What does substantive rationality mean?

Substantive rationality is a concept used to describe certain aspects of human decision-making processes that can relate to personal life, community life, economic prosperity, personal or societal effectiveness.

What does functional rationality mean?

It refers to the rationality of the social system, developing by differentiation and reintegration through the media of money and power, and now ‘colonizing’ the rationality of the ‘life-world’ of interpersonal relationships. See also critical theory; Parsons. From: functional rationality in A Dictionary of Sociology »

What is the difference between formal and substantive rationality?

Formal rationality mainly refers to rational calculation determined by rules, regulations or laws, and the extend to an action occurs as an outcome of quantitative calculations. On the other hand, substantive rationality is defined as choice of means to ends guided by a set of human values.

What is bounded rationality theory?

Bounded rationality describes the way that humans make decisions that departs from perfect economic rationality, because our rationality is limited by our thinking capacity, the information that is available to us, and time. Instead of making the ‘best’ choices, we often make choices that are satisfactory.

What are the examples of rational thinking?

Rational Thinking as a Series of Steps. Much of what we do in everyday life involves a process—a series of actionable, repeatable steps that can be performed to accomplish a desired goal. For example, we have a process for baking a cake, writing an expository essay, and changing a tire.

What is an example of formal rationality?

Formal rationality exists in large-scale structures such as bureaucracy and capitalist economy. For instance, the needs of a formally rational economic system are emphasized on actors who can outbid others not because their needs are more important or contain more personal values, but because they have lots of money.

What is formal rationality in sociology?

Formal rationality is the type of thinking and logical deduction that people use to determine what is most important in particular situations and the most effectual method they should use for reaching desired goals.

How is formal rationality used in modern society?

According to Weber, people in modern societies favor formal rationality, a way of thinking that emphasizes a matter-of-fact calculation of the most efficient way to accomplish a task. Let’s learn more about this topic in this video lesson!

How is formal calculation a form of rationality?

Formalization can render several contradictions visible through a mechanical form of simplification. Thus, formal calculation is a kind of rationalization which focuses on the process not the result, it emphasizes how the decision is being made rather than how the results are achieved (Rona-Tas,2007).

When was formal rationality defined by Max Weber?

formal rationality. © A Dictionary of Sociology 1998, originally published by Oxford University Press 1998. formal rationality As defined by Max Weber in his account of the market and economic action, this refers to the extent of impersonal quantitative calculation (that is, risk assessment) which is possible and applied in provisioning for needs.

In terms of formally rational systems, the primary concern within the system is maximize profitability, this often results into disregardful humanity. On the other hand, substantive rationality is defined as choice of means to ends guided by a set of human values.