Social Theory and the Substantive Problems of Sociology

Running head: SOCIAL THEORY AND STUDY OF CONTEMPORARY SOCIAL
PROBLEMS
SOCIAL THEORY AND STUDY OF CONTEMPORARY SOCIAL PROBLEMS
Student’s name
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Author’s note

SOCIAL THEORY AND STUDY OF CONTEMPORARY SOCIAL PROBLEMS
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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
Max Weber’s Bureaucracy Theory..................................................................................................3
Definition of Bureaucracy...........................................................................................................3
Historical Context of Weberian Bureaucracy..............................................................................4
Political context of Bureaucracy......................................................................................................5
Administrative Class................................................................................................................6
Hierarchical layers of authority...............................................................................................6
Specialization and Division of Labour....................................................................................6
Rules and requirements............................................................................................................6
Impersonality...........................................................................................................................7
Centrality of Written Documents.............................................................................................7
Advantages of Bureaucracy.............................................................................................................7
Disadvantages of Bureaucracy........................................................................................................8
Bureaucracy and Iron Cage.............................................................................................................8
Critique of Bureaucracy...................................................................................................................9
Feminist Critique.........................................................................................................................9
Contemporary critique...............................................................................................................10
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................10
References......................................................................................................................................12

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Introduction
The notion of bureaucracy has a historical tradition in human society. Originating in the
mid-18th century, the term finds it roots in the French language. It is a combination of bureau
meaning office or desk, and kratos meaning political power or rule1. In this sense, the concept of
bureaucracy refers to an administrative structure that is used to govern large institutions,
including both government and non-government organizations. The first historical evidence of
bureaucratic governance is found in ancient Sumer, where the class of scribes developed
governing manuals imprinted on clay tablets in order to administer the corps and its allocation.
Later on, in ancient Egypt and Roman Empire as well, the ruling authority exerted their power
over the mass through classes of officials. Gradually, with the development of modern human
civilization, there was a growing demand for systematic bureaucratic structures to meet the
requirements of effective public administration, as states cannot survive on coercive power
alone. 2
Over the years, several political and social thinkers have developed their theories on
bureaucratic system. Karl Marx, in his Critique of Hegel's Philosophy of Right has theorized the
function and role of bureaucracy. He opined that bureaucracy proliferates only in the most
developed institutions of capitalism. Moreover, he held that government and corporate
bureaucracy apparently function in opposition, although they seem to rely on each other in order
to exist3. On the other hand, John Stuart Mill, the most prominent political and philosophical
writer of the 19th century, has maintained that all the successful monarchies were essentially
1 Harper, D., 2017. Bureaucracy. Online Etymology Dictionary (ed.) D.
2Mathur, N., 2017. Bureaucracy. Cambridge Encyclopedia of Anthropology.
3Buchwalter, A. ed., 2015. Hegel and Capitalism. Suny Press.

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bureaucratic. He referred to bureaucracy as a unique form of government, distinct from
representative democracy4.
However, the most elaborate and systematic study on modern bureaucracy was conducted
by Max Weber. In Bureaucracy, an essay published in Weber’s most significant work Economy
and Society, he theorized bureaucracy as a formal academic discipline, formulating the
characteristics, importance, advantages as well as disadvantages of bureaucracy5. The purpose of
the present essay is to situate bureaucracy as a social theory and further analyze its theoretical
approaches and critiques. To this end, an elaborate examination of Weberian bureaucracy will
hereby be undertaken.
Max Weber’s Bureaucracy Theory
Definition of Bureaucracy
The German sociologist Max Weber was the first academician to conduct a formal study
of bureaucracy as a social theory. In his Economy and Society, Weber described a number of
ideal typical forms of administration, both public and private. For Weber, the academic pursuit
of social sciences largely depend on the construction of abstract ideas or hypothetical concepts.
Hence, to theorize the abstract idea of public administration, he observed that there are three
ideal-typical forms of administration and governance, namely charismatic, traditional and
bureaucratic. Among them, Weber maintains ideal-typical bureaucracy is the most prevalent and
effective form of public administration. He proposes that bureaucracy is an inevitable notion in
the context of organizational analysis. According to his theory, rationalization of society,
founded on legal legitimacy and rational domination translates into bureaucracy. He defines the
4 Ryan, A., 2015. 16. Utilitarianism and Bureaucracy: The Views of JS Mill.
5Schroeder, R. ed., 2016. Max Weber, democracy and modernization. Springer.

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concept as the rational and most efficient way in which activities within the human society can
be organized. Also, it refers to the systematic, hierarchical process, which is necessary to
maintain uniformity and control, maximize proficiency and eradicate favoritism within a
hierarchical structure. According to Weber, the founding principles of bureaucracy are hierarchic
authority exerted through the government representatives; constitutional authority exerted
through the constitutional law, authorized by legislators and interpreted by the judiciary; and the
expert authority6.
Historical Context of Weberian Bureaucracy
Weber’s theoretical framework for developing the ideal-typical notion of bureaucracy
finds its inspiration from Weber’s previous work The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of
Capitalism. In this discourse, Weber argues that the proliferation of capitalism is grounded on
the Calvinian ethic that instigated the common mass to engage in economic activity, as well as
forming personal trades and accumulating personal wealth to invest further. In this sense, the
Protestant ethic legitimized the capitalist philosophy. According to Weber, the novel ethical
teaching of Protestantism, common people were stipulated to pursue a secular vocation with
fervor and devotion. This form of devotion in turn would then be translated to devotion to God.
Religious teaching dictates individuals to reject worldly attachments. Similarly, the Calvinian
ethic provided the religious justification of economic activity, emphasizing the moral obligation
of humans to dedicate their lives to work and thus rejecting mundane pleasure in worldly affairs7.
Weber, in his analysis of bureaucracy, remarks that the extreme rationalization of the
social life in a capitalist society entraps the individuals in an iron cage. The iron cage, as
explained by him, is inspired by the capitalist spirit that quantify individual worth solely on
6Weber, M., 2015. Bureaucracy. In Working in America. Routledge.
7 Guzman, S. and Hill, J., 2017. The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. Macat Library.

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teleological efficiency and control. And this eventually culminates in bureaucracy, a systematic
process to maintain productivity and control. Hence, the central thesis of Weberian ideal-typical
bureaucracy is based upon the capitalist rationalization, which is in turn grounded on Calvinian
ethic8.
Political context of Bureaucracy
As a theory, Weber’s theory of bureaucracy is essentially a tool to understand the power
dynamics within a capitalist society. In the Western world, the reformation of the entire political
system was asking for a political direction, to which bureaucracy provided a comprehensible
solution. The term bureaucracy essentially points to a rational-legal authority, sanctioned by
legal orders and interpreted by the judiciary. Weber held that the introduction of bureaucracy in
the administration indicates to a process of rationalization. In this process, the human actions are
not examined on the basis of emotion, culture, values or beliefs; rather they are quantified using
a rational calculation. This quantification enables the government to evaluate the human action
solely based on teleological efficiency. To this end, to regulate and maximize efficiency, public
administration needs an effective hierarchical model of authority and control, which the ideal
bureaucratic structure provides9. The features of an ideal type bureaucracy further explains the
power dynamics within a capitalist society, which in turn contextualizes bureaucracy as a
political tool to ensure authority and order10
8 Weber, M., 2015. Bureaucracy. In Working in America. Routledge.
9 Weber, M., 2015. Bureaucracy. In Working in America. Routledge.
10 Swedberg, R., 2018. Max Weber and the idea of economic sociology. Princeton University Press.