Sociology Optional

UPSC
Paper – I
Unit – 4
Sociological Thinkers
(A) Social Action
1.4.3.1
•By – Abhishek Bhal
 Social Action
• Max Weber conceived of sociology as a comprehensive science of
‘social action’ which constitutes the basic unit of social life.

• Definition:
Weber defined social action as ‘the meaningful action oriented
towards other individuals’.
• Presence of meanings as well as other individuals is equally
important for any behaviour to qualify as social action.
 Social Action
• Weber defined sociology as “a science which attempts the
interpretive understanding of social action in order thereby to arrive
at a causal explanation of its course and effects.’

• The technical category of ‘action’ described in Weber’s work is all

human behaviour to which an actor attaches subjective meaning.

• “Action is social, in so far as, by virtue of the subjective meaning

attached to it by the acting individual, it takes account of the
behaviour of others and is thereby oriented in its course.”
 Social Action
• According to Weber, sociology is a science concerning itself with the
interpretive understanding of social action.
• For Weber, social action is the basic unit of social life and hence the
subject matter of sociology.
• Individuals are cultural beings but have an ability to take a deliberate
stand of their own.
• Therefore, individuals are capable of attributing a subjective meaning
to their behaviour.
• Thus, as a sociologist, one must look at human behaviour as social
action.
 Social Action
• There are two elements of social action viz. presence of meaning and
orientation towards others.
• In the absence of assigned ‘meanings’ by the individuals, the actions
are meaningless and thus outside the purview of sociology.
• Similarly, the actions which are not oriented towards others are also
outside the purview of sociology.
 Social Action
• Since meanings are the fundamental character of social action, so if
the nature of meanings changes, the type of social action also
undergoes change.
• Thus, based on the nature of meanings, Weber constructed a
classificatory typology of social action.
• He based his classification of social action on the pure types of
meanings, although such pure types of meanings are never found in
reality.
• According to Weber social reality is infinitely complex. There is an
infinite variety of meanings that can exist in social life.
• But all these meanings can be analytically reduced to four pure
types of meanings.
 Social Action
1. Goal–Rational Action (Zweckrational action):
• The actor determines the practical goal (rational, specific, and
quantifiable) and chooses his means purely in terms of their
efficiency to attain the goal.
• Ex. Engineer building a bridge, modern agriculture, business, etc.

2. Value-Rational Action (Wertrational action):

• Value-rational action is the one where the means are chosen for
their efficiency but the goals are determined by value.
• Ex. Captain of sinking ship, soldier giving up his life for country.
 Social Action
3. Affective or Emotional Action:
• In certain situations the sole meaning involved in people’s behaviour
is to give expression of their emotional state. Here emotion or
impulse determines the ends and means of action.
• Ex. mother hugs her child, meeting an old friend, etc

4. Traditional Action:
• Traditional actions are those where both ends and means are
determined by custom. Here, the meaning involved is that of
maintaining a continuity of the tradition.
• Ex. Rituals, ceremonies and practices of tradition fall in this category.
THANKS!

•By – Abhishek Bhal