SOCY 122 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Sui Generis, Social Fact, Economic Determinism

• School: Queen's University
• Department: Social Sci, Edu and Soc Work - Sociology
• Course: SOCY 122
• Professor: Rob Beamish

Document Summary

Socy 122 - introduction to sociology - lecture 8: max weber. One of three founders of the classical tradition in sociology a modernist. Potentially one of the first postmodernist sociologist. Work breaks into four parts: studies in methodology, empirical, history studies, studies of religion, unfinished treatise economy and society. Born into groups where collective representations (durkheim) or frames of mind (weber) dominate. Society as objective fact (sui generis) vs. a skilled accomplishment. Born into society that surrounds us vs. constituted through meaningful social action. Pursuit of social laws vs. study of social trends or tendencies. Types of social solidarity vs. types of social action (traditional, value-rational, goal-rational, and affective action) Religion, collective representations and social integration vs. religious meaning and elective affinity with material processes. Two methodological extremes in german social thought. But did not accept economic determinism of orthodox marxists. Action signifies human conduct (whether overly or covertly, by omission of acquiescence) that is associated with subjective meaning.