Soc 224 Lecture 5

critical theories

look at the relationship between human struggles for power and work towards social justice for society’s powerless.

conflict theories

powerful groups make the rules that serve their own interests, perpetuating social inequality.

instrumental marxism

institutional social rules are created by the powerful to serve the powerful, driving lower classes to commit crimes.

structural marxism

state institutions function in the long-term interests of capitalism.

pluralist conflict theory

multiple-axis of inequality make up the structure of society based upon conflicts from economic, religious, ethnic, and political groups.

culture conflict theory

different norms of diverse cultural groups conflict, dominant cultural groups impose their norms.

group conflict theory

groups clashing due to attempts to gain more power (especially from authorities).

ideology

worldview held by powerful

hegemony

dominant way of seeing and understanding the world.

false consciousness

when people see the dominant worldview as rational and acceptable.

power-reflexive theory

power determines which bodies of knowledge are accepted as “truth”.

liberal
radical
black
marxist

feminist theories

liberal feminism

works within the structure of mainstream society to integrate women into it.

radical feminism

we need a complete overhaul of the patriarchal system.

black feminism

sexism, class oppression, gender identity, and racism are linked together through intersectionality.

marxist feminism

women’s oppression principally linked to the capitalist economic system.

postmodern theories

society is commercial rather than industrial; people are consumers rather than citizens (end of the individual).