WK 8 (WEBER)

Ontology

Examines the nature and structure of reality. I look at things that exist, how they’re grouped, how they relate or connect to each other. It tries to answer the ‘What is?’ question

Epistemology

The study of knowledge. It examines the nature, origin, and limits of knowledge. It explores how knowledge is aquired, how we decide something is valid, and limitatons of what we can’t know. It asks "‘How do we know what we know?’ question

Casuality

Describes the relationship between cause and effect. Essentially things don’t just happen, the reason = cause and what happens =effect. Science relies on understanding this relationship

Idiographic Knowledge

• focuses on understanding the unique experiences of individuals or specific cases

  • unique events in history that led to cultural phenomena

• explore why certain events become part of out history and why we consider them to be significant enough to be recorded

nomothetic knowledge

Natural sciences seek to create universal laws that allow us to predict what will happen in many different, related cases

Hermeneutics

• interpretation of human reality and values

• Because people have values and beliefs, understanding them isn't just about facts, but about understanding what those values and beliefs mean

It contains 3 things:

• ethical neutrality in science

  • science should be completely unbiased

  • Hermeneutics questions how well this works when studying humans, since humans are full of values.

• a theory of explanatory understanding

  • how we explain why people do what they do

  • focuses on understanding their pov, not just finding cause-and-effect.

• ideal-types

  • models or common patterns used to understand groups of people or social situations.

  • help us make sense of complex human behavior

  • not perfect representations of reality.

Objectivity

• perspective that’s observable and factual

• focuses on what's real and measurable, rather than a subjective personal or emotional interpretation

value relevance

• while objectivity is important when observing, it is difficult to completely leave one’s own values separate = impossible to be completely unbiased

value freedom

• value-judgments = biases into our understanding

  • sociologists should strive for objectivity

  • focusing on explaining facts and potential consequences rather than making moral judgments

methodological individualism

• Weber believed that to understand society, we must focus on the actions and motivations of individual people

• intention = action

explanatory understanding

• When studying things that change over time (like history), we don't look for universal rules. Instead, we analyze each situation individually

• method called "Verstehen,"= empathic understanding

  • understand things from the other person's perspective = walking in their shoes

  • tries to figure out the reasons behind people's actions, not just what they do

• difference between behaviour and social action

Theory of explanatory understanding

• natural science: examines outer states or physical outcomes

• social science: examine inner states or subjecitve meaning

  • attach meaning to behaviour

2 types of understanding

1. direct

   • when we understand why someone does something just by watching what happens

   • intuitive: understand something instantly, without thinking much = pulling hand away from fire

   • rational: we understand something by using reason and facts = pool I get wet or math

2. explanatory

   • knowing the why behind an action, which requires careful thought, judgment, and experience

Ideal-Types

• simplifications of reality to help create theoretical concepts or constructs

  • tool to make lots of info about society

• not empirically found in reality as idea = utopia

• observable action explained by motives

• Help us understand complex social things: protests, bureaucracies, or types of authority.

• Focus on the key features: highlight what's typical, not every single detail

Ideal types are not:

• descriptions of reality

• an average of something

• ideals that are achieved

Social Action

• reason behind their action

non-social action: copying others without thinking = herding

• react without thought = mob

4 types of social action

1. purposive

   • rational and calculated = to achive goal

   • study hard = good grade = rich

   • goal driven

2. value-oriented

   • do something because you believe its the right thing

   • based on morals and ethics

   • volunterring homeless shelter = believe in helping others

3. traditional

   • rooted in customs = do something because its always been done that way

   • part of culture = celebrating holidays

   • non-rational

4. affectual

   • based on our emotions = irrational

   • do something based on how you feel

   • hug a friend who’s angry