Intro to Sociology Exam 1 Study Guide
Authority, rationalization, and bureaucracy (II) Lecture What is Weber's famous definition of the state?
"A human community that successfully claims the monopoly of the legitimate use of physical force within a given territory."
Authority, rationalization, and bureaucracy (II) Bauman, Modernity and the Holocaust, Ch. 1 pp. 20-21: What kind of people did the Nazis enlist to work as killers? How is this relevant to Bauman's argument?
The Nazis actually enlisted completely normal people to do the work of killing. This is relevant to Bauman's argument because it shows that the conditions required for an event like the Holocaust are not mass killer and psychopaths, but rather normal people working within a highly bureacratic and rationalized system that allows them to perform these actions because of the power structure set up around them.
What are the powerpoints that are covered on this exam?
The Sociological Imagination Social Class Capitalism and Labor (I) Capitalism and Labor (II) Authority, Rationalization, and Bureaucracy (I) Authority, Rationalization, and Bureaucracy (II) The Working-class American Family
Authority, rationalization, and bureaucracy (I) Lecture What is bureaucracy? What are its main characteristics?
bureaucracy = organization or administrative system that governs with reference to formal rules and roles and emphasizes meritocracy main characteristics: -impersonal, rule-bound decision-making -hierarchical structure with formal chain of command -specialized positions (rigid division of labor) -staffed by trained experts -meritocratic advancement
Capitalism and Labor (I) Lecture According to Marx: What is capitalism? (as a phase of historical development and as a mode of production)
capitalism is a mode of production that has resulted from the greater development of the forces of production; it is a historical phase (picture the graphic on slide)
Authority, rationalization, and bureaucracy (I) Weber, Economy and Society, pp. 212-245 iv. "Charismatic authority" p. 242 (bottom, II) When can charismatic domination disappear? What makes it so unstable?
charismatic domination can disappear when "proof and success elude the leader for long" ; if the leader loses his extraordinariness/charismatic quality that got him to his position of authority; above all, if the leader's leadership fails to benefit his followers
Capitalism and Labor (II) Keizer, "Labor's Last Stand" Right to work laws: definition and prevalence?
definition: right to work without joining a union; Obama put it as "right to work for less money" these laws allow non-union employees to benefit from the work of the union ("free riders" on the union); this greatly reduces the incentive for joining labor unions and pay dues (hurts unions' funding and power to negotiate) prevalence: out of 50 states, 27 states have right to work laws
Social Class Bourdieu, Distinction, pp. 1-6, 35-40, 128-129 What is the "ideology of charisma"?
the idea that some people just have taste inherently; charisma is a gift they just have (Bourdieu doesn't think this, he says this is a product of upbringing and education, which are determined by class)
Authority, rationalization, and bureaucracy (I) Weber, Economy and Society, pp. 212-245 i. "The basis of legitimacy" p. 215: What are Weber's three pure types of legitimate domination?
1. Charismatic domination 2. Traditional domination 3. Legal-rational domination
Social Class Bourdieu, Distinction, pp. 1-6, 35-40, 128-129 What is the "pure aesthetic" / "aesthetic disposition" ? How does it differ from the "popular aesthetic" ? How does these correspond to class positions?
"Pure aesthetic" / "Aesthetic disposition" = being able to recognize a work of art as just that and appreciate it in itself, not for a functional reason. (usually seen as having high taste if you're able to look at an abstract piece of art and appreciate it for what it is: art); grounded in the idea of the autonomy in cultural production (producing art for art's sake; artistic form is more important than societal function) "Popular aesthetic" = form must reflect function, no decoding necessary "Pure aesthetic" corresponds to higher class (equipped with cultural capital and knowledge through education and experience, the family/home has money) "Popular aesthetic" corresponds to lower class (unequipped with the cultural capital and knowledge/experience to be able to recognize and appreciate art)
Social Class Lecture In Marxist thought, what do "class in itself" and "class for itself" mean? How can the working class get from the former to the latter?
"class in itself" : objective, members share a common position in society (the mere fact) "class for itself" : objective AND subjective, members share a common position in society AND they are aware of this, so they see the possibility in coming together in their shared interest. the working class can develop class consciousness through labor unions, political parties, discussion groups, education, journalism, etc.
The working-class American family Cherlin, Labor's Love Lost, Ch. 1-5 / Lecture Do you find Cherlin's conceptualization useful in shedding light on the transformation of working-class American families over time? Why or why not?
****
The working-class American family Cherlin, Labor's Love Lost, Ch. 5: 1975-2010 Fall of the WCF What happens to the working class during this period (1975-2010) — both (a) to the people who were in it and (b) to use of the concept?
**** Outsourcing of jobs, increase in those seeking college degrees, culture of anger with white lower-educated ("black people stealing our jobs") Thus, the people in the working class lost their jobs and those
The working-class American family Cherlin, Labor's Love Lost, Ch. 5: 1975-2010 Fall of the WCF What major demographic change in US ethnic composition occurs during this period?
***** immigration
The Sociological Imagination Mills, The Sociological Imagination, Ch. 1 What, according to Mills, is the sociological imagination?
- "...a quality of mind that will help people to use information and to develop reason in order to achieve lucid summations of what is going on in the world and of what may be happening within themselves" (2). (People hope to grasp what is going on in the world and what is happening within themselves by means of the sociological imagination.) -allows one to understand her own experience and gauge her own fate ONLY by locating herself within her period, and she can only know her chances in life if she knows those of all the individuals in her circumstances -allows one to understand the larger historical scene in terms of its meaning for the inner life and external career of a variety of individuals -links private trouble to public issues...
Capitalism and Labor (II) Keizer, "Labor's Last Stand" What examples does Keizer give of unions fighting for workers beyond just their own members?
-Dall, with the BMWE, fought to increase healthcare coverage/benefits of all workers -Union members go to protests for other unions and help broker deals for other countries too -Union members often go to the rallies/ strikes of other unions, certain unions partner with unions from other countries, and certain union members act as consultants for unionization in other countries.
Social Class Bourdieu, Distinction, pp. 1-6, 35-40, 128-129 Where and how does one acquire cultural capital?
-Dominant classes consume cultural products consecrated by institutions with cultural authority, and do so - consciously or not - in ways that reproduce their status and power -They learn to do this at a young age, especially through family but also through formal schooling ("Cultural capital" is the knowledge that allows one to consume "high culture" with ease and confidence and come to avoid and look down on "low culture")
Social Class Lecture What was Bourdieu's critique of the French educational system?
-The French educational system allowed the French bourgeoisie to reproduce itself -It confers formal recognition on those who already have the cultural capital to succeed in school, while making success appear to be the product of their talent and hard work
Social Class Bourdieu, Distinction, pp. 1-6, 35-40, 128-129 How does the way in which one acquires cultural capital matter?
-The way in which one acquires it matters because it can affect that person's life prospects. Those who are exposed to cultural capital in the home environment from infancy will obviously have an advantage in school, where teachers will favor them due to their intrinsic knowledge. This allows the bourgeoisie to proliferate through schooling because these favored students (presumably from the bourgeoisie) will get better life chances -acquiring cultural capital by "insensible familiarization" (through the home, family, unknowingly/seemingly innately) tends to favor an "enchanted experience of culture" -people that have cultural capital are higher up in society, have greater access to education and "high culture" things -class characterizes taste/cultural capital
Social Class Weber, Environment and Society, pp. 302 and 305-306 In what important ways does Weber's definition of social class differ from that Marx and Engels? What about their conceptions of change in social class (i.e. social mobility)?
-While Marx and Engels only recognize two social classes (bourgeoisie and proletariat), Weber includes 2 classes in between (petty bourgeoise and propertyless intelligentsia) -Weber sees that there is mobility in his social classes (ability to move up in class generationally) as opposed to Marx and Engels, more rigid distinction and perpetuation of class -according to Weber, it is easiest for the working class and petty bourgeoise to move into propertyless intelligentsia class; propertyless intelligentsia can move into the upper class
Social Class Marx and Engels, Manifesto of the Communist Party, pp. 473-484 Quote p. 473: "The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles."
-always two "classes" standing in opposition to each other--the oppressor and the oppressed -will begin to talk about bourgeoisie and proletariat
Social Class Marx and Engels, Manifesto of the Communist Party, pp. 473-484 Quote p. 476: "The need of a constantly expanding market for its products chases the bourgeoisie over the whole surface of the globe."
-bourgeoisie always trying to expand and obtain resources for market expansion; new wants in the market satisfies by the resources of other countries -this has lead to globalization of the market (modern capitalism) -"universal inter-dependence of nations" for material and intellectual production
Capitalism and Labor (II) Keizer, "Labor's Last Stand" Quote p. 23: "[T]he Supreme Court decided in May [2018] that people...can be prevented from acting as corporations."
-employers can force workers to accept individual arbitration (workers can't pursue their claims together in court, only can submit to arbitration) instead of joining together in class-action lawsuits -workers don't have rights -although this ruling doesn't affect workers in unions, it is an attack on the principle of collective action from which unions derive
Social Class Marx and Engels, Manifesto of the Communist Party, pp. 473-484 Quote p. 478: "Modern bourgeoisie society...is like the sorcerer, who is no longer able to control the powers of the nether world who he has called up by his spells."
-the bourgeoisie is no longer in control of the workings of the society that it has produced; has a mind of its own -modern capitalism is self-sustaining, runs itself -the bourgeoisie forged the weapons that bring death to itself, and called into existence the men to wield those weapons--the modern working class, the proletarians
Authority, rationalization, and bureaucracy (I) Weber, Economy and Society, pp. 212-245 iii. "Traditional authority" p. 238, bottom (#2): Why is traditional domination antithetical to the rationalization of economic activity (and hence to modern capitalism)?
-the obligations placed on direct sources of taxation are bound in tradition, hence arbitrary -two bases of rationalization are missing: a basis of the calculability of obligations and of the extent of freedom which will be allowed to private enterprise
Social Class Marx and Engels, Manifesto of the Communist Party, pp. 473-484 Quote p. 475: "The executive of the modern State is but a committee for managing the common affairs of the whole Bourgeoisie."
-the state (government) serves the bourgeoisie class, their best interests -equivalent to how the government protects the top 1%
Social Class Marx and Engels, Manifesto of the Communist Party, pp. 473-484 Quote pp. 478-479: "In proportion as the bourgeoisie, i.e., capital, is developed, in the same proportion is the proletariat, the modern working class, developed--a class of laborers, who live only so long as they find work, and who find work only so long as their labor increases capital."
-these laborers are a "commodity;" they are "appendages of the machine" -- dehumanized, not individually important -proletariat is great in mass and capable of great strength to overthrow the bourgeoisie -the proletariat only serves to increase capital, hence increase. maintain bourgeoisie influence; it's a cycle
The Sociological Imagination Mills, The Sociological Imagination, Ch. 1 What are "private troubles" and "public issues," and what does Mills mean when he links "private troubles" to "public issues" ?
-troubles= occur within the character of an individual; have to do with one's self and personal matters -- a PRIVATE matter -issues= have to do with matters that transcend local environments of individuals and the range of their inner lives-- a PUBLIC matter -issues--such as War, Unemployment, etc.-- have both private troubles and public issues associated with them (private troubles are personal and contained to the individual and their inner life, while public issues are reflective of larger issues of the economy/society and affect everyone) -public issues are incapable of personal solution
Social Class Marx and Engels, Manifesto of the Communist Party, pp. 473-484 Quote p. 483: "The essential condition for the existence, and for the sway of the bourgeoisie class, is the formation and augmentation of capital; the condition for capital is wage-labour."
-wage-labour rests exclusively on competition in between laborers -wage-labour must exist in order for capital to be perpetuated; wage-labour is fueled by competition between workers
The Sociological Imagination LECTURE The social construction of reality (Berger and Luckmann) What does it mean to say that social reality we create is "objectively factual" and "subjectively meaningful" ?
-we produce social realities ourselves through our actions and interactions -this happens in 3 steps: 1. Externalization : We produce social reality. 2. Objecitivation: this reality "hardens" and appears as pre-existing. orderly, natural 3. Internalization: We learn that social reality is legitimate
Capitalism and Labor (I) Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, "Warehouses" What examples of alienation do you observe?
-workers are not allowed time to socialize with one another, have to constantly run between aisles (10-15 miles of walking a day!) in a matter of 10 seconds (alienation from other people) -workers overworked and exhausted by the time they get home, so all they do is work and sleep--no time to maintain relationships and do things for themselves (alienation from other people and from themselves) -alienation from the product and process -- they usually do one step out of the process (it's divided that way) and there is no continuity, feels like they're not working towards a foreseeable goal. no meaning in what they do for them -workers not allowed to use the restroom -- alienated from themselves and their basic needs!
Authority, rationalization, and bureaucracy (I) Weber, Economy and Society, pp. 212-245 i. "The basis of legitimacy" pp. 215-216: For each type of domination, to whom is obedience owed?
1. Charismatic domination --> obedience owed to the charismatic leader by virtue of personal trust in his revelation, his heroism, his exceptional qualities 2. Traditional domination --> obedience owed to the person of the chief who occupies the traditionally sanctioned position of authority' matter of personal loyalty 3. Legal-Rational domination --> obedience owed to the legally established impersonal order (law, not the leader)
Authority, rationalization, and bureaucracy (I) Ritzer, The McDonaldization of Society, Ch. 1 Ritzer's term "McDonaldization" is a synonym for rationalization. What are the four dimensions of McDonaldization? Be able to give a brief example (e.g., one sentence each) of how a large company (such as IKEA) exemplifies each.
1. Efficiency: -optimum method for getting from one point to another (ex. McDonald's Drive-through: being hungry to being full; workers follow steps in a predesigned process) 2. Calculability: -the quantitative aspects of products sold (portion size, cost) and services offered (Customers calculate how much time it will take to drive to McDonald's, be served the food, eat it, and return home; workers are expected to do a lot of work, very quickly, for low pay) 3. Predictability: -the assurance that products and services will be the same over time and in all locales (Egg McMuffins in New York will be virtually identical to those in Chicago and LA) 4. Control: -exerted over the people who enter McDonald's (Lines, limited menus, few options, and uncomfortable seats all lead diners to do what management wishes them to do - eat quickly and leave)
Capitalism and Labor (II) Lecture What are some reasons social theorists have given for why capitalism hasn't imploded yet, and why socialist revolution hasn't happened in the largest capitalist economies? (understand the various mechanisms associated with each reason. Hint: there are four.)
1. Expansion: Capitalism has successfully expanded a. overseas markets (world trade, colonialism. when markets expand, crisis of overproduction less likely) b. globalization of labor force (increase pool of labor competing for same jobs --> reduce labor costs) c. entry of women into the labor force (lowered female and male wages; shatters cultural constraints on women, increase labor force) 2. Coordination: capitalists coordinate among themselves to ward off or dampen crises a. collusion and cartels (ex. coffee manufacturers -- Folgers took west of Mississippi, Maxwell house took east. minimizes conflict) b. coordinated response to conflict 3. Coercion: labor is "formally free"; in theory, workers have the right tot not show up to work. The STATE has this coercive power, not capitalists a. Sometimes, the State directly coerces workers to keep working (military desertion, prohibiting labor strikes) b. More importantly, the state uses its coercive power to protect private property (this normalizes inequality and exploitation) and enforce contracts (so we think of free wage labor as actually "free") 4. Consent: most workers consent to capitalism a. offer workers better material conditions ("family wage"; came with social and moral control b. make work a competitive "game" (small incentive pay + social pressure --> prestige, sense of accomplishment and pride when productivity increases) c. build internal labor market (job ladders --> seniority benefits like pensions, vacation, ability to transfer within firm) d. other solidarities obscure class difference (race, nation, etc.) e. allow collective bargaining (collective bargaining = negotiation of wages, benefits, working conditions and other conditions of employment between management and the representatives of the trade union to which employees belong) f. the welfare state (the state is responsible for the well-being of its citizens, things like medicaid and social security)
Authority, rationalization, and bureaucracy (II) Lecture What are the three primary features of all states? (just know the words in capital letters)
1. Revenue (ex. taxes) 2. Internal control (ex. policing) 3. External control (ex. military)
Authority, rationalization, and bureaucracy (II) Bauman, Modernity and the Holocaust, Ch. 1 pp. 21-27: Herbert C. Kelman names three conditions that erode moral inhibitions against violent atrocities. What are they, and how did Nazi bureaucratic administration achieve these conditions?
1. Violence is authorized: The violence is condoned and authorized by legitimate sources of power, such as the government. This was exactly what the Nazis did by normalizing the killing of Jews. 2. Actions are routinized: by rule-governed practices and by exact specification of roles. The Nazis had every single person, even the victims themselves, become part of the chain that led to their deaths. A sanitation officer dropped the pellets, another officer took count of Jewish possessions, another officer was in charge of supplies needed for the actual killing, etc. All of the routines that Nazi officials did no longer became shocking because that was not only what they did every day, but because it was what the rules said they had to do on the job. So the actual killing was only a small part of everything that went into routinizing the Holocaust. 3. Victims are dehumanized: The victims of the Holocaust were fundamentally dehumanized. They were stripped of their citizenship, treated as aliens, portrayed as pests, made to wear stars, blamed for problems, and essentially excluded from the "universe of obligation" that humans feel the need to help others
Social Class Lecture What are Bourdieu's three forms of capital? Understand what each means, and what his three sub-forms of cultural capital are.
1. economic capital = financial assets, property, etc. 2. social capital = access to resources through social network of relationships 3. cultural capital = collection of symbolic elements that one acquires by being part of a particular social class: e.g., skills, tastes, posture, clothing, mannerisms, material belongings, credentials *3 sub-types of cultural capital ---embodied (posture, hand gestures; anything that reflects accumulated knowledge through life experience) ---objectified (capital appears in objects that can communicate taste and class position, ex. nice car, clothes, etc.) ---institutionalized (something that has a formal recognition by some form of institution, ex. Johns Hopkins diploma)
Social Class Weber, Environment and Society, pp. 302 and 305-306 To Weber, what are the 4 main social classes?
1. the working class as a whole -- the more so, the more automated the work process becomes, 2. the petty bourgeoisie (lower middle class) 3. propertyless intelligentsia and specialists (technicians, various kinds of white-collar employees, civil servants possibly with considerable social differences depending on the cost of their training) 4. the class privileged through property and education (upper class)
Social Class Lecture According to Marx, how many social classes are there in capitalist society? What are they, and what defines them?
2 classes in a capitalist society Bourgeoise (capitalist class) and Proletariat (working class) Bourgeoise/Capitalist class = upper class, own means of production (capital) and can exploit those who don't (workers); have instruments and materials that can be used to produce wealth Proletariat/Working class = lower class, to survive they must work for capitalists (wage labor); do not own capital, so they have to sell their labor to survive the two classes have inherently antagonistic interests
Capitalism and Labor (I) Lecture Marx: What are the 4 types of alienation? Think of a simple example of each.
4 types of alienation: 1. from the product (ex. screwing one screw in an iPhone--only one small step in process and not seeing the final product/not being connected to the end/finished product. lost sense of accomplishment/completion in a way) 2. from the process (ex. only screwing one screw in the iPhone--one tiny step in the process, repetitive/robotic, not really part of the whole thing) 3. from other people (not being able to socialize with other workers, tiny bathroom breaks, isolation. being so exhausted that all you do when you get home is sleep, no interaction with friends or even family) 4. from one's self (not having a sense of fulfillment/purpose, personal happiness. feeling that you're doing something you love that is furthering you. also, not having time for yourself when you get home, you only work and sleep. no leisure time)
Capitalism and Labor (I) Lecture What did Adam Smith advocate, and why?
Adam Smith advocated for a free market (and was against mercantilism) -he said that the freedom to produce, trade, and work in one's own interest would lead to greater division of labor (individual and national) and subsequently to greater efficiency and more innovation basically a free market would lead to a more efficient, more diverse economy if people are free to produce what they have natural advantages towards
Authority, rationalization, and bureaucracy (II) Bauman, Modernity and the Holocaust, Ch. 1 What is Bauman's main argument?
Bauman's main argument is that the holocaust was not an abnormal occurence in society, but rather an extremely rationalized event in which the Weberian principles of rationalization were applied in extremely effective way. From the dehumanization of the victims to their very cooperation, the Nazis found ways to make the entire process as perfectly efficient as possible. Bauman also argued that the holocaust in no way contradicted the priniciples of rationalization from a merely effectual standpoint, even though it was morally appalling
Readings for Authority, Rationalization, and Bureaucracy (II):
Bauman, Modernity and the Holocaust, Ch. 1 Whoriskey and Keating, "Overdoses, Bedsores, Broken Bones" Washington Post
Capitalism and Labor (I) Lecture According to Marx: What is capital? What does it mean to say that it is a social relation or a social power?
Capital = wealth used to produce more wealth ("Wealth that grows through the process of circulation.") Types of capital: -finance capital (e.g., lent at interest) -merchant capital (e.g., grows through trade) -industrial capital (money that moves through a circuit involving purchases of labor power + means of production, the act of production, and the sale of commodities on the market) To say that capital is a social relation/social power means that capital can only exist in a certain kind of society: one where there are workers that have no choice but to work for capital, and they work at a price that is set by the market. In order for capitalism to perpetuate, it must exist in a society with specific social relations.
Authority, rationalization, and bureaucracy (I) Weber, Economy and Society, pp. 212-245 iv. "Charismatic authority" p. 241: What, to Weber, is charisma?
Charisma : the certain quality of an individual personality by virtue of which he is considered extraordinary and treated as endowed with supernatural, superhuman, or at least specifically exceptional powers or qualities
The working-class American family Cherlin, Labor's Love Lost, Ch. 1-5 / Lecture What, in your opinion, are the book's main arguments? (You don't have to agree with me, but your opinion must be based on the text.)
Cherlin's main argument is that the American working class family has seen a very distinctive arc and that at the current period in time they are shrinking even more because the economy simply cannot support it. Working class family rises and fall throughout history-- trends are depicted by economic trends. Economic and demographic trends and conditions (along with broader cultural and legal trends) have a direct effect on the characteristics of families (division of labor in the home, marriage, and children) as well as variation across families (WCF vs. MCF, white vs. black families, etc.) over different time periods.
Readings for The Working-Class American Family:
Cherlin, Labor's Love Lost, Chapters 1-5
Social Class Weber, Environment and Society, pp. 302 and 305-306 To Weber, what is class situation and from what does it arise?
Class situation is the typical probability of three things: 1. procuring goods 2. gaining a position in life 3. finding inner satisfaction and this probability arises from the relative control over goods and skills and from their income-producing uses within a given economic order
Authority, rationalization, and bureaucracy (I) Lecture What is the difference between (a) domination by virtue of interests and (b) domination by virtue of authority (i.e., legitimate domination)?
Domination by virtue of interest = doing something because you fundamentally believe that there can be personal gain for you if you do it. Domination by virtue of authority (legitimate domination) = doing something because it is your duty and you feel fundamentally compelled to do it for no other reason than that.
Capitalism and Labor (I) Lecture According to Marx: How is capitalism different from feudalism? What are the relations of production that characterize feudalism and capitalism?
Feudalism FoP: agricultural RoP: tributary lord-serf relation Capitalism FoP: industrial, wage labor RoP: wage relation -in feudalism, there is a clear separation of necessary and surplus labor; exploitation obvious. in capitalism, there is no clear separation of this; exploitation is hidden (the system legitimizes itself) (an example of this is how we "get paid for" 8 hour days, but only 5 of those hours are necessary labor and the other 3 are surplus that we aren't paid for) -from feudalism to capitalism: guild production waned, markets expanded, enclosure implemented (fencing off and titling common farmland and grazing lands and consolidating small landholdings into larger ones; backed by violence and state law, made the working class landless)
Capitalism and Labor (II) Keizer, "Labor's Last Stand" Taft Hartley Act of 1947 (note also the "free speech clause" on p. 30: implications?)
It is a United States federal law that restricts the activities and power of labor unions; prohibits disclosure of a union's financial and political activities; outlaws forms of protest allowed in virtually all other industrialized countries, such as solidarity strikes and secondary boycotts free-speech clause: allows employers to hold meetings at which workers are required to listen to lectures by paid union-busting consultants; employers are also allowed to summon individual workers for private discussions on their union views
The working-class American family Cherlin, Labor's Love Lost, Ch. 1-5 / Lecture How is Cherlin's conceptualization of social class similar to, and different from, those of Marx, Weber, and Bourdieu?
He conceptualizes social class based on education, income, and family statutes. His definition of the working class family is based on married men and women with children where the man works but the woman does not and where the man's job falls into very specific categories: manufacturing, transportation, and construction. Social class is tied to economic trends → hourglass economy Thus, he measures social class based on what specific jobs men were doing at different times in history using census information. In this conceptualization of the working class family, men worked, women worked in the home (especially as homemakers in the postwar period), and children changed from useful little laborers to priceless investments of emotion and money. In Weber, the conception of social class is based on life chances and allows for social mobility. Specific example: how the Irish gained political power and were able to become closer to "whiteness." They moved up the social hierarchy past African Americans. For Marx, the conception of class is simple: Bourgeoisie and Proletariat. You either own the means of production or work for those who do. Social mobility is not a concept that Marx believes in.
Authority, rationalization, and bureaucracy (II) Lecture What are three secondary features of modern states? (just know the words in capital letters)
Here's all of them: 1. Statistics (ex. census) 2. Education (ex. schools) 3. Infrastructure (ex. transportation) 4. Symbols (ex. flag) 5. Monetary policy (ex. lending money) 6. Economic policy (ex. money, labor) 7. Health (ex. hospitals)
Authority, rationalization, and bureaucracy (II) Whoriskey and Keating, ""Overdoses, bedsores, broken bones," Washington Post How did Carlyle instrumentally rationalize operations at the HCR ManorCare nursing homes in order to maximize profitability? *Carlyle is the private-equity firm and ManorCare is the nursing home chain
Instrumental rationalization is the process by which an end is reached by the absolute fastest way possible. Therefore, Carlyle's end was short-term profitability, so they reached that in the FASTEST way possible by cutting costs, reducing the workforce, and SELLING the land to another company. This allowed Carlyle to profit from the overall transaction, but it eventually doomed the company because it couldn't handle the financial burdens that Carlyle had imposed on it.
Readings for Capitalism and Labor (II):
Keizer, "Labor's Last Stand"
The working-class American family Cherlin, Labor's Love Lost, Ch. 5: 1975-2010 Fall of the WCF What two groupings does Cherlin suggest we use to analyze this period instead of middle class vs. working class? Why?
Lower-educated and college-educated. He suggests this because the middle class is too flexible of a term at this point, for it covers everyone who is basically not super rich or super poor
The working-class American family Cherlin, Labor's Love Lost, Ch. 1: Introduction How does Cherlin define the working-class family (WCF)?
Married families with children in which husbands were employed in skilled or semi-skilled manual work
Social Class Lecture What are some pros and cons of the conceptions of social class presented by Marx, Weber, and Bourdieu? How does Bourdieu's conception combine elements from Marx and from Weber (while adding others of his own)?
Marx Pros: sets up the distinction between capitalists (those with capital) and working class (those without capital, have to provide their labor to survive) Cons: too rigid, only includes two class distinctions; lumps together everyone who isn't bourgeoise into the working class, not entirely accurate. also no movement in his definition Weber Pros: sophisticated analysis of the relation between status and class; more inclusive of others, adds two more social classes to Marx's view (total of 4 classes); includes those in between, the petty bourgeoise and the propertyless intelligentsia, allows for generational movement/assent in social class. also talks about life chances (economic prospects, etc.) Cons: world is really complicated; hard to draw clear conclusions Bourdieu Pros: expands on what having "capital" means -- there is economic, social, and cultural capital. includes discussion of cultural capital/taste and how things like education and other social institutions contribute to class and the perpetuation of social class distinction; class is a tirade about competition and struggle; nuanced integration of status and culture Cons: this reflects the conditions in which Bourdieu was writing; is this accurate? France in 17th/18th century. Historical influence on his writing--only applies to his time? ; Is it necessarily the case that popular culture and high culture are so clearly distinguished? (ex. - upper and lower classes both enjoy watching basketball) Does he have a localized sense of cultural distinction? Bourdieu, like Marx, talks about how the higher class has access to capital while the lower class does not. He expands on this by defining three types of capital: economic, social, cultural. Also, like Weber, he includes more classes (not just two) and considers things other than economic prospects. He adds the discussion of cultural capital and how this defines class and perpetuates the power of the bourgeoise.
Readings for Capitalism and Labor (I):
Marx and Engels, Manifesto of the Communist Party (484-491) Jon Oliver "Warehouses" video
Readings for Social Class:
Marx and Engels, Manifesto of the Communist Party (pp. 473-484) Weber, Economy and Society, pp. 302, 305-306 Bourdieu, Distinction, pp. 1-6, 35-40, 128-129
Capitalism and Labor (I) Marx and Engels, Manifesto of the Communist Party, pp. 484-491 Quote p. 485: "Capital is, therefore, not a personal, it is a social power."
Marx says that to be a capitalist is to not only have a purely personal, but also a social status in production. Capital is a collective product, and it is only set in motion by the united action of many members There must be a "united action of many members" of society to get the wheel of capitalism rolling. From the bourgeoisie to the proletariat, capital is a social power because it takes all of them adhering to specific social statuses to produce and perpetuate itself. Personal property is NOT social property. Social property is what is being transformed
Readings for The Sociological Imagination:
Mills, The Sociological Imagination, Chapter 1
Capitalism and Labor (I) Lecture Marx: Know what modes of production, forces of production, and relations of production are.
Modes of production: the forces of production + the relations of production (combination) Forces of production: -forces the humans use in the production process, i.e., our capacity to transform nature -e.g., tools, machinery, land, infrastructure, human labor power, techniques, knowledge Relations of production: -who gets what, i.e. what happens to the things we produce -e.g., property relations and ownership relations: how surplus is appropriated and redistributed
Authority, rationalization, and bureaucracy (II) Whoriskey and Keating, ""Overdoses, bedsores, broken bones," Washington Post According to Carlyle's founders, how do private-equity firms see themselves?
Private equity firms see themselves in a positive light: they believe that they are providing a social service by making companies more efficient.
Authority, rationalization, and bureaucracy (II) Lecture What is rationalization? Have a sense of what it means at three levels (but don't need to memorize definitions)
Rationalization is the process by which things become calculable and efficient. 3 levels of rationalization = micro, meso, macro 1. micro = personal level; bringing thought and action into alignment with thought-out rules and principles. ex - first time you shave - you get cuts. You change what you do/come up with "rules" to do it correctly 2. meso = increasing the role of knowledge, impersonality, and control in institutions and social life 3. macro = a historical drive toward a world in which all things can be mastered by calculation Each of them help to contribute to a world that is calculable and efficient to its absolute maximum potential
Authority, rationalization, and bureaucracy (II) Lecture What is shareholder-value capitalism? How do the actions of Carlyle in the Washington Post article exemplify it?
Shareholder value capitalism is the mindset that nothing else determines if a company is successful than if the shareholders profit or not. The Carlyle group took drastic actions, like the selling of land of the HCR ManorCare Group to another company, in order to get short-term profits for the shareholders. They obviously did not care about the fundamentally unsustainable financial burdens that this put on the company and the potential effects it could (and eventually did) have on the patients.
Authority, rationalization, and bureaucracy (II) Bauman, Modernity and the Holocaust, Ch. 1 Quote p. 17: "The most shattering of lessons deriving from the analysis of the 'twisted road to Auschwitz' is that — in the last resort— the choice of physical extermination as the right means to the task of Entfernung was a product of routine bureaucratic procedures: means-ends calculus, budget balancing, universal rule application."
The choice to kill all of the Jews was not seen as the initial choice in the Holocaust, but it was reached as the Nazis sought the solution to the problem of how to get rid of the Jews faster. At first, deportation was seen as a good solution, but the logistics of it didn't quite work out. Then, as Germany took over more territory, they couldn't just ship out the Jews there because that was their land and they didn't want Jews on German land at all. Then as the war turned against them, they realized deportation wasn't an option and physical extermination was more useful. Once that conclusion was reached, they actually tried multiple types of physical extermination and eventually settled on using gas chambers.
Authority, rationalization, and bureaucracy (II) Whoriskey and Keating, ""Overdoses, bedsores, broken bones," Washington Post What were the effects of instrumental rationalization on the patients?
The effects on the patients were disastrous: since the company struggled to pay their new "rent" on their own land, the staff shortages were increased and hours were increased, so there were never enough staff and especially trained staff to take care of the patients because they either left their jobs or were let go in cost-cutting measures. Therefore, the patients suffered and often fell and broke bones, got infections, were attended extremely late and thus got bedsores, and were just overall neglected.
Capitalism and Labor (I) Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, "Warehouses" In our reading from Modernity and the Holocaust, Zygmunt Bauman talks about the dangerous consequences that can arise in a highly mediated system of legal-rational domination. How does the "Warehouses" video exemplify this? Think about who owns most of Amazon. (Hint: It's not Jeff Bezos.)
The functioning of amazon warehouses is perpetuated through delegation; people are just following orders. So, the people in charge of the factories that implement these cruel rules (no bathroom breaks, no socializing, having 10 seconds to get from A to B, etc.) are just "following orders" given to them by the owner of Amazon. With this delegation comes a separation/distance, the one's doing the delegating can't immediately see the consequences of their delegated actions (people being hurt/suffering)
Authority, rationalization, and bureaucracy (II) Bauman, Modernity and the Holocaust, Ch. 1 In what sense was the Holocaust a bureaucratically administered phenomenon? (see p. 8)
The holocaust was made as efficient as possible: the killing was essentially accomplished by men at desks who carefully tracked every aspect of the mass deportation and killing of jews. The deportation of Jews was done on a very precisely organized train system, the killing was done in a fast and impersonal way with small pellets of poisonous gas by a "sanitation officer," and even the disposal of bodies (their burning) was done in an expedient way. Thus, in the spirit of bureaucracy, the ingredient was the Jewish population and the product was their death, and the process in between was made extremely efficient.
The working-class American family Cherlin, Labor's Love Lost, Ch. 1: Introduction What is the "marriage gap," and how has it evolved over time in relation to income equality?
The marriage gap is a decrease in the number of married men when there is a higher level of economic inequality between different occupations (professional/technical/managerial; craftsmen/operatives; service workers)
The working-class American family Cherlin, Labor's Love Lost, Ch. 1: Introduction What three sectors does Cherlin include in the working class?
Transportation and utilities, manufacturing, and construction
Social Class Lecture What is the main criterion the UK government uses to determine someone's social class? Is this more of a Marxist approach or a Weberian approach?
UK government mainly uses the National Statistics Socioeconomic Classification (NS-SEC).; based on occupational status This is a Weberian approach: it reflects, economic prospects (chances!), authority, and autonomy of occupations (they might even add education and income dimensions)
Capitalism and Labor (II) Lecture How does the USA stand relative to other rich countries in terms of mandatory vacation and paid maternity leave?
US workers have 0 days of mandatory vacation! other countries have 10 (Japan) - 30 (France) days of mandatory vacation US workers have 0 weeks of paid maternity leave! other countries have 12 - 161 weeks of paid maternity leave US does not mandate vacation days OR paid maternity leave
Authority, rationalization, and bureaucracy (II) Lecture What was Weber's "Protestant ethic" thesis?
Weber's "Protestant Ethic" thesis proposes that the modern form of capitalism that dominates the world economy started because of Lutherans and Calvinists that were seeking to work hard in life because their "vocation was a calling" (Lutherans) and because they were "predestined" to go to hell or not (Calvinists). Therefore, Weber argued that because they feared this predestination so much, they worked extremely hard in their lives and saw their success in their vocations as a sign from God that they were destined to go to heaven instead of hell. Eventually, this attitude spread and the religious aspect behind it became superfluous as the capitalistic model became predominant.
Readings for Authority, Rationalization, and Bureaucracy (I):
Weber, Economy and Society, 212-245 Ritzer, the McDonaldization of Society
Capitalism and Labor (II) Keizer, "Labor's Last Stand" What does "work to rule" mean?
Workers perform every task according to best practice, which has the cumulative effect of slowing production. It takes a person of average intelligence a few minutes to get his head around the implications. If every nurse insisted on taking care of her patients in the way she knew was best, if every teacher, cook, and cleaner worked according to the same rule, irrespective of metrics and balance sheets—we would have a universal work slowdown one step shy of a general strike. Perhaps two steps shy of a society devoted to working for the common good. Work to rule refers to the practice by which employees work to the exact standards and rules of their jobs. If this became a reality, we would have a fundamental slowdown in the rate of work. Good for employees because they can feel proud of what they do and actually have the time to do it well, but bad for employers because it slows down production.
Social Class Lecture What is a generic definition of social class?
a form of stratification whose categories have a largely or completely economic basis subjective conception = how you perceive what class you're in (ex. middle class) objective conception = something that can be measured, empirical basis (ex. income)
Authority, rationalization, and bureaucracy (I) Weber, Economy and Society, pp. 212-245 iii. "Traditional authority" pp. 231-232: What is patrimonialism? (See also lecture)
a form of traditional domination in which the master has a bureaucratic staff loyal to the master alone -master expects and rewards loyalty -master constantly seeks to maximize personal control -no distinction between public and private -antithetical to modern rational capitalism
Capitalism and Labor (II) Lecture According to Marx, what will come after Capitalism?
after capitalism, we will have a transitional form of socialism that will eventually lead to communism transitional form of socialism -collective ownership of the means of production ---already exists to some extent (public duration, universal health care) ---"from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs" communism -collective ownership of everything (private property abolished) ---no money ---no social classes *private property to be abolished, not personal property. private property perpetuates class division while personal property does not (personal property doesn't constitute capital)
Capitalism and Labor (I) Lecture According to Marx: What will happen to capitalism?
after capitalism, we'll have a transitional form of socialism--communism
Capitalism and Labor (II) Lecture How has the average income of the top 1% changed relative to productivity since 1979 in the USA? What about average overall wages? (Note: productivity = GDP per capita divided by hours worked. i.e., it is the hourly GDP output of the average worker)
average income of top 1% has soared to above 240%, while productivity has very minimally increased to only about 80%. average overall wages have basically remained the same, increased a tiny tiny bit. basically constant graph on slide
Authority, rationalization, and bureaucracy (I) Lecture What are formal rationality, instrumental rationality, and value rationality? Be able to define them and identify examples of each.
formal rationality: -the establishment of and adherence to very strict formal rules that allow for calculable outcomes -ex. American football (tons of rules) vs. Greek Pankration (no rules instrumental rationality: -the best/ fastest way to achieve a certain goal/concrete end. It may or may not be formal ("fastest way from A to B") -ex. the establishment of the UC Santa Cruz campus path. value rationality: - aligning your actions along a particular value/ ideology. -ex. Religion in general and acting according to the principles of that religion, i.e. in the "Christian way.
Authority, rationalization, and bureaucracy (I) Weber, Economy and Society, pp. 212-245 iv. "Charismatic authority" pp. 245-246 (IV): Why, according to Weber, is charismatic domination antithetical to rational economic activity (and hence to modern capitalism)?
he says that pure charisma is "foreign" to economic considerations; pure charisma disdains economic exploitation of the "gifts of grace" as a source of income tradition or rational everyday economizing is despised; charismatic domination favors support by gifts, endowment, bribery, and honoraria Charismatic authority does not renounce property, but despises traditional or rational everyday economizing, the attainment of a regular income by continuous economic activity devoted to this end
The working-class American family Cherlin, Labor's Love Lost, Ch. 5: 1975-2010 Fall of the WCF What major economic and extra-economic trends and conditions does Cherlin discuss in this chapter? (Pick a few. Tip: Know the word starting with 'h'...)
hourglass economy!! -a declining demand for labor in the middle of the labor market relative to demand for workers at the top and, to a lesser extent, at the bottom. I.E. decrease in middle class jobs but an accompanying increase in upper and lower class jobs. (decrease in middle class jobs and increase in low educated and high educated job positions) -overseas jobs (outsourcing) decreased jobs in america, increased education required for jobs due to computerization
Capitalism and Labor (II) Keizer, "Labor's Last Stand" Quote p. 25: "In the minds of some, America already had a labor party, the same party that gave us the New Deal and the Wagner Act. It would be hard to find anyone who thinks that now..."
it was once thought that the Democratic Party was the labor party, but it's obvious now that is not true The Democratic party has stopped actively supporting unions in the way that it used to. Now, Democratic leaders often just give arousing speeches related to unions and then don't actually do anything. Unions are "confusing access with power." They have access to the leader, but the leader isn't using his power to help them.
The working-class American family Cherlin, Labor's Love Lost, Ch. 4: 1945-1975 The Peak Years What major economic and extra-economic trends and conditions does Cherlin discuss in this chapter? How do they affect characteristics of American working-class families such as the following? • DIVISION OF LABOR within family (actual, ideal in women's eyes, ideal in men's eyes) • MARRIAGE: likelihood, age, value placed on, conception of ideal M (often differs between women and men, view of M in relation to other milestones (e.g., children, financial stability) • CHILDREN: conception of childhood, number of, investment in, style of childrearing How have the aforementioned characteristics / capacities varied by race?
major economic and extra-economic trends and conditions: -US has the greatest percentage of output, dominant economy, strong labor unions (can extract more of the surplus) division of labor within home: -turn toward home/family, more women working (cooperative work, no longer separate, of men and women together in the home since women and men are both working outside the home) -housewives to homemaker (homemaker makes a welcoming environment - middle class ideal, celebrated and do it all moral woman → and housewife does basic task for social reproduction) marriage: -age of marriage plummets (marriage = first step to adulthood) children: -baby boom! -children go from being seen as "useful little laborers" to "priceless" -emphasis on education for kids variation by race: African-American families rise (despite ongoing discrimination)
The working-class American family Cherlin, Labor's Love Lost, Ch. 3: 1900-1945 Good times/hard times What major economic and extra-economic trends and conditions does Cherlin discuss in this chapter? How do they affect characteristics of American working-class families such as the following? • DIVISION OF LABOR within family (actual, ideal in women's eyes, ideal in men's eyes) • MARRIAGE: likelihood, age, value placed on, conception of ideal M (often differs between women and men, view of M in relation to other milestones (e.g., children, financial stability) • CHILDREN: conception of childhood, number of, investment in, style of childrearing How have the aforementioned characteristics / capacities varied by race?
major economic and extra-economic trends and conditions: -further industrialization --> demand for labor and appearance of "family wage" programs (e.g. Ford) (women excluded from family-wage) -Progressive Era: labor protections and restrictions (including for children, women; but mostly leave out African Americans), schooling expands; era in which the people were being protected from the degradations of capitalism (child labor laws, environment protections, etc.) -the Great Depression: massive drop in demand for labor division of labor within home: -During Great Depression, men lost their authority as head of household figure (kids don't respect fathers anymore as head of household, affected relationship between spouses too) marriage: -less sex, less babies (economic struggle) children: less babies variation by race: -progressive era protections did not apply to African-Americans
The working-class American family Cherlin, Labor's Love Lost, Ch. 2: 1800-1899 Emergence of the WCF What major economic and extra-economic trends and conditions does Cherlin discuss in this chapter? How do they affect characteristics of American working-class families such as the following? • DIVISION OF LABOR within family (actual, ideal in women's eyes, ideal in men's eyes) • MARRIAGE: likelihood, age, value placed on, conception of ideal M (often differs between women and men, view of M in relation to other milestones (e.g., children, financial stability) • CHILDREN: conception of childhood, number of, investment in, style of childrearing How have the aforementioned characteristics / capacities varied by race?
major economic and extra-economic trends and conditions: -industrialization--people increasingly working in factories and living in cities--brought about the family wage -waves of immigration from W. Europe (from 1840), S. and E. Europe (late 19c - early 20c) -end of slavery -cultural and legal restrictions on women and African- Americans entering many professions division of labor within family: -men as head of HH (including by law); but land ownership being eroded as basis of male authority -men working outside of home children: -seen as income, could produce labor variation by race: -legal restrictions on African-Americans entering the workforce
The working-class American family Cherlin, Labor's Love Lost, Ch. 5: 1975-2010 Fall of the WCF How do the family characteristics of these two groupings evolve during this period? How does economic change drive this?
marriage age increased (marriage seen as a capstone, not a milestone → last step of becoming an adult, need to be economically stable first (lower-educated getting married less, college-educated getting married more)
Authority, rationalization, and bureaucracy (I) Weber, Economy and Society, pp. 212-245 iii. "Traditional authority" p. 229: In the pure type of traditional rule, does the ruler have a bureaucratic administrative staff?
not necessarily, it's more of a personal followers thing the bureaucratic staff is ABSENT of: -clearly defined sphere of competence subject to personal rules -a rationally established hierarchy -a regular system of appointment on the basis of free contract, and orderly promotion -technical training as a regular requirement -(frequently) fixed salaries, in the type case paid in money
Capitalism and Labor (II) Lecture How has union membership evolved over time in the United States? How has this correlated with income inequality, generally speaking?
over time, union membership significantly increased in the 1930s, then decreased near 1990. it was highest from 1960-1980. income inequality was decreased during this short time (1960-1980), but it has increased significantly since (as union membership decreased)
Authority, rationalization, and bureaucracy (I) Weber, Economy and Society, pp. 212-245 ii. "Legal authority with a bureaucratic staff" p. 225: What does sine ira et studio mean? What is its relevance to bureaucracy?
sine ira et studio = a spirit of formalistic impersonality; without hatred or passion, and hence without affection or enthusiasm. The dominant norms are concepts of straightforward duty without regard to personal considerations. It is the spirit with which the ideal official conducts his offices
Capitalism and Labor (I) Lecture Marx: what was the enclosure movement, and why was it crucial to the development of modern capitalism in England?
the Enclosure movement: -the process of fencing off and titling common farmland and grazing lands and consolidating small landholdings into larger ones -backed by violence and state law crucial to the development of modern capitalism in England because it created a landless working class
Authority, rationalization, and bureaucracy (I) Weber, Economy and Society, pp. 212-245 ii. "Legal authority with a bureaucratic staff" Quote p. 217 (#3): In a system of legal authority, "the 'superior' is himself subject to an impersonal order". (In addition to knowing what this means, be able to give a hypothetical example.)
the leader in legal-rational domination also must obey the rules of the law that he is upholding/protecting and placing upon the people; his actions must be in line with that law, he can't just make things up and rules based on his own desires ex. the president is held to a certain standard and has certain limitations and expectations
Authority, rationalization, and bureaucracy (I) Weber, Economy and Society, pp. 212-245 ii. "Legal authority with a bureaucratic staff" Quote p. 221 (#9): "The official works entirely separated from ownership of the means of administration and without appropriation of his position."
the official is personally separated from his power; the power is not HIS, it is the office's, and he is just upholding it. He cannot appropriate/change his position based on his own wants and corruption
Authority, rationalization, and bureaucracy (I) Weber, Economy and Society, pp. 212-245 i. "The basis of legitimacy" p 212: How does Weber define domination?
the probability that certain specific commands (or all commands) will be obeyed by a given group of persons