(1)Max Weber, a sociologist whose studies incorporated an amazingly broad sweep of world history, concluded that until recently the world's groups and nations had been immersed in a (2) traditional orientation to life. It is the idea that the past is the best guide for the present.
*In this view, what exists is good (3) because it has passed the test of time. Customs "and relationships based on them "have served people well and should not be lightly abandoned. .
Weber called the rationalization of society " traced this change to Protestant theology, which he said brought about Capitalism. According to him, it is a widespread acceptance of rationality and a social organization largely built around this idea. This leads to a (4) transformation in people's thinking and behaviors. .
2. Another sociologist, (5) Karl Marx, also noted that tradition had given way to rationality. Karl Marx attributed rationalization to capitalism itself. Marx said that the development of Capitalism caused people to change their way of thinking. He believed that capitalism itself was responsible for the breakdown of traditional society and the rise of rationality.
II. Formal Organizations and Bureaucracy.
Formal Organizations.
Formal organizations are (6) secondary groups designed to achieve specific objectives. Formal organizations tend to develop into bureaucracies. The larger the formal organization, the more likely it is to be bureaucratic.
Secondary groups are large groups whose relationships are impersonal and goal oriented; their relationships are temporary.
A secondary group is one you have chosen to be a part of. They are based on interests and activities. Secondary groups are groups in which one exchanges explicit commodities. Examples of these would be employment, vendor-to-client relationships, etc.
Example of FORMAL ORGANIZATIONS:.
- The guilds of Western Europe during the 12th century. People who performed the same type of work ORGANIZED TO CONTROL THEIR CRAFT in a local area.
