Theory Exam 2

Explain Weber's definition of power and how it relates to the political community.

"the chance of a person or of a number of people to realize their own will in a communal action against the resistance of others who are participating in the action." Weber says power can come from many different places not just from what you own. Weber argued that distinct interests and forms of power were connected to economic classes, status groups, and political parties. In general, we understand by "power" the chance of a man or a number of men to realize their own will in a social action even against the resistance of others who are participating in the action.

Four features that ensure bureaucracy's technical superiority

(1) Authority is hierarchically structured, making for a clear chain of command. (2) Selection of personnel is competitive and based upon demonstrated merit. This reduces the likelihood of incompetence that can result from appointing officials through nepotism or by virtue of tradition. (3) A specialized division of labor allows for the more efficient completion of assigned tasks. (4) Bureaucracies are governed by formal, impersonal rules that regulate all facets of the organization

Traditional action (Individual-non rational)

Habit or long-standing custom. You do it because of the legacy or custom. At Sac State because parent or grandparent went to Sac State. Habit or long-standing custom. You do it because of the legacy or custom. At Sac State because parent or grandparent went to Sac State. Where behaviors are determined by habit or long-standing custom. Here, an individual's conduct is shaped not by a concern with maximizing efficiency or commitment to an ethical principal, but rather, by an unreflective adherence to established routines.

Rational/collective

Hegemonic legal system: society punishes those who break the law. (Weber, Gilman and Marx)

Dyad

2 person group. There is no other person to shift the balance of the group thereby allowing those within the dyad to maintain their individuality.

Triad

3 person group. The crucial difference between the dyad (two-person group) and triad (three-person group) is that a triad presents a greater threat to the individuality of group members.

Social geometry

Dyad, triad and distance?

Practical Rationality

Identify the best method and follow the rules of that method. Everyone must follow the rules made by someone else. The following of the rules (the act) is most important.

Tragedy of culture

Objective culture takes over subjective culture. Simmel theorized, occurred as societies modernized and the massive amounts of objective cultural products overshadowed (and overwhelmed) the subjective abilities of the individual. Presented with more options than one person can possibly ever hope to experience in a lifetime, the modern individual runs the risk of stunting his or her social psychological growth.

One-Dimensional Thought

One-Dimensional Man - Marcuse argues that "advanced industrial society" created false needs, which integrated individuals into the existing system of production and consumption via mass media, advertising, industrial management, and contemporary modes of thought. This results in a "one-dimensional" universe of thought and behavior, in which aptitude and ability for critical thought and oppositional behavior wither away.

Social action

Requires meaning and understanding and is orientated to the past, present and future (3 orientations of social action)

Individual (social order)

Patterns of social life seen as emerging from ongoing interaction

Collective (social order)

Patterns of social life seen as the product of existing structural arrangements

Compare and contrast Simmel and Marx's conceptions of value.

Simmel-Value of goods is determined in interaction, as actors weigh their desire for goods against sacrifice required to obtain them. Marx-Value of goods is equal to the amount of labor invested in production.

For Simmel, what is the essence of society?

Social interaction; the essence of society lies in the interactions that take place between individuals and groups = sociation

Duality

Society and the individuals that compose it constitute an interdependent duality. The existence of one presupposes the existence of the other.

Discuss Simmel's concept of duality and how it affects the nature of individuality.

Society and the individuals that compose it constitute an interdependent duality. The existence of one presupposes the existence of the other. This duality has a profound effect on the nature of individuality. For while who you are as an individual is in an important sense defined and made possible by the groups to which you belong, preserving your individuality demands that your identity not be completely submerged into or engulfed by group membership. Otherwise, you have no self that you can call your own

Nonrational/collective

Taught by society. Hegemonic (dominating) moral order: society teaches us to not disobey the law. Red means stop and green means go. (Durkheim and DuBois)

Forms

The "how" of social action

Content

The "what" of social action

Theoretical Rationality

The application of abstract (dealing with the meaning of life) meaning. Societies based on some sort of theology (religion) - value laden and that's what orders social life. EX the Amish, everything ordered by religious principles.

Subjective Culture

The creative and intelligent aspects of the individual human being, aspects of ourselves that Simmel argued could only be cultivated through the agency of external or "objective" culture

Value

The more willing to sacrifice the more value there is in what is being sacrificed for. The value of something is determined by the distance from its actor. In "The Stranger", Simmel discusses how if a person is too close to the actor they are not considered a stranger, but if they are too far they would no longer be a part of a group. The particular distance from a group allows a person to have objective relationships with different group members

According to Simmel how can conflict be positive and negative.

The role of conflict is very important; it is a form of socialization. To be a social being, you have to have conflict. For Simmel our actions cause change. Conflict sets boundaries between groups by strengthening group consciousness and awareness of separateness from other groups.

Formal Rationality

The universal application of rules. The rule itself is what is most important. No matter who the president is, they all have the same set of rules to follow. The rule is important, not the person.

Weber

Turned his attention to the subjective dimension of social life, seeking to understand the states of mind or motivations that guides individuals' behavior. Believed in Verstehen. And that religion is as much a part in shaping society as society is in shaping religion.

From Weber's perspective discuss the development of the spirit of capitalism.

Weber supports historical materialism but also that ideas are important. Capitalism didn't rise by its own-it came from religion (in superstructure) and religion is an idea. It says things to you: show up on time, save $, always be productive, be kind to others. Capitalism loves religion; obedient workers. Areas where Protestantism was, so was capitalism = values coincide.

Discuss Weber's central themes that appear in most of his writings.

Weber's view of the science of sociology and his engagement with the work of Karl Marx and Friedrich Nietzsche

Nonrational/individual

Why stop @ a red light? Value: It is good to follow the law. Habit: We stop @ the light without thinking. (Mead and Simmel)

Individualistic Rationality

allows for negating all that is established in order to critically understand one's world. Develop personal objectives and get them through rational means. Gaining insight and ability to be reflective in order to gain freedom politically, intellectually, and economically.

Party per Weber

characterized by the strategic pursuit of goals and the maintenance of a staff capable of implementing their objectives. "parties reside in the sphere of power" inside the "legal order." Aimed at "influencing a communal action no matter what its content may be"

Status per Weber

determined by "a specific, positive or negative, social estimation of honor"

Ideal types

do not exist in the real world, they are only concepts. "a yardstick, a tool"

To systematize interpretive analysis meaning, Weber distinguished between 4 types of social action

instrumental rational action, value-rational action, affective action, and traditional action

4 Forms of Rationality

practical, theoretical, substantive, and formal

What are Weber's authority types (AKA "legitimate domination" - 3 types)?

rational/legal, traditional, and charismatic. Bureaucratic authority as well.

Traditional authority

rooted in history/tradition (royalty). Allegiance is to the person of the chief. Based in belief that this authority has "always existed". Authority is legitimized through tradition & personal decisions. People attain authority through kinship and close ties. It is the authority of "eternal yesterday." It rests on an "established belief in the sanctity of immemorial traditions" (ibid.:215). This is the rule of kings and tribal chieftains

Technological rationality

scientific approach to all human affairs. Technological rationality is dangerous, because it forces us in other ways of thinking because technology is so oppressive we have to find a different way. We develop other ways to get answer to things we don't get the answer we want. Science doesn't answer? We create answers and different ways of thinking that can be oppressive. Main cause of totalitarianism is technological rationality.

Repressive Desublimation

tension between sexuality (pleasure) and society (reality); the perpetuation of institutionalized liberation. Nothing is free - even leisure isn't free, it is repressed. Society has place social controls on our expression of sexuality. If we were free we wouldn't have to hide watching porn.

Distorted Consciousness

the irrationality of rationality

Objective Reason

the reality value of the ends of action and thus provides a basis for determining what is ethical, right, and just.

Class per Weber

they are people who share "life chances" or possibilities that are determined by "economic interests in the possession of goods and opportunities for income." Class is more than an economic ranking. It is the relationship between the individual and his/her position in the market. Class position = market position. In order to be part of a particular class you have to have something to exchange in the market.

Protestant Ethic

value rational; duty to God, for the good of God is driving force to do

Differences between Marx and Weber

(1) Marx alienation & Weber rationality; (2) Marx 2 class groups & Weber many class groups; (3) Marx class consciousness of the proletariat only and only the economy matters & Weber we need to have all have consciousness of all 3 parts of the power structure (economy, social and political) not just economy. (a) Weber maintained that social life did not evolve according to some immanent or necessary law. Marx - our social life = productive human beings / Weber - doesn't regard it as a law. (b) Weber contended that the development of societies could not be adequately explained on the basis of a single or primary causal mechanism. You just have or don't have as Marx, there is an in between. Weber is multidimensional (c) For Weber, it was not capitalism but the process of rationalization and the increasing dominance of bureaucracies that threatened to destroy creativity.

Rationalization

(Weber and Neitchem) Focus on the means, no longer the goal (take a number, it doesn't matter who is in line) An ongoing process in which social interaction and institutions become increasingly governed by methodical procedures and calculable rules. We have become a predictable society and use science as a form of social control. Rationality (rationalization) is the mindset that is most present with in a society. It is kind of what guides a society.

According to Simmel, explain how a dialectical relationship operates to create the role of the stranger.

A stranger is far enough away that he is unknown but close enough that it is possible to get to know him. In a society there must be a stranger. If everyone is known then there is no person that is able to bring something new to everybody. The stranger bears a certain objectivity that makes him a valuable member to the individual and society. People let down their inhibitions around him and confess openly without any fear. This is because there is a belief that the Stranger is not connected to anyone significant and therefore does not pose a threat to the confessor's life. More generally, Simmel observes that because of their peculiar position in the group, strangers often carry out special tasks that the other members of the group are either incapable or unwilling to carry out. For example, especially in pre-modern societies, most strangers made a living from trade, which was often viewed as an unpleasant activity by "native" members of those societies. In some societies, they were also employed as arbitrators and judges, because they were expected to treat rival factions in society with an impartial attitude. On one hand the stranger's opinion does not really matter because of his lack of connection to society, but on the other the stranger's opinion does matter because of his lack of connection to society. He holds a certain objectivity that allows him to be unbiased and decide freely without fear. He is simply able to see, think, and decide without being influenced by the opinion of others.

Surplus repression

AKA exploitation. The portion of repression which is the result of specific societal conditions sustained in the specific interest of domination and which unnecessarily impedes the gratification of instinctual desires. Surplus regression creates pressure (a foot on our necks that never lets up) and leads to repressive desublimation.

Instrumental rational action (Individual-rational)

Achieve an end, go to school to get a degree and get a good job. Use of reason/rationalization (this is what I have to do in order to get x, y and z). Such action is geared toward the efficient pursuit of goals through calculating the advantages and disadvantages associated with the possible means of realizing them.

Nonrational social action

Action motivated by ideals, values, morals, tradition, habits or emotional states

Rational social action

Action motivated by strategic or calculated attempt to maximize rewards or benefits while minimizing costs. *weigh risk against reward

Web of association

All groups you are a member of

Objective Culture

All of those collectively shared human products such as religion, art, literature, philosophy, rituals, etc. through which we build and transform our lives as individuals.

Why does capitalism need formal rationality?

Capitalism thrives off of order - need workers, many which need to be organized; formal rationality creates organization and order

According to Weber, where do class struggles originate? How are they resolved?

Class struggles occur in the market and your ability to sell your skills in the market place. Class struggle can arise with disagreement of wages and negotiation of benefits and when competing in the market against higher classes.

Difference between class and status groups

Classes are stratified according to their relations to the production and acquisition of goods; whereas status groups are stratified according to the principles of their consumption of goods as represented by special styles of life.

Value-rational action (individual-Nonrational)

Correlated with value or belief, no specific reward and the end but do for "good" behavior becomes shaped and formed by something. Involves the strategic selection of means capable of effectively achieving one's goals. However, value-rational action is pursued as an end itself, not because it serves as a means for achieving an ulterior goal.

Substantive Rationality

Deeper application of specific values. What orders who we are as a society - what keeps people together as a group allegiance and loyalty. Ties to country EX do not shoot a bald eagle.

Negate

Develop a critique of objective truths which would alone enable us to resist the domination of the status quo.

Affective action (Individual-nonrational)

Emotional orientation that evokes a memory or emotion sought after. Marked by impulsiveness and unchecked emotions. Absent from this behavior is the calculated weighing of means for a given end.

Pseudo-individualization

Endows cultural mass production with the halo of free choice, or open market on the standardization itself. You are becoming just as mass produced as everyone and thing else. We think that we have free choice, but we are select only from what we are given to choose from; it's an illusion of choice.

Subjective Reason

Essentially concerned with means and ends and with the adequacy of procedures for purposes more taken for granted and supposedly self-explanatory.

Form vs Content

In everyday social life, we often focus on the content of our social interactions with others—for example, "what is the right thing way to react to my boss' outlandish work demands?" or "what the heck was my husband thinking when he said that to me?" But, for Simmel, the task of the sociologist was less about looking at the contents that distinguish types of social interaction from one another and more about illuminating the shared social forms through which a variety of seemingly different interactions take place. For example, for Simmel, it isn't the specific demands of your overbearing boss that are of primary sociological interest, but rather that the interaction takes the form of a relationship of domination and subordination, a social form that we can see taking shape not only between bosses and their employees, but also regularly between wealthy and poor, white and black, husbands and wives, and so on.

Rational/individual

Instrumental: we do not want a ticket, or we do not want to get into an accident.

Verstehen

Interpretive understanding. Attempts to understand the thought processes of the actor, the actor's meanings and motives, and how these factors lead to the action (or interaction) under study.

Discuss the calling and Martin Luther's role with it.

Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformers insisted that each individual must methodically strive to realize a moral and righteous life each and every day, constantly devoted to the glorification of God. The duty of each individual, then, is to glorify God, not seek to appease Him. The calling - the idea that each individual has a calling or "life-task" has its roots in a religious quest for salvation. The individual's salvation was dependent on fulfilling the moral obligation to perform the duties of his labor to the best of his abilities. Like the word itself, the idea of a calling is new; it is a product of the Reformation. Its newness comes in giving worldly activity a religious significance. People have a duty to fulfill the obligations imposed upon them by their position in the world. Martin Luther developed this idea; each legitimate calling has the same worth to God. This "moral justification of worldly activity" was one of the most important contributions of the Reformation, and particularly of Luther's role in it. It was seen as wrong to remove yourself from the world; serving God meant participating in worldly activities, because this was part of God's purpose for each individual. Thus, labor and business became part of one's duty to God. According to Weber, with the right theological developments, this worldliness could be transformed into a belief in the duty to prosper.

Bureaucratic authority

Norms are established or imposed within the context of a "corporate group". Abstract rules. People obey rules as members of a corporate group. Allegiance is given not to a person but to an impersonal order. It is efficient, hierarchical and based on technology. Weber contended that the formal rules and procedures of bureaucracies led to the loss of individual freedom.

Rational/legal authority

Obedience is to a legal impersonal order. Based on rules and the authority exists with the position of authority not the person, i.e. the president. This form of domination is based on the rule of law. Legitimacy thus rests "on a belief in the legality of enacted rules and the right of those elevated to authority under such rules to issue commands"

Culture Industry

all those sectors of society involved in the creation and distribution of mass products. Mass products become generic = we become generic as it is what we produced

Charismatic authority

based on personality of a person who has political authority (social power). Allegiance is to the leader's mission and revelations. Role of natural leaders in times of distress. "His charismatic claim breaks down if his mission is not recognized by those to whom he feels he has been sent." Why does it oppose bureaucratic authority? "It is the opposite of all ordered economy. It is the very force that disregards economy." Demands for obedience are legitimated by the leader's "gift of grace," which is demonstrated through extraordinary feats, acts of heroism, or revelations—in short, miracles. Like traditional authority, loyalty is owed to the person and not to an office or bureaucratic position