Max Weber's Theory Of Rationalization

920 Words2 Pages

Max Weber considered human science as a thorough investigation of social action. In his logical focus on individual human entertainers he fluctuated from a substantial part of his harbingers whose human science was envisioned in social-essential terms. Spencer concentrated on the progression of the body social as nearly looking like an animal. Durkheim 's central concern was with institutional courses of action that keep up the union of social structures. Marx 's vision of society was instructed by his diversion with the disputes between social classes inside changing social structures and advantageous relations. On the other hand, Weber 's basic focus was on the subjective ramifications that human entertainers attach to their exercises in …show more content…

Bureaucracy can be considered to be a particular case of rationalization, or rationalization applied to human organization. Bureaucratic coordination of human action, Weber believed, is the distinctive mark of modern social structures. In order to study these organizations, both historically and in contemporary society, Weber developed the characteristics of an ideal-type bureaucracy: Hierarchy of authority, impersonality, written rules of conduct, promotion based on achievement, specialized division of labor, and efficiency. According to Weber, bureaucracies are goal-oriented organizations designed according to rational principles in order to efficiently attain their goals. Offices are ranked in a hierarchical order, with information flowing up the chain of command, directives flowing down. All of these ideal characteristics have one goal, to promote the efficient attainment of the organization 's …show more content…

Weber 's discussion of authority relations also provides insight into what is happening in the modern world. Again, he uses the ideal type to begin to address these questions. Weber distinguished three main types of authority: Traditional Authority, rational legal authority, and charismatic. Rational legal authority is anchored in impersonal rules that have been legally established. This type of authority has come to characterize social relations in modern societies. Traditional authority often dominates premodern societies. It is based on the belief in the sanctity of tradition, of the eternal yesterday. Finally, charismatic authority rests on the appeal of leaders who claim allegiance because of the force of their extraordinary personalities. Again, it should be kept in mind that Weber is describing an ideal type; he was aware that in empirical reality mixtures will be found in the legitimization of

Open Document