: Discuss the Contributions of Max Weber as a Founding Father of Sociology |
Max Weber born as Karl Emil Maxmillian Webe (1864 – 1920); a German Sociologist, philosopher and political economist with ideas that influenced; social theory, social research and entire discipline of sociology. Weber as one of the three known founding fathers of Sociology is mostly cited with the other founding fathers; Karl Marx and Emil Durkheim in social field.
Weber has been prominent in methodological antipositivism, where he argues the study of social action through interpretation of ideas. In his arguments, Weber sees the urge to look at ideas, especially the meanings put onto things and the role of changes of ideas that contribute to society and social changes. His main concern was to understand the processes of rationalization, secularization and disenchantment that he associated with the rise of capitalism and ...view middle of the document...
His emphasis was on the importance of cultural influence based on religion as means of understanding the beginning of capitalism.
The Protestant Ethic lead to Weber’s broader investigations into world religion: he went on to examine religion with particular regard to the apparent non-development of capitalism in the corresponding societies, as well as to their differing forms of social stratification.
In the aspect of Politics as a Vocation, Weber defined the state as an entity which successfully claims a monopoly of the legitimate use of physical force within a given territory. He also categorized social authority into distinct forms i.e. Charismatic, traditional and rational legal.
He also studied the nature of bureaucracies to investigate the reasons why they held so much power.
He looked as to how bureaucracies grew and became stronger together with industrial revolution; of which he identified five elements which gave strength to bureaucracies which are: Hierarchy of the authority, Division of labour, Written rules, Written communications and Impersonality.
Weber also opposed the approach of Karl Marx in the understanding of industrial revolution by suggesting that; it first came a radical change of ideas. In the social nature of inequality, without denying the importance of wealth, he added prestige, the value of judgments people make about each other that contributes to their social class; where his main concern is still on ideas.
In contrast with Karl Marx class as related to means of production; saw class based upon three factors which are: power, wealth and prestige.
Weber’s writings have contributed to the Symbolic Interactions Perspective, which is one of the three classical perspectives in Sociology.
In conclusion, Weber methodological writings were instrumental in establishing the self-identity of modern social science as a distinct field of inquiry; he is still claimed as the source of inspiration by empirical positivists and their hermeneutic detractors alike. His theses helped launch his reputation as on
