Two Ways of Looking at Theory, Exemplified by The Dynamics of Bureaucracy by Peter M. Blau

Abstract

Abstract In this paper two different approaches to social theory are presented, and then illustrated through an in-depth analysis of one study, The Dynamics of Bureaucracy (1955) by Peter M. Blau. The first of these two ideal types focuses on theory as a text, say Suicide by Durkheim or some journal article (theory as a text). According to this viewpoint, which is the conventional one, theory is seen as embodied and finalized in a text, not so different from a literary text. According to the second approach, which is more in the spirit of theorizing, theory is instead seen as a set of interconnected activities (theory as activities). According to this perspective, theory means to engage in a number of activities besides reading: you do research, including work with theoretical issues; you then try to formulate and write down a final version of the theory in an article or a book. A theory is always part of a large set of activities. The paper ends with a comparison of the two perspectives as well as an attempt to see what Blau’s work can add to our understanding of theory as a practical and creative enterprise.