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Intro to Sociology Ch 10 Notes
Introduction to Sociology (SOC 110)
Des Moines Area Community College
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Chapter 10: Understanding
Institutions: Politics and the
Economy
10 State, Power, and Legitimacy
The state, according to Weber, is the community that holds the monopoly on the legitimate use of physical force within a given territory. Force that is used by the state or its agents is considered legitimate and called authority. Force that is used without the consent of the state is considered illegitimate and is called coercion.
10 Key Terms
the state: A human community that successfully claims the monopoly of the legitimate use of physical force within a given territory legitimate power: Power exercised in a manner that is supported by the community, which is also called authority illegitimate power: Power exercised without the support of the community, which is also called coercion
10 of the State
The state’s monopoly on the legitimate use of violence comes from the social contract between the sovereign and the people. In exchange for the power that monopoly confers, the state agrees to keep the people safe from one another. This is why the state must always put the safety of all the people ahead of any individual person, even if doing so can sometimes appear unjust.
10 Key Terms
state of nature: The conditions of life that existed before the development of the state or any other form of civil society
social contract: Agreement by the people to give up certain individual rights to the state in exchange for protection and other benefits
10 of Legitimate Domination
Weber identifies three forms of legitimate domination that can be used to lay claim to the power of the state. Traditional domination is based on custom or tradition, and leaders are chosen not on the basis of individual merit but because that is how things have always been done. Rational-legal domination is based on a bureaucratic system of laws and rules. Leaders do not have intrinsic power but instead occupy positions that are vested with power. Charismatic domination is based on the extraordinary personal qualities with which a leader can command the support of the masses. Unless charismatic leaders use their power to create a system of either traditional or rational-legal domination, it’s unlikely that their states or movements will survive their death.
10 Key Terms
traditional domination: Authority based on custom or tradition rational-legal domination: Authority based on occupying a legally defined position charismatic domination: Authority based on the extraordinary personal qualities of a leader and the resulting devotion of his or her followers routinization of charisma: A process by which power is transferred from a charismatic leader to a system based on either traditional domination or rational-legal domination
10 of Government
Monarchies are a form of government in which power is legitimated through traditional domination because they are headed by a sovereign who inherited his position and will
dictatorship: A type of government in which a leader is able to either overthrow or subvert the existing government and seize absolute power totalitarianism: A type of government that exercises monopoly control over every aspect of social, political, and economic life in the name of a movement toward some overarching ideology
10 Approaches to Politics
Pluralists believe that America is ruled by the people through their elected representatives. These representatives make choices to maximize the greatest benefit for the greatest number of their constituents. Elite theorists believe that a power elite composed of economic, political, and military elites rules America. Class domination theorists agree that America is ruled by a power elite but believe that elite is composed of an elite upper social class connected to one another through the corporate community and supported by a policy-planning network.
10 Key Terms
pluralism: A structural functionalist theoretical perspective that sees the political system as a struggle between competing interest groups for power and control of the decision-making process in which no single group is in control all the time elite theory: A conflict theory perspective that sees power as consolidated in the hands of a small group of people both inside and outside of government power elite: Individuals from the corporate, political, and military elite whose decisions have major consequences for society class domination theory: A conflict theory perspective that argues that the economic elite are able to dominate society because of their power over the workings of the economy
distributive power: The ability of a group or an individual to overcome the opposition of others in order to achieve his or her goals corporate community: A network composed of the directors, partners, and managers of various profit-seeking enterprises policy-planning network: A network of individuals and institutions that develop and advocate for social policy reforms that will advance their funders’ interests
10 and the Economy
With industrialization, many goods formally only available to the elite became available to the working class. To find a new way to demonstrate their high status, the elite began spending money for the sole purpose of enhancing their social prestige. This, in turn, led to a shift away from mass production of large quantities of identical products toward the production of smaller quantities of products, in wider variety, to better cater to elite tastes. This shift contributed to the process of deindustrialization.
10 Key Terms
economy: A system of producing and consuming goods and services industrialization: The systematic transformation of an economy from a focus on agricultural production to one focused on the manufacturing of finished goods conspicuous consumption: The practice of spending money for the purpose of demonstrating or enhancing social prestige Fordism: The system of mass production of standardized, relatively inexpensive products by unskilled workers paid wages sufficient to purchase those products post-Fordism: The shift away from mass production of large quantities of identical products toward the production of
10 Key Terms
command economy: An economic system in which the state determines the type, quantity, and price of goods to be produced fascism: An authoritarian system of militaristic nationalism in which the means of production are privately owned but regulated by the state to reinforce social stratification and carry out the goals of the state
Intro to Sociology Ch 10 Notes
Course: Introduction to Sociology (SOC 110)
University: Des Moines Area Community College
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