SOCI 230 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Ideal Type, Rationality, Iron Cage

• School: Texas A&M University
• Department: Sociology
• Course: SOCI 230
• Professor: Prechel Harland

Document Summary

Ideal t(cid:455)pe= (cid:373)e(cid:374)tal (cid:272)o(cid:374)st(cid:396)u(cid:272)t, a(cid:271)st(cid:396)a(cid:272)tio(cid:374) a(cid:374)d does(cid:374)"t e(cid:454)ist at the e(cid:373)pi(cid:396)i(cid:272)al le(cid:448)el. O(cid:374)e sided a(cid:272)(cid:272)e(cid:374)tuatio(cid:374) of phe(cid:374)o(cid:373)e(cid:374)a (cid:894)e(cid:373)pi(cid:396)i(cid:272)al(cid:895) desig(cid:374)ed to (cid:396)efle(cid:272)t phe(cid:374)o(cid:373)e(cid:374)a"s (cid:373)ost salient features: way of gaining knowledge, provides short cuts. Utility can be assessed only in relation to capacity to explain/describe concrete problems or range of problems. Only purpose is to facilitate analysis and explain the empirical. Cannot apply, but can develop an ideal type: based on specific characteristics differing from country to country. Weber was sometimes referred to as neo-kantian= fact that he understood that categories created by people are theoretical mechanisms designed to explain the empirical: focus was on creating ideal types that are generalizable. As a comparative and historical sociologist, weber was interested in historical conditions and processes that were affecting the rationalization process. Weber has provided the framework to look beyond the empirical of a society.