lndlvlduals amllaLed wlLh groups who hold or
can lnuence a socleLy's pollucal cenLre
Members of parllamenLary parues, members
of Lhlnk-Lanks or promlnenL pressure groups
8elauonshlp Lo Lhose excluded from such
groups
Marx and Weber on class
ls lL meanlngful Lo dlscuss class ln any oLher Lerm Lhan
as a relauon Lo Lhe mode of producuon?
Marx also emphaslsed Lhe lmporLance of ldeology /
class dlvlslons eLc. WhaL can Weber conLrlbuLe Lo Lhls
analysls?
Conslder Lhe lmporLance of value-orlenLauons / ldeal-
Lypes eLc and how Lhese are soclally deLermlned (eg
gender/eLhnlclLy, consumpuon / personal possesslons,
occupauon, famlly background eLc)
Pow compauble are Weberlan and MarxlsL nouons of
class? Where do Lhe llmlLs lle?
3/31/10
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ower:
1radluonal uomlnauon
'aLrlarchallsm' - Lhe rule of Lhe faLher over Lhe
household (also ln leudallsm)
Women and chlldren are menLally, physlcally,
economlcally dependenL upon Lhe 'masLer-
gure' of Lhe faLher
1ralned Lo be duuful and obedlenL - chlldren
and servanLs
AbsoluLe rule
uomlnance malnLalned by 54#0%.,$
1radluonal Acuon
Legal-8auonal uomlnauon
Modern sLaLe
uomlnauon by leglslauon and Lhe admlnlsLrauon
of LhaL leglslauon lnsLrumenLal-8auonal Acuon
8ureaucracy
'1he sLaLe ls a vlLal lnsLrumenL for soclal coheslon
wlLhouL whlch Lhere would be chaos.' ulscuss.
8ureaucracy
1he rlse of rauonallLy LhroughouL WesLern
socleLy has creaLed a speclcally rauonal
sysLem of admlnlsLrauon (or, omclaldom)
1he rule of rauonal-legal prlnclples
8ouunlsauon of behavlour
CharacLerlsucs of 8ureaucracy
Cmce managemenL lnvolves 'Lhorough and
experL Lralnlng'.
1he 'omclal acuvlLy demands Lhe full worklng
capaclLy of Lhe omclal' - separauon of prlvaLe
lnLeresLs and Lhose of Lhe bureau.
'1he managemenL of Lhe omce follows general
rules, whlch are more or less sLable, more or
less exhausuve, and whlch can be learned.
knowledge of Lhese rules represenLs speclal
Lechnlcal Lralnlng whlch Lhe omclals possess.'

3/31/10
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8ureaucracy and formal rauonallLy
Weber's ldeal-Lyplcal bureaucracy: 'predlcaLed
on upon an awareness of Lhe lrreduclble
plurallLy of and frequenL lncommensurablllLy
beLween passlonaLely held moral ends and
Lhus of Lhe posslble cosLs of pursulng any one
of Lhem aL Lhe expense of oLhers.'
aul du Cay /$ J4#%+" ,' K(4"#(-4#-; (2000:
76)
8auonallLy as SLrucLure
8auonallLy can be seen as a soclal sLrucLure ln
Lhe followlng ways
uomlnauon of lndlvlduals by rauonal
lnsuLuuons and processes - bureaucracy
8auonallLy (and lrrauonallLy) as underlylng
mouvauonal forces ln deLermlnlng soclal
acuon
1he lron Cage
1he lncreaslng rauonallsauon of Lhe modern
world Lraps lndlvlduals wlLhln an 'lron Cage'
'shell as hard as sLeel'
8epresenLs noL Lhe facL LhaL rauonallLy, as
exLernal soclal sLrucLure, Lraps people, buL
raLher LhaL we, as soclal acLors, lnLernallse
rauonallLy and acL ln lncreaslngly rauonal ways
and Lherefore Lrap ourselves ln an lncreaslngly
rauonallsed world bere of meanlng

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