FOUR OVERARCHING THEORIES

OF SOCIAL ACTION

--each aims to link micro-level dynamics to macro-level processes,

or to link the INDIVIDUAL and the COLLECTIVE

SOCIOLOGICAL EXEMPLARY GUIDING

MODEL THEORIST IMAGE

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1) RATIONAL-CHOICE ADAM SMITH CLOCK

("rational actor")

("exchange" or "market")

2) CONFLICT THEORY KARL MARX FIGHT

3) FUNCTIONALISM E. DURKHEIM BODY

4) SYMBOLIC G. H. MEAD ‘CHAT’

INTERACTIONISM

UNIT OF ANALYSIS:

1) INDIVIDUAL

2) CLASS

3) THE WHOLE SOCIETY/GROUP

4) THE DYAD

-------------------

The Adam Smith Model:

In modern society, the wealth of the nation (good of the whole) is produced through the use of machines, and because of skilled workers; but these come from the division of labor (e.g. pin factory)

Where does the division of labor come from? It arises naturally!

Individuals as basic unit of society

--individuals will naturally exchange things, services, or favors with each other to maximize their own benefit (they have a natural propensity to exchange and self-love)

--the collective consequence of this is GOOD (the invisible hand)

--higher productivity

--less waste

--each gets what s/he deserves

--bonds of solidarity unintentionally grow

--chief preconditions for this model to work:

a) everyone must have freedom to do what is "advantageous" (e.g. eliminate apprenticeship; e.g. have school vouchers)

b) a stable institutional framework: protect exchanges, e.g. through minting of coins, ensuring freedom of speech

--two important negative implications of the market model:

--1) great inequality is tolerated

Consider the following individuals and comparisons between them:

African King European Prince

Naked Savage Industrious Peasant

Smith says:

A > N, E >> I, but I >>> A

--2) public goods will be undersupplied

(the free rider problem)

The Karl Marx Model:

1) --social life has historically been, and is, highly CONFLICTUAL

2) --interests are important, but they are historically specific and socially constructed based on one's place in the structure of production, i.e., one’s CLASS

The following gloss is based on Marx’s short essay, “Wage Labor and Capital”

3) --the calculation of the "wage:"

365A + 52B + 4C + D + . . .

----------------------------

365

a) labor becomes a commodity, not a source of meaning (happy ¹ rich)

b) exploitation is necessary to make a profit

--how to think about exploitation:

/ the workday \

A-----------------------B----------C

socially necessary surplus

labor-time labor-time

--"absolute" vs "relative" surplus-value extraction (lengthen BC, or shorten AB)

--division of labor results in cheaper goods and simpler tasks, depressing wages and making workers less skilled

--summary: competition (conflict) between capitalists induces conflict between capitalist and worker, and competition (conflict) between workers for scarce jobs

The pervasiveness of conflict in capitalist society:

employer1 --------------- employer2

/ | \ / | \

w1 -- w2 -- w3 w1 -- w2 -- w3

--results: 1) more inequality over time

2) crises of overproduction: describe

3) the need to move from a money-based to a need-based distribution system

4) development of class consciousness(?)

--Whether or not the historical dynamic is right, there are profound lessons to learn from marx:

1) alienation as our existential state

2) the transformative power of money