Max Weber and the Analysis of Modern Bureaucratic Organization: Notes Toward a Theory of Appraisal

Abstract

decried the lack of a theoretical perspective among archivists.1 He challenged us to pose some fundamental questions about the nature of society and the records its institutions create. Until we do so, Burke argued, the archival profession will produce no body of theoretical principles, and, as a consequence, those who prepare to enter our profession will continue to receive training but not necessarily education. Using the analogy of the church, Burke suggested that we are turning out priests when we should be preparing theologians.2 He raised a number of thought-provoking questions; although we are a long way from answering them, it is appropriate that we explore some of th directions he proposed for us. If we are to administer records as well as process them, we should be developing some theoretical models, and if we are to appraise the multitude of records being created in our time, we will need some general framework of analysis that can be used to guide our judgment.3 In attempting to develop archival theory, it is natural that we should draw from the insights of our sister disciplines: sociology, social p ychology, public administration, and history. Fortunately, these disciplines offer constructs that can deepen our understanding of how institutions function. It remains for us to scrutinize the

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