Max Weber spent a lot of time talking about rationalization as “ideal type” and a historical force. He saw the role of rational forms as one of the most important characteristics of the development of Western society and capitalism. An ideal type is a “conceptual purity, a mental construct… and cannot be found empirically anywhere in reality. We create this construct to compare and define reality to what we believe it could, or should be. I found it interesting that you can break down each of Weber’s six basic characteristics of (Formal) Rationality and apply it to the way our society functions today. If you look at the big picture of our society and how those, for the most part, function within a society (criminals V. noncriminal, or the deterring of) I think we are able to see how the control from those with power affects our decisions. For example:
1.
Structures and institutions emphasize calculability
This to me means that people are able to calculate the consequences to their actions. You could look at this
calculability as a “cloud” of knowledge that hangs over the people; if I murder
I will go to jail and so on.
2.
The focus
on efficiency
We live in a world that thing are done “quickly”. If you were to commit a
crime, it would not take long before you were detained- we live in a pretty
fast paced world where initial consequences happen quickly.
3.
Ensuring predictability
I think this goes hand-in-hand with the top two, the system is
predictable.
4.
Replacing human technology with nonhuman technology
Through technology changes we have become a more efficient society when
it comes to our nation/world-wide databases
5.
Systems seek control
I think control is found in knowing the repercussions. Would people act
differently knowing there would be no consequences to harming one another?
6.
Systems tend to have a series of irrational
consequences
This
could explain how much power is held within these systems, and how it may
spiral out of control.
Overall I think it is important to acknowledge that Weber
was able to predict the important role that Formal Rationality plays in a
society.
Good job. I thought the video was interesting and was helpful. I liked how you expanded on the six basic characteristics in different ways. I liked how you had doen number five. Overall good job and one thing that would have been nice was if you were to expand more on why you picked the video clip you did.
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