The Rationality of Social Action and Social Systems

Abstract

Rationality as both key to and highly problematic in modern social organisation is a central topic for sociology which veers between analysing it at the levels of social action and social system. A Marxist interactionist approach shows that analysis of action must lead to concern for social relations and processes. Both the rationality and irrationality of social subjects are variously limited or expanded by the social environment, which in turn operates as a system of social relations in which sub systems contribute to the rationality of the societal system. Moving between these levels reveals the processual character of social rationality and adds to the understand ing of contemporary qualitative change in society and the contradictions which are involved.