SOC 304 - Exam 4B (quotes & essays)

Weber saw sociology as a science that tries to understand the meaning behind people's actions (called verstehen) and then explain why those actions happen and what results they lead to

define sociology as Weber understood it

• no

• focuses on understanding historical development, rationalization, and meaning behind actions

does Weber have an overarching theory?

the Protestant ethic encouraged people to work hard and be successful, which helped create the mindset needed for capitalism. But over time, this way of thinking lost its religious meaning and turned into a rigid system where people feel trapped—like being in an “iron cage.”

what is the basic argument of The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of capitalism?

3 dimensional view (more detailed than Marx)

• Class: Economic interests

• Status: Social honor

• Party: Political power

Weber’s Approach to Stratification

• religion influences and reflects big social changes

• Weber compared different religions to figure out why capitalism developed in the West

Weber’s Sociology of Religion

the original religious reason for working hard is gone. Now, people are stuck in strict, organized systems that feel meaningless. This idea is key to how Weber saw modern society

Weber wrote: “In Baxter’s view the care for external goods should only lie on the shoulders of the saint like a light cloak, which can be thrown aside at any moment. But fate decreed that the cloak should become an iron cage.” What does he mean by this? In what context did he write it? How does it relate to Weber’s sociology as a whole?

• Weber: rationalization

• Marx: capitalist exploitation

• Durkheim: social norms and solidarity

Weber vs Marx vs Durkheim

Weber said that rational systems, which started from values like religion, can end up treating people like machines. His thinking is somewhat like Marx’s, but unlike Marx, Weber didn’t believe history was moving toward a guaranteed revolution or better future

Historical Developments “Turning into Their Opposite”

systems can get so caught up in rules and efficiency that they forget about people and what's right

 Formal Rationality → Substantive Irrationality

• efficiency

• predictability

• calculability

• control

Ritzer’s McDonaldization