What Is Max Weber's Bureaucracy?

Max Weber was a German sociologist born in 1864 and died in 1920. Weber studied the sociological consequences of the products of the industrial revolution. He attempted to provide causal explanations for its historical development. (Little, D.,2017). He witnessed cities expanding in size, new companies establishing and a new management replacing the old aristocracy. His research investigated how the Reformation transformed traditional society into a capitalist society, one that had a major emphasis on economic success. Weber spent the length of his life researching these changes, to find out how political power operated. This allowed him to develop some key ideas with which we can now better understand the workings of capitalism.

Many pivotal

Large organisations with established rules and regulations with multiple hierarchical layers tend to structured and work effectively. However, Weber also recognized that bureaucracies could have negative consequences such as inflexibility and dehumanization. The over emphasis on structure, rules and regulations, could restrict employees to be innovative, as they are not given the opportunity to voice their own opinions. This is known as Rep Tape. Weber also talked about the ‘iron cage’ of instrumental rationality. Employees are almost trapped in a calculated system that has major emphasis on efficiency and control with little concern for the wellbeing of the employee and their individual freedom. The division of hierarchical layers may slow down the process of communication, which effects the organisation negatively. Bureaucracy has proven itself to be the most successful way of running an organisations. “society has yet to discover anything that works better.” (Kettle,2006) However, Goffman’s sociological studies of institutional life highlight the dehumanizing effects of bureaucratic systems. (Cooke and Philpin,

‘Total institutions are those institutions which regulate the entire existence of those who reside in them’ (Cooke and Philpin, 2008). These institutions functioned through the mechanism of the ‘mortification of self’. Goffmans study focused on the life of inmates of a mental hospital. In it he addressed how inmates were stripped of their identity he called this, ‘mortification of self’. Goffmans depictions of totals institutes gave us an insight on how the total institutions operate accordingly to bureaucracy. Goffman created a list outlining seven characteristics of how ‘mortification of self’ occurred; ‘Role dispossession, programming and identity trimming, dispossession of property, name and one’s ‘identity kit’, imposition of degrading, contaminative exposure, the disruption of the usual relationships between the individual and their actions/behaviours, restrictions on self-determination.’ (Goodman, B.,2017). Goffman coined that the process of mortification of the self would bring awareness to the problems in health and social care systems and initiate change as institutions need to guarantee it will care for individuals and preserve their civilian selves. Weber warned of bureaucratic control as a feature of modern society, Goffman further examined the effects of