Deck 4: Understanding Webers Concepts of Social and Non-Social Action: A Critical Analysis

Question 1

Weber's concept of social action can be summed up by which of the following statements?

A) Social action is the action which occurs when we are in contact with other people in any social situation.
B) Social action refers to the actions or behaviours that are intended towards people we know.
C) Social action is the action a person takes when they are influenced by the behaviour of others.
D) Social action is an action that has an intended meaning that is related to the behaviour of others.

Answer 1

Social action is an action that has an intended meaning that is related to the behaviour of others.

Question 2

Weber's concept of non-social action can be summed up by which of the following statements?

A) Non-social action refers to any action that a person carries out towards someone they do not know.
B) Non-social action is an action a person carries out without relating it meaningfully to those to which
C) Non-social action refers to the inaction of a person who decides not to respond to the behaviour of another.
D) Non-social action is the result of a social action that is misunderstood by the person to whom the action was intended.

Answer 2

Non-social action is an action a person carries out without relating it meaningfully to those to which

Question 3

The following is an answer to the question "Compare and contrast Weber's concepts of social action and non-social action."How would you judge this answer? "Social action is the behaviour to which human beings attach a specific meaning and takes into account the behaviour of others. Non-social action in contrast refers to behaviour which is carried out without any thought to its subjective meaning. Both forms of action involve a level of behaviour.

A) Excellent (the statement is correct, with a clear and correct assumption about the concepts)
B) Good (the statement is correct, but the assumption about the concepts is incorrect)
C) Mediocre (the statement is correct, and the assumption about the concepts is irrelevant)
D) Unacceptable (the statement is incorrect and the explanation is unclear and irrelevant)

Answer 3

Excellent (the statement is correct, with a clear and correct assumption about the concepts)

Question 4

According to Weber social action involves all but one of the following characteristics. Which is not a characteristic?

A) Social action results from some form of interaction between an individual and others
B) Social action has a meaningful understanding with others or the action of others
C) Social action must be based on some level of action rather than inaction towards others
D) Social action can occur between people or groups who do not know each other

Question 5

Which of the following characteristics is necessary for subjectively meaningful behaviour to occur?

A) Behaviour with an intended meaning
B) A correct interpretation of a meaning
C) Individuals who know each other
D) An understanding of verstehen

Question 6

Which of the following examples is not considered to be a social action according to Weber's definition?

A) Refusing to take action in a protest because you do not agree with the cause.
B) Sitting in a ballpark with 20,000 other fans watching a baseball game.
C) Engaging in an argument with a friend over a difference of opinion.
D) Posting your bio on Facebook.

Question 7

Why does Weber believe that the concept of social relationships is important?

A) It offers sociologists a way to distinguish between subjective meaning and objective meaning.
B) It allows sociologists to use their sociological imagination to explain why people behave and think . as they do in relation to the broader social context.
C) It is a way for sociologists to determine whether a social interaction is based on mutual social action.
D) It helps sociologist to analyze social actions between different sizes of groups based on the use of behaviour as symbol.

Question 8

You are asked to critically analyze a consequence of a large social relationship. Which of the following statements is correct?

A) People involved in large social relationships tend to feel more confident that there is much opportunity for active engagement.
B) People involved in large social relationships tend to have more personal involvement with others in . the group and thus feel a sense of belonging.
C) People involved in large social relationships tend to experience much change in the relationships between the group members.
D) People involved in large social relationships tend to have less personal involvement with others in . the group and thus feel a sense of isolation.

Question 9

Which of the following relational statements is correct?

A) Subjective meaning is to mutual social action as social action is to mutual social action
B) Mutual social action is to subjective meaning as social action is to mutual social action
C) Subjective meaning is to social action as social action is to mutual social action
D) Social action is to subjective meaning as social action is to mutual social action

Question 10

Judge the following sentence according to the criteria given below: Weber suggests that using the concept of verstehen we are able to access the internal thought processes and motives of others, in other words, the basis of social action can be revealed using verstehen so that we may anticipate the outcome of a particular interaction.

A) The assertion and the reason are both correct, and the reason is valid
B) The assertion and the reason are both correct, but the reason is invalid
C) The assertion is correct, but the reason is incorrect
D) The assertion is incorrect, but the reason is correct.

Question 11

Weber argued that in __________ social relationships a person's actions become more important for the stability of the relationship, while in __________ social relationships one person's actions willhave less on the stability of the relationship overall.

A) subjective; objective
B) larger; smaller
C) objective; subjective
D) smaller; larger

Question 12

Generally, a person in a friendship with another person will have ________ flexibility to make change compared to a person who works in a bureaucratic organization.

A) more
B) less
C) equal
D) zero

Question 13

Which sociological perspectives would argue that women often stay in abusive relationships because they lack the power and resources to change or leave the relationship?

A) Structural functionalist; symbolic interactionist
B) Feminist; conflict
C) Conflict; symbolic interactionist
D) Feminist; structural functionalist

Question 14

The study discussed in your text by O'Toole, Marsh and Jones, (2003), found that young voters are less likely to go to the polls to vote because they believe that their vote will not make a difference. Which theoretical framework, research method, and type of data collection was most likely used to come to this conclusion?

A) Structural functionalist theory, documentary method and qualitative analysis
B) Conflict theory, surveys and quantitative analysis
C) Feminist theory, participant observation and qualitative analysis
D) Symbolic interactionist theory, interviews and quantitative analysis

Question 15

According to Weber an "interpretive grasp"can be explained by which of the following statements?

A) A focus on the meanings people attach to their social world.
B) A focus on the subjective thoughts and feelings of people in their social world.
C) A focus on people's need for social change in their social world.
D) A focus on people's dissociation from their social world.

Question 16

Which of the following phrases is another way to define critical thinking from the sociological perspective?

A) Seeing the particular in the general
B) Seeing how society can be changed
C) Seeing the general in the particular
D) Seeing society from the perspective of science

Question 17

Weber argued that the idea of social action is important for sociologists studying society for three reasons. Which of the following is not one of those reasons?

A) The concept of social action provides sociologists a way to account for human experience in the broader social context.
B) The concept of social action aids sociologists in studying the many forms of subjectively meaningful behaviour
C) The concept of social action allows sociologists to be conscious of the importance of social atmosphere.
D) The concept of social action serves to help sociologists identify the best focus for the study of society.

Question 18

Which of the following statements is an example of Weber's concept of a social relationship?

A) An interaction between a server and a customer who is placing her lunch order
B) An interaction where one person is pretending to listen to another person
C) An interaction between two people at the grocery store who are reaching for the same item
D) An interaction where one person declares the other person irrational because he does not understand the other's meaning

Question 19

How does the concept of a social relationship help us relate our experiences to the broader social context?

A) It allows people to understand the social behaviour of others so they can relate to the larger human experience.
B) It allows people to give subjective meanings to common social symbols in order for them to engage in social action.
C) It allows people to relate to another's behaviour in order for the behaviour to be subjectively meaningful.
D) It allows people who mutually adjust their social actions to each other to anticipate the meanings of . social actions in order to successfully interact in their social world.

Question 20

A student in your sociology class was asked to describe the process Weber used to think critically about the human experience. The following is his answer: "In order to critically analyze an issue Weber began by using research methods to collect background data about an element of the human experience. Next, he evaluated this data by using sociological concepts which allowed him a way to evaluate and come to a conclusion about the human experience. As a result Weber could apply the idea of social action to his analysis."

A) Excellent (the statement is correct, with a clear and correct assumption about the process)
B) Good (the statement is correct, but the assumption about the process is incorrect)
C) Mediocre (the statement is correct, and the assumption about the process is irrelevant)
D) Unacceptable (the statement is incorrect and the explanation is unclear and irrelevant)