The Sociology of Max Weber

1
The Sociology of Max Weber

• Agenda
• Objective
• 1. To understand the sociology of Max Weber and
  its contributions to the field of sociology.
• Schedule
• Discussion of Webers Theory

• Homework
• 1. Read Weber Packet keep track of evidence
  of your work.
• 2. Critical Thinking Assignments Due Wed 10/17
• 3. Marx, Weber, Durkheim Paper Due Wed 10/24

2
Max Weber

• 1864-1920
• German
• Ph.D. in Economic and Legal History
• Professor of Economics at Freiburg University in
  Germany
• Resigned after suffering a series of nervous
  breakdowns.
• Became an associated editor of the Archives for
  Social Science and Social Welfare and worked as a
  private scholar for the rest of his life.
• Was a consultant to the drafting of the Weimar
  Constitution and was one of the key authors of
  Article 48.
• Major Works
• The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism
  (1905)
• Economy and Society (1922 published
  posthumously)

3
Historical Context

• Webers writing should be understood in light of
  two historical contexts
• The Industrial Revolution
• The Rise of Positivism

4
Context 1 The Industrial Revolution and The
Irrationality of Rationality

• Like Marx, Weber was
• troubled by
• industrialization and
• the emergence of
• capitalism.
• He too focused much
• of his writing on what the effects this new
  economic system would have on man and society.
• Weber was particularly concerned with the
  emergence of rationality and its effects on the
  human experience.

5
Context Two Positivism and Sociology as
Subjectivity

• Weber wrote during the time in which positivism
  was gaining prominence as the methodology of the
  social sciences.
• Weber opposed positivism
• Weber wanted to study society through the
  subjective experiences of individuals and
  cultures.
• Therefore, for Weber, if we want to understand
  the world around us, we must understand the
  subjective individual experience (verstehen)
• Unlike Marx, he says we cannot have a grand,
  objective scientific analysis of society.

6
The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism
7
The Spirit of Capitalism
8
Marx Weber
Culture/Ideology/ Beliefs/ Values
Culture/Ideology/ Beliefs/ Values
Economics/ Material Conditions
Economics/ Material Conditions
9
Predestination
10
(No Transcript)
11
Asceticism

• No fun ever!
• Just praying!!

12
The Protestant Ethic

• Work hard and accumulate wealth as a sign of your
  salvation.

13
How the Protestant Ethic Leads to the Sprit of
Capitalism
Predestination Leads to Uncertainty of Salvation
Asceticism Leads to denial of pleasure and
emphasis on labor
Protestant Ethic Work hard and accumulate wealth
as a sign of salvation
(over time)
Spirit of Capitalism Accumulate wealth for its
own sake
14
Webers Sociology Developed by James Coleman (The
Coleman Boat)
Macro Level
Structure Capitalist Economy
Culture Protestant Religion
Individual Level Beliefs and Values
Individual Economic Behaviors
Micro Level
15
Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism
Discussion

• We will watch an excerpt from movie Full Metal
  Jacket.
• As you watch think about how the experience of
  the marines and bootcamp is an example of Webers
  argument.
• Before we start Why do people go to war?

16
On Bureaucracy from Economy and Society
17
Business Organization

• Within each department, there are specific roles
  and tasks that need to be accomplished.

18
Webers Bureaucracy
19
Bureaucracy Activity

• Part One
• We will watch a clip from the movie Office Space.
• Identify how the workplace organization in the
  film epitomizes Webers six characteristics of
  bureaucracy.
• Part Two
• Think back to a job you have held, or if you have
  never worked, a club/group/ association with
  which you have been involved.
• Identify how your workplace organization
  epitomizes Webers six characteristics of
  bureaucracy.
• Part Three
• Discussion

Hierarchy of Authority Impersonality Written Rules of Conduct Promotion Based on Achievement Specialized Division of Labor Focus on Efficiency

20
The Iron Cage
21
Class, Status, Party from Economy and Society
22
Social Stratification
23
Stratification According to Marx
Bourgeoisie (Own the Means of Production)
Means of Production (Position in the Class
Structure Determined in Relation) (One Dividing
Line)

• Proletariat
• (Do Not Own the Means of Production)

24
Stratification According to Weber
Class (Economic Stratification) (Dividing Line
One)
Status (Social Stratification) (Dividing Line
Two)
Party (Political Stratification) (Dividing
Line 3)
Person A
Person B
Person B
Person B
Person A
Person A
25
Webers Definition of Class
Class People with Same Class Situation
Relation to the Means of Production
Relation to the Capital Market
Relation to the Labor Market
Relation to the Commodities Market
Class Situation
26
Class, Status, Party Discussion

• We will watch an excerpt from the television
  series The Sopranos.
• Where do you see the complex stratification lines
  of class and status?

27
Webers Sociology Developed by James Coleman (The
Coleman Boat)
Macro Level
Structure Capitalist Economy
Culture Protestant Religion
Individual Level Beliefs and Values
Individual Economic Behaviors
Micro Level