Read the book invitation to sociology by peter L berger. Social Controls
Weber’s view of the society and the aspects that guide its transformation is both insightful and intriguing. He notes that in the society, many aspects may not be explained as one would think since different people have different ideologies that are reflected in their understanding of the environment. However, he recognizes that the society can fashion its way of establishing social controls by understanding the general view of the people in it. In his discussion, the most important aspects of social control is the understanding of factors that can induce change. The main factors as Weber notes are charisma, individual deviance, and social disorganization. This outline will review the three aspects and comment on how they bring about change.
Under charisma, Weber notes that although it is short lived, “it is the principal moving force of history” (Berger 127) Weber notes that charisma is based on legality or the traditional impact of an individual in the way they articulate their views. Charismatic leadership appears on two notable platforms; religion and politics. I agree with his view that charismatic leadership involves challenging the existing state of order and setting new principles that explain the basis of human existence. In addition, he claims that charisma should not be viewed as a miracle, but rather, its occurrence should be seen as a way in which history develops ties with the past (Weber 115).
The second factor that influences change is individual deviance. Weber notes that individual deviance has some close connection to both charisma and social disorganization as it invokes challenging of the set principles on an individual basis. Individual deviances are known as the flouting of the social set up, as it allows individuals to follow their standards as opposed to the standards of the society. In such a case, an individual may face the law due to the perceived thought that they are deviating from the social norms of the society. Weber notes that this would be referred as “crime” (Berger 130)
The third aspect under this study is social disorganization, which involves the collective action of people in the society. Interestingly, social disorganization may follow the same actions followed under individual deviances and still be viewed as a justified action. Weber notes this as the powerful aspect of transforming the social order of the society by setting new guidelines and reorganizing the complete societal systems such as the mode of operation. In particular, Weber notes the effectiveness of this tool as it has been seen in various capacities such as rebellion and revolutions around the world. Social disorganization achieves its objective through what Weber refers to as “the outward act against the old order” (Berger 130)
My assumption about the social controls and their effectiveness in the society is that they are gradual processes that incorporate more than just one factor of change. For example, in the case of revolutions, despite Weber failing to mention this, individual deviance is the first action that prompts the rise of social disorganization. Weber does a superb job to bar researchers from using the scientific methods in explaining the rise of concepts such as this, but he fails to show whether freedom guides the quest for change under the social control freedom. However, his view establishes the essential points of a transformation process by noting how the society controls itself.
Works Cited
Berger, Peter L. Invitation to sociology: A humanistic perspective. Open Road Media, 2011.
Weber, Max. The theory of social and economic organization. Simon and Schuster, 2009.
