Assess the usefulness of social action theories in the study of society free essay sample

Social action theories are known as micro theories which take a bottom-up approach to studying society; they look at how individuals within society interact with each other. There are many forms of social action theories, the main ones being symbolic interactionism, phenomenology and ethnomethodology. They are all based on the work of Max Weber, a sociologist, who acknowledged that structural factors can shape our behaviour but individuals do have reasons for their actions. He used this to explain why people behave in the way in which they do within society. Weber saw four types of actions which are commonly committed within society; rational, this includes logical plans which are used to achieve goals, traditional-customary behaviour, this is behaviour which is traditional and has always been done; he also saw affectual actions, this includes an emotion associated with an action and value-rational actions, this is behaviour which is seen as logical by an individual. We will write a custom essay sample on Assess the usefulness of social action theories in the study of society or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Weber’s discovery of these actions can therefore be seen as useful in the study of society. Weber discovered these actions by using his concept of verstehan, a deeper understanding. However, some sociologists have criticised him as they argue that verstehan cannot be accomplished as it is not possible to see thing in the way that others see them, leaving sociologists to question whether Weber’s social action theory is useful in the study of society. Social action theories have also been referred to as interactionism as they aim to explain day-to-day interactions between individuals within society. G. H Mead came up with the idea of interactionism and argued that the self is ‘a social construction arising out of social experience’. This is because, according to Mead, social situations are what influence the way in we act and behave. He claims that we develop a sense of self as a child and this allows us to see ourselves in the way in which other people see us; we act and behave in certain ways depending on the circumstances which we are in. Mead also claimed that we have a number of different selves which we turn into when we are in certain situations; i. e. we may have one self for the work place and another self for home life. Mead concluded that society is like a stage, in which we are all ‘actors’. Mead’s theory if interactionism is useful in the study of society as it explains why people behave in different ways in certain situations. Mead argues that the social context of a situation is what influences our behaviour, humans use symbols, in the form of language and facial expressions, to communicate, he also argued that humans and animals differ as reasons behind humans’ actions are thought through and not instinctive, unlike those of animals’. However, it has been argued that not all action is meaningful, as Weber’s category of traditional action suggests that much action is performed unconsciously and may have little meaning. Therefore, mead’s idea of interactionism cannot be seen as an appropriate theory to use when studying society. Blumer, a sociologist, who elaborated on Mead’s concept of the self – ‘I’ and ‘me’ – stated that there were three principles about actions and behaviours within social situations. He argued that our actions are the result of situations and events and they have reasons. The reasons behind our actions are negotiable and changeable, so they’re not fixed. Our interpretation of a situation is what gives it meaning. Blumer’s three principles can therefore be used in the study of society. However, it has been argued that his principles cannot explain the consistent patterns which we see in people’s behaviours. This therefore leaves many sociologists to question whether Blumer’s principles can be used to study society. Labelling theory has also been used to apply the interactionist theory to society; the theory, like Mead, emphasises the importance of symbols and situations in which they are used. The main interactionist concepts are the definition of the situation – if we believe in something then it could affect the way in which we behave. The looking glass –self – this was created by Cooley who argues that we see ourselves in a way in which we think others see us. These concepts have been useful in explaining why people act in certain ways in certain situations; therefore, the labelling theory is effective in the study of society. Overall, in conclusion, there are many different social action theories which can be used in the study of society, however, not all of them can be applied to all individuals.

Quantum Numbers and Electron Orbitals

Quantum Numbers and Electron Orbitals Chemistry is mostly the study of electron interactions between atoms and molecules. Understanding the behavior of the electrons in an atom is an important part of understanding chemical reactions. Early atomic theories used the idea that an atoms electron followed the same rules as a mini solar system where the planets were electrons orbiting a center proton sun. Electric attractive forces are much stronger than gravitational forces, but follow the same basic inverse square rules for distance. Early observations showed the electrons were moving more like a cloud surrounding the nucleus rather than an individual planet. The shape of the cloud, or orbital, depended on the amount of energy, angular momentum and magnetic moment of the individual electron. The properties of an atoms electron configuration are described by four quantum numbers: n, â„“, m, and s. First Quantum Number The first is the energy level quantum number, n. In an orbit, lower energy orbits are close to the source of attraction. The more energy you give a body in orbit, the further out it goes. If you give the body enough energy, it will leave the system entirely. The same is true for an electron orbital. Higher values of n mean more energy for the electron and the corresponding radius of the electron cloud or orbital is further away from the nucleus. Values of n start at 1 and go up by integer amounts. The higher the value of n, the closer the corresponding energy levels are to each other. If enough energy is added to the electron, it will leave the atom and leave a positive ion behind. Second Quantum Number The second quantum number is the angular quantum number, â„“. Each value of n has multiple values of â„“ ranging in values from 0 to (n-1).This quantum number determines the shape of the electron cloud. In chemistry, there are names for each value of â„“. The first value, â„“ 0 called an s orbital. s orbitals are spherical, centered on the nucleus. The second, â„“ 1 is called a p orbital. p orbitals are usually polar and form a teardrop petal shape with the point towards the nucleus. â„“ 2 orbital is called a d orbital. These orbitals are similar to the p orbital shape, but with more petals like a cloverleaf. They can also have ring shapes around the base of the petals. The next orbital, â„“3 is called an f orbital. These orbitals tend to look similar to d orbitals, but with even more petals. Higher values of â„“ have names that follow in alphabetical order. Third Quantum Number The third quantum number is the magnetic quantum number, m. These numbers were first discovered in spectroscopy when the gaseous elements were exposed to a magnetic field. The spectral line corresponding to a particular orbit would split into multiple lines when a magnetic field would be introduced across the gas. The number of split lines would be related to the angular quantum number. This relationship shows for every value of â„“, a corresponding set of values of m ranging from -â„“ to â„“ is found. This number determines the orbitals orientation in space. For example, p orbitals correspond to â„“1, can have m values of -1,0,1. This would represent three different orientations in space for the twin petals of the p orbital shape. They are usually defined to be px, py, pz to represent the axes they align with. Fourth Quantum Number The fourth quantum number is the spin quantum number, s. There are only two values for s,  ½ and - ½. These are also referred to as spin up and spin down. This number is used to explain the behavior of individual electrons as if they were spinning in a clockwise or counterclockwise. The important part to orbitals is the fact that each value of m has two electrons and needed a way to distinguish them from one another. Relating Quantum Numbers to Electron Orbitals These four numbers, n, â„“, m, and s can be used to describe an electron in a stable atom. Each electrons quantum numbers are unique and cannot be shared by another electron in that atom. This property is called the Pauli Exclusion Principle. A stable atom has as many electrons as it does protons. The rules the electrons follow to orient themselves around their atom are simple once the rules governing the quantum numbers are understood. For Review n can have whole number values: 1, 2, 3, ...For every value of n, â„“ can have integer values from 0 to (n-1)m can have any whole number value, including zero, from -â„“ to â„“s can be either  ½ or - ½