Ila Tripathi: Sociology I answer copy

3(a)

To study these general patterns he devised 4 sociological methods : (1) Verstehen - interpretative understanding (2) Causal plurality (3) Value Neutrality (4) Ideal Type

Ideal Type was essentially a construct of exhaustive reality through selective means.

Weber used ideal type model in his experiment 'The Protestant Ethic and Spirit of Capitalism'.

This was a criticism of Marx which gave an economic determinist theory where social economy influenced and shaped religion.

Weber creates an ideal type construct of Western Europe's Capitalist societies and found that they all practiced protestant faith.

The faith had a 'pre-destined' aspect of 'the elect' who would go to heaven. Calvinist, unlike Lutherans, worked hard to assure themselves that they're the 'elect'. They did not indulge in luxury, ploughed back their income/profit in business thus giving rise to capitalism.

Here ideal type serves the purpose of an experiment. It is used a classification tool to term a certain faith responsible for economic phenomena.

Ideal Type construct creates a factual rationale since capitalism required accounting and numbers, unlike supernatural rational of religion.

Weber also applies the model of ideal type on larger scale by generalising Western european societies as capitalist and protestants.

Tawney criticises Weber for considering generalisation Britain was the first capitalist nation but not protestant Britain was Catholic that time.

Wallerstein says colonialism and not protestant faith led to capitalism.

Peter Sombart questions how ascetic protestants supported a consumer oriented capitalist market, who would consume?

Hence, Weber's ideal type finds relevance in explaining capitalism as a product of protestant faith. Prior to Weber, sociology depended heavily on scientific methods. Ideal type provided a method to understand society.

3(b)

Emile Durkheim was a staunch positivist and functionalist who proposed comparative method to study society.

Weber, as an interactionist, believed society could not be explained but only understood.

Durkheim studied society by comparing the contemporary with history. In his book, 'Elementary Forms of Religious Life' studies primitive Arunta tribe of Australia to understand complex forms. Weber on the other hand used ideal type to create a model of exhaustive reality. In his experiment 'The Protestant Ethic and Spirit of Capitalism' capitalism is explained through Protestant religion.

Durkheim was a functionalist who believed every social component has a function. Even crime served the purpose of bringing to attention the solidarity needed. Weber too believed in utility of social phenomena but in their ideal form. Bureaucracy was an effective organisation if it was blessed with rules, technical expertise, impersonality.

Durkheim viewed social fact as the subject matter of sociology. Social facts have externality, practice constraints and can be generalised. Weber believed social action was the subject matter of Sociology. Social actions are directed by an individual towards other individuals.

Durkheim related economy with politics while Weber saw politics as an independent entity. According to Durkheim, Division of Labor leads to formation of State. Weber said power and State are interrelated where State exercises power through administration.

Durkheim divided society on the basis of labor. Weber too divided the society into 4 classes - Propertied Upper class, white collar workers, Petty Bourgeoisie, Manual Labor - based on labour and economic factors.

While Durkheim is criticised by the likes of Malinowski and Timasheff for exaggerating and over simplification. Weber is criticised for his social action theory by Parsons and Pareto.

Durkheim and Weber both have made remarkable contribution to study of society through functionalism and interactionism respectively.