SOCB43H3 Lecture 2: Lecture 2.docx
Document Summary
You need a way of understanding action and what people are doing. You ask what people are trying to do when they go to church. Capitalism hard work a way of getting closer to god. You don"t really think about the deep philosophy when you"re going to work. Weber thought that this isn"t what sociology is about. Sociology has to study what people are doing, meaning; not impulsive behavior. It"s impossible to just look out into the world and then ask yourself what it means. You need some sort of theory that will help you draw lines and compare the different meanings people prescribe to their actions. Theory of action: a theory that"s supposed to tell you what are the main types of actions that people can undertake. What are the main ways that people make their behavior meaningful. Weber tries to give a basic typology of the basic actions.
