LINKS

Verstehen (Max Weber's Homepage]	Dead Sociologists : Weber	Weber : Misc. articles and excerpts (lots of info)
Max Weber : quick overview	Max Weber -- SocioRealm	Weber : summary of key concepts

On the Protestant Ethic	Max Weber : Visuals to help explain concepts	Max Weber - Types of Authority
Weberian Methodology of Sociological Studies	weber and class	Sociology Corner : The McDonaldization of Society

WEBER ON BUREAUCRACY	WEBER ON CAPITALISM	SocioSite: SOCIOLOGISTS: Weber
The Rationalization of the North American Newspaper Industry	"Concrete versus Ideal Types," Bangladesh Soc. Rev. (1986)	Misc sites (MAX WEBER IM INTERNET )

Some important topics from lecture:

"The basics"

Weber's Definition of Sociology: Sociology is the science which attempts the interpretive understanding of social action in order to arrive at a causal explanation of cause and effect.

Four Types of Social Action:

1. Traditional
2. Rational
3. Affectual
4. Value Rationality

Types of Authority

1. Traditional
2. Charismatic
3. Rational-Legal

Rationalization

Here are some important ideas that relate to Weber's conceptualization of the processes of rationalization:

• A pragmatic attitude of efficient coordination of the means to the attainment of immediate, definite ends.
• There exists a general process of systematization in the development of ideas.
• Rationalization involves the application of impersonal and objective criteria to regulate modern organization.
• Rationalization was a term used by Weber to describe the modern nation-state and its bureaucratic form of organization.
• Weber noted that rational means may be used to reach irrational goals (eg, genocide).

"The Iron Cage"

Characteristics of Bureaucratic Organization (Ideal Type):

1. Specialization
2. Hierarchy
3. Formal Qualifications
4. Objective Rules and Routine Procedures
5. Career Paths
6. Centralized Files

The Work Ethic

Components of The Spirit of Capitalism:

1. Work is valued as an end in itself.
2. Do the best you possibly can; be a productive citizen -- you are allowed to be better than your father and mother, brother and sister.
3. Methodically organized life governed by reason.
4. Delayed gratification.

Here are some important terms/concepts that you should be familiar with:

• Ideal Type
• Rationalization
• Verstehen
• Social Action
• Bureaucracy
• Protestant Ethic
• Class, Status, Party