Action

From Geography

Benno Werlen criticized behavioral geography and believed that action should be fundamental and action should be a starting point not space. Action was defined by Max Weber as an activity which makes sense. All action has a goal, we do not perform an action unless we have a need and a meaning to do it. In order to make an action have sense we need to see how others actions relate to our own.

Max Weber separates actions from behavior. By saying that a movement (behavior) is not an action unless it has a subjective meaning for t he person(s) involved. So actions without meaning, goals or needs are described as behavior. Weber agrees with Werlen by saying that action should be the main focus and the starting point.

It is these relations of actions and shared sense that form situations and interactions. An action will always have a motive. Actions are inter-subjective and it is this joint basis of actions which form Life worlds.

An Action has different stages as it conducted.

Fist there is a design of action:

• preperatory reflections on values, preferences and affections
• imagination of preffered situation (goal)
• justification of goal in relation to existing value structure

Secondly there will be:

• The consideration of mean-end relationship
• selection of steps to be taken and means to be used
• estimation of possible disturbance factors and restrictions (structural conditions)
• anticipation of consequences of action
• justification of steps

Then there is the execution of action:

• consecutive execution of different steps
• reasons of action can be varied, reinterpreted or changed on the way

And the finally the effects of the action:

• intended consequenses
• unintended consequenses (Ernste, personal communication, 2012)

References

• Lipuner, R. & Werlen, B. (2009). Structuration Theory. In: International Encyclopedia for Human Geography. Elsevier.

• Werlen, B. (2009). Everyday regionalizations. In: International encyclopaedia for Human Geography. Elsevier.

• Ernste, H. (2012). Personal communication, Spatial Action: Classical Action Theories. September 14th 2012.

• Campbell, T. (1981) Seven theories of Human Society. Clarendon Press, Oxford

Contributors

• Published By:--SamanthaHazlett 16:24, 7 October 2011 (UTC)

• Page slightly enhanced by Iris van der Wal - 14:36, October 21st 2012

• Page enhanced by Jesper Remmen--JesperRemmen 15:14, 22 October 2012 (CEST)