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Max Weber's Theory of Rationalization Applied

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Max Weber's has had a profound impact on sociology his theory of rationalisation and how it has changed social groups and society as a whole over time. According to Campbell (1981) Weber believed that understanding why people do the things they do is the basic building block of sociology, a concept he termed ‘Verstehen’. Weber believed that sociologists should not just study a group of people but also try to gain an empathetic understanding for the individuals in that group. Weber identified four different types of rationality which includes practical, theoretical, substantive, and formal rationality. Weber introduced the concept of rationalisation to explain how western society has transcended from a traditional orientation to a more rational orientation. Rationalisation is the process of replacing traditional and emotional thought with reason and practicality. Weber believed that most societies throughout history were governed by tradition and that the most significant trend in modern sociology is an increasing rationalisation of contemporary society. The next paragraph will be based on a brief history of the Khoisan people and how through colonisation, the change in thought came about through rationalisation.

Weber’s theory of rationalisation can be related to a South African context namely the hunting and gathering societies of the Khoisan. Before colonialism hunting and gathering societies such as the Khoisan were based on kinship. Families within the hunting and

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