Action and Unintended Consequences: Counterfinality’s Paradox as a Sociological Problem

Counterfinality is the unintended consequences that stem from uncoordinated actions. Counterfinality problem can be described as a complex theoretical problem, including the problems of understanding the motive for action, the transition from individual goals to collective results, and unintended consequences. Understanding the motive for action is an initial challenge in the study of counterfinality. This problem is well studied in sociology, and the ideas of authors such as Weber and Schütz are still relevant. Understanding the motive for action can be accomplished by having a stock of social knowledge and an understanding of typical situations and the typical motives. However, any attempt to describe a motive for action is only a hypothesis, and the actual course of events is the basis for understanding action, and therefore ethnographic observations come first in describing counterfinality. After that, it is important to trace the transition from these actions to collective irrational consequences. Such a transition is possible because of the shortsightedness of individuals focused only on personal goals. In addition to these misperceptions, unintended collective consequences can have other conditions of occurrence: insufficient information, publicly voiced predictions and etc. The presented sequence of description of counterfinality from action to consequences is a theoretical reference point and a more detailed description of all stages of counterfinality emergence is the task of a particular empirical study.

Keywords

counterfinality, unintended consequences, action, rationality, paradox, motive, irrationality

Received

25.02.2022

Publication date

21.06.2022

Number of characters

34327

Cite

GOST	Latypov I. Action and Unintended Consequences: Counterfinality’s Paradox as a Sociological Problem // Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya – 2022. – Issue 5 C. 3-14 [Electronic resource]. URL: http://ras.jes.su/socis/s013216250018915-9-1-en (circulation date: 29.04.2024). DOI: 10.31857/S013216250018915-9
MLA	Latypov, Ilias A. "Action and Unintended Consequences: Counterfinality’s Paradox as a Sociological Problem." Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya 5 (2022):3-14. DOI: 10.31857/S013216250018915-9
APA	Latypov I. (2022). Action and Unintended Consequences: Counterfinality’s Paradox as a Sociological Problem. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya (5), pp.3-14 DOI: 10.31857/S013216250018915-9

100 rub.

When subscribing to an article or issue, the user can download PDF, evaluate the publication or contact the author. Need to register.

Number of purchasers: 2, views: 471

Readers community rating: votes 0

1. Akulich M. (2016) Contradictions and conflicts of the contemporary Russian education. Vestnik RUDN. Ser. Sociologija [RUDN Journal of Sociology]. No. 1: 175–188. (In Russ.)

2. Baert P. (1991) Unintended Consequences: A Typology and Examples. International Sociology. No. 2: 201–210. DOI: 10.1177/026858091006002006

3. Bankovskaya S. (2011) The Concept of Heterotopic Environment and Experimentation with It as a Condition of the Stable Purposeless Action. Sociologicheskoe obozrenie [Russian Sociological Review]. Vol. 10. No. 1–2: 19–33. (In Russ.)

4. Barnes T.J., Sheppard E. (1992) Is There a Place for the Rational Actor? A Geographical Critique of the Rational Choice Paradigm. Economic Geography. Vol. 68. No. 1: 1–21.

5. Boudon R. (2003) Beyond Rational Choice Theory. Annual Review of Sociology. No. 29(1): 1–21. DOI: 10.1146/annurev.soc.29.010202.100213

6. Boudon R. (2016 (1982)) The Unintended Consequences of Social Action. London: Macmillan.

7. Chernysh M. (2018) Trends of modern critical sociology (general impressions from ESS conference). Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya [Sociological Studies]. No. 2: 3–8. DOI: 10.7868/S0132162518020010 (In Russ.)

8. De Zwart F. (2015) Unintended but Not Unanticipated Consequences. Theory and Society. Vol. 44. No. 3: 283–297.

9. Devyatko I.F. (2003) Sociological Theories of Activity and Practical Rationality. Мoscow: Avanti +. (In Russ.)

10. Elster J. (1978) Logic and Society: Contradictions and Possible Worlds. Chichester, New York: Wiley & Sons.

11. Elster J. (1990) Merton’s Functionalism and the Unintended Consequences of Action. In: Robert K. Merton: Consensus and Controversy. Ed. by J. Clark et al. London, New York: Falmer: 129–135.

12. Giddens A. (1979) Central Problems in Social Theory. London: Macmillan Education UK.

13. Giddens A. (1984) The Constitution of Society: Outline of the Theory of Structuration. Cambridge: Polity.

14. Marx K. (1973) Grundrisse: Foundations of the Critique of Political Economy. New York: Vintage Books.

15. Merton R. (2006) Social theory and social structure. Moscow: AST, Hranitel. (In Russ.)

16. Merton R.K. (2009) Unanticipated consequences of purposive social action. Sociologicheskij zhurnal [Sociological Journal]. No. 2: 5–17. (In Russ.)

17. Mica A. (2014) Weber’s ‘Essential Paradox of Social Action’: What Can Sociology of the Unintended Learn from Public Policy Analysis? Profilaktyka Społeczna i Resocjalizacja [Social prevention and Rehabilitation]. Vol. 23: 71–95.

18. Mica A. (2018) Sociology as Analysis of the Unintended: From the Problem of Ignorance to the Discovery of the Possible. London: Routledge.

19. Pareto V. (2008) Compendium of General Sociology. Moscow: HSE. (In Russ.)

20. Portes A. (2000) The hidden abode: sociology as analysis of the unexpected: 1999 presidential address. American Sociological Review. Vol. 65. No. 1: 1–18.

21. Rescher N. (1995) Satisfying Reason. Studies in the Theory of Knowledge. Dordrecht: Kluwer.

22. Sartre J.P. (2004) Critique of Dialectical Reason: volume 1 Theory of Practical Ensembles. London: Verso.

23. Schutz A. (2004) Selected Works: A World Shining with Meaning. Moscow: ROSSPEN. (In Russ.)

24. Smith T. (1990) Analytical Marxism and Marx’s Systematic Dialectical Theory. Man and World. Vol. 23. No. 3: 321–343.

25. Stepantsov P. (2013) Social Action between Interpretation and Understanding. Sociologija vlasti [Sociology of Power]. Vol. 1–2: 27–56. (In Russ.)

26. Van Parijs Ph. (1982) Perverse Effects and Social Contradictions: Analytical Vindication of Dialectics? The British Journal of Sociology. No. 4: 589–603.

27. Weber M. (1990) Protestant Ethics and the Spirit of Capitalism. Selected Works. Transl. from Cerm. and general ed. by Yu.N. Davydov. Moscow: Progress. (In Russ.)

28. Weber M. (2016) Economy and Society: An Outline of Interpretive Sociology. Tranl. from Germ. by L.G. Ionin. Moscow: HSE (In Russ.)

29. Zarubina N. (2020) Max Weber’s Theory of Rationalization as a Methodology for Understanding Modern Sociocultural Processes. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya [Sociological Studies]. No. 6: 3–15. DOI: 10.31857/S013216250009355-3 (In Russ.)