Sociology Index Iron Cage Iron cage is a phrase associated with Max Weber who wrote that the new emphasis on materialism and wordly success that arose with Protestantism had imprisoned human society in an iron cage of self perpetuating rationalization and depersonalisation. Max Weber is well known for his depiction of the modern world as an 'iron cage'. Along with most of his German colleagues at the fin de siecle, he viewed the coming of modern capitalism with trepidation and foreboding. If derived from the overall thrust of his sociological writings rather than his political essays, Weber's view of modernity is characterized by attention to the unique features of various advanced industrial societies rather than by a monolithic 'iron cage' vision.
Behavior had become dominated by goal-oriented rationality and less by tradition and values. According to Weber, the shift from the old form of mobility in terms of kinship to a new form in terms of a strict set of rules was a direct result of growth in accumulation of capital, i.
Weber believes that this influenced modern society [9] and how we operate today, especially politically. Weber wrote that bureaucracies are goal-oriented organizations that are based on rational principles that are used to efficiently reach their goals.
Bureaucracies tend to generate oligarchy ; which is where a few officials are the political and economic power. According to Weber, because bureaucracy is a form of organization superior to all others, [4] further bureaucratization and rationalization may be an inescapable fate.
See Wikipedia's guide to writing better articles for suggestions. January Learn how and when to remove this template message Because of these aforementioned reasons, there will be an evolution of an iron cage, which will be a technically ordered, rigid, dehumanized society.
There are issues of control, depersonalization and increasing domination. Once the bureaucracy is created, the control is indestructible. Depersonalization occurs because individual situations are not accounted for.
In an advanced industrial -bureaucratic society, everything becomes part of the expanding machine, even people. Political bureaucracies are established so that they protect our civil libertiesbut they violate them with their imposing rules. Development and agricultural bureaucracies are set so that they help farmers, but put them out of business due to market competition that the bureaucracies contribute to.
Service bureaucracies like health care are set to help the sick and elderly, but then they deny care based on specific criteria. Weber argues that it is very difficult to change or break these bureaucracies, but if they are indeed socially constructedthen society should be able to intervene and shift the system.
The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. Formations of Modern Social Thought. Sage Publications Ltd, Max Weber used the term "iron cage of rationality" to describe what he viewed as a trend in society to move towards a form of bureaucratic rationality that would not realize universal freedom, but rather create an "iron cage" from which there would be no escape.
Max Weber coined the term “iron cage” for the increasing rationalization in social life. Weber had a very different view of how society should be and explained his concept through his works. Marx. Weber, Bureaucracy, Iron cage, STUDY. PLAY.
Was Marx or Durkheim the first one to put forth ideas about sociology? Marx was first. In a lot of ways, Durkheim was responding to Marx's work and critiquing it. Who is perceived as the father of communism?
Max Weber. Bureaucracy. In sociology, the iron cage is a term coined by Max Weber for the increased rationalization inherent in social life, particularly in Western capitalist societies.
The "iron cage" thus traps individuals in systems based purely on teleological efficiency, rational calculation and control.
Iron cage is a phrase associated with Max Weber who wrote that the new emphasis on materialism and wordly success that arose with Protestantism had imprisoned human society in an iron cage of self perpetuating rationalization and depersonalisation.
Video: Weber's Iron Cage of Rationality Read about sociologist Max Weber's concept of the 'iron cage of rationality' and how it can be applied to modern society.