social action theory

what type of theory is social action?

• social action: society is built up from interactions between people

• take an individual, small view of society

• micro approach → from the individual’s perspective

how do they explain social order? (social action)

• social order is created through symbols

• social order is deliberately created by others

social order is created through symbols

• george herbert mead

• game playing and role taking: we learn meanings during childhood through game playing

• taking the role of the other: learn the meanings through the interaction

social order is deliberately created by others

• goffman - dramaturgical model

• society is like a play

• by using scripts, props and costume we are able to create the person we want the audience (other people) to see

• presentation of the self

how do they view social change? (social action)

• society experiences a change in meanings

• ideal body: marilyn monroe → heroine chic

how is phenomenology different?

• schutz

• typifications influence the meanings we apply to our meanings

• atkinson: coroners → location of death, mode of death; influenced by typifications

what are the problems with social action theory?

• feminists and marxists argue: symbolic interactionism fails to explore power differences between groups

what is the social action theory’s methodology?

• interpretivists

• want to achieve verstehen

• e.g. covert participant observation

• weber argued verstehen should be the main focus of research

how relevant is the social action theory in the 21st century?

• police typifications

• Theresa May (2013) review of stop and searches

• required officers to cite reason for search and report search