From actions to relationships: the uses of the community/society dicotomy in Max Weber's theory in 1913 and 1921

Abstract

Both in Kategorien (1913) and Grundbegriffe (1921), Weber developed a theory that proposes, among other things, to understand how singular social actions originate common lines of meanings incorporated into broader social processes as social relationships. Through a careful study of the texts from 1913 and 1921, it was possible to analyze the typology of Max Weber's social relations to elucidate his use of the dichotomy between community [Gemeinschaft] and society [Gesellschaft]. Although used differently, the theoretical matrix of the types of social relationships in 1913 and 1921 is the same - Ferdinand Tönnies' community/society dichotomy. In 1913, the duality community/society played a central role in the typology of actions because the notion of "community" (community action) is the term that encompasses all types of sociologically significant actions. The expression “society” (society action) is portrayed as a subtype of the community. In 1921, on the other hand, this duality played a less broad and more specific role. It was used to characterize the two types of social relationships: the community and society relationships.