Sociology: State & Institutions

Nation

idealised image of society that is culturally, ethnically, language unified (inherited to make you who you are); more recent idea

nation-state

identifies itself as a ruling state of a particular group (not just as an impartial governing institution); idea of self-government from Treaty of Westphalia 1647

The state

most prominent social body responsible for setting rules that goven us and the network of institutions (as a whole); arbitrate impartially between spheres of society (bodies like Parliament, police)

Cybernetics

(Nilas Luhmann) Study of society's conscious mechanisms of control (Eg. state. How does society become informed about & monitor itself; the hierarchical structure that governs the interactions and relationships within a social system

Luhmann developed...

Systems Theory; society is an interlocking system and needs a way to monitor itself (feedback); therefore the state is cybernetic

Parsons AGIL model in application

State has the function of Goal Attainment (for clear-decision-making)

State (general definition) & two branches

-overall centralized political & social apparatus of decision-making
-Two branches are government & state institutions

Government

•The specific branch of State tasked with making decisions and setting policy.
•The 'political' part.

State institutions

•Carry out policy, keep peace, maintain law & order.
•Police, health service, bureaucracies etc.

Civil Society

rest of society (less centralized, more spontaneous); like religion, media, etc

Bureaucracy

•Trained professional officials, operating by set rules and procedures to administer organization.

Weber believes bureaucracy is...

an inevitable part of a complex, modern society b/c it has more social tasks

Bureaucracy includes

specialized systems (welfare, healthcare, etc) with experts (not based on favouritism)

Weber fears bureaucracy

can end up trapping us in an 'iron cage' of rigid procedures.

Public Sphere & Who

(Jurgen Habermas) A third space between private home life and political state, in which free debate takes place to form the public voice and influence the powerful.
•Emerges in press & coffee houses of 18th century.

Habermas believes public sphere

indirectly shaped government (ex. coffee shops gave ppl a free space to debate & express views, which can affect elections); institutional form for discourse ethics

Lifeworld (Habermas)

•Common beliefs & values people in a community draw on in communication.
•Lifeworld-oriented interactions are free, spontaneous, and creative. (Symbolic interactionism)

System

•Impersonal social structures that ease social interaction for stability (e.g. money, power) by automating it for. (Structural functionalism)

Habermas' conflict

The threat of system colonizing Lifeworld where automating interactions will reduce the scope for free debate
(Ex. mass media used to be a sphere, but is now run for System demands of profit)

Liberal democracy

Public sphere mostly open: citizens can say what they want, vote freely etc.
Strong protection for private sphere (which govt shouldn't be involved in); Canada

Authoritarianism

Strong central leader, little public opposition; may rely on force for compliance.
Citizens can be private, but they may be monitored (Putin)

Totalitarianism

One-party centralized state in which distinction of state and party is blurred. Limited private life and may be absorbed into state (Nazi)

Separation of Powers & Who

(Locke & Montesquieu) Principle that different branches of government should be in hands of different people to reduce abuse of power

Executive

Power to carry out the law with force & conduct foreign relations. (PM)

Legislative

Power to make the law, and to decide broad policy direction (Parliament)

Judicial

Power to interpret and apply the law to particular cases. (Judges)

Direct Democracy

body of citizens that make all decisions of state affairs (everyone is part of the govt; similar to Athens)

Representative democracy

Citizens vote for representatives to make decisions for them in Parliament (MPs).
More common due to citizens reserving more time for private matters (less community-oriented)
(Proportional or First past the post)

proportional representation

MPs chosen on party's national share of vote.

1st past the post

MPs elected individually by local riding / constituency (Canada) based on simple majority

Pluralism

•Pluralist societies have no single or unified ruling ideas: they try to include many different voices.
Govt protects diversity (through mass immigration); present times are more multicultural

Cons of hetero society

Majority can impose their values onto minority with different beliefs; therefore pluralism can try to protect them

Citizenship

•Political membership in a State, granting rights & liberties protected by government institutions.
•Legal status, distinct from cultural 'belonging.'
-rite of passage of socialisation

In totalitarian societies, members are seen as...

part of an organic whole (based on shared culture from radical history) therefore it's hard for newcomers to be full members

Liberal-democracy & citizenship

ppl are not excluded based on background/ethnicity; rights are legally protected for everyone (abstract)

Civil liberties

•Legal protections against interference in individual life by the state.
•'Negative': they restrain government. (free speech, no random arrest, fair trials)

Civil rights

•Legally-enforced guarantee of fair, equal treatment for all members of society.
•'Positive': govt acts to protect them.
(anti-discrimination laws)

Liberal democracies assume...

-we are, above all, individuals, before we are members of nation, group, society.
-These rights and liberties may thus also protect individuals or minorities against 'tyranny of the majority' oppressing them,

Weber's tripartite model of social stratification

-econ class: possession of material wealth determined by market
-social status group: honour, prestige; defined by style of life to "belong"
-political party: control of legal/political power; ppl from parties with the same goals

Structural functionalists (like Parsons) see politics as...

relatively peaceful to keep society in order and organized; promotes engagements in broader social tasks and talent

Conflict theorists (like Weber) see politics as...

just one aspect of broader social struggles for position (highlighted inequality in the tri system)

4 sources of social power & who

(Micheal Mann)
-Ideological
-Economic
-Military
-Political

Ideological

•Power over culture, values, beliefs etc, giving influence over behaviour.
•Religion, media.

Economic

•Power over the things people need to survive and prosper.
•Capital, factories, land, trade routes.

Military

•Power over weaponry, soldiers, armies and territory.
•New military innovations.

Political

•Power over state apparatuses, to set laws that people must obey.
•Political offices, symbols e.g. crown.

Mann believes...

society is not unified, so by monopolizing control over one of these areas, a group can gain power and control society

Polyarchy

•Decisions emerge from multiple sources of power, not from single state controlled by tight-knit group.
•State may be unitary, but power is not one-directional.

Robert Dahl's view of New Haven (Who Governs)

-not a pure democracy, but different opinions were included with multiple sources of influence (realistic form of democracy)

Power elite & Who

C. Wright Mill's term for small group at the top, including wealthiest businessmen, political leaders, old ruling classes who have effective control over power. (govt, corporations, military)

The problems preventing open systems

-can be monopolized by elites groups (lobbyists) who sit at the top of the pyramid and have the most influence

William Domhoff's structure

three overlapping group structure where power is located at the centre **Study photo

Vertical Mosaic

Porter's term to describe power hierarchy in Canada: a vertical hierarchy of racial or ethnic groups (not a collection of equal but distinct groups, as previously assumed).

Porter found that...

power in Canada was held by small groups in Toronto & Montreal

4 Democratic problems

-In Canada, only Libs or Cons governed
-1st past the post makes it hard for small parties to enter
-minority popular vote
-voter participation & eligibility has fallen

Closure & Who

•Weber's and Frank Parkin's term for the way elites maintain position by monopolising opportunities to members of own group
(Ex. country club exclusivity))

Class consciousness

•Individual/class' awareness of class/group position and corresponding interests & needs. (Ex. Proles overthrowing Bourg)

False consciousness

•Misguided beliefs held by dominated group, taking on ideology of rulers.
•These beliefs limit their ability to see class interests and so reject ruling class

George Lukacs

Argued that workers in the west had a false consciousness where they only sought after personal interests rather than look at the entire class; which is why they didn't revolt

Class Politics

Broad term to describe political behaviour based on class origin, e.g. voting for parties representing your class, choosing policies to benefit a class etc.

Terry Clark, Seymour Lipset, & Stan Greenberg suggest

class is not a significant factor in political voting, ever since 1979; now voting is typically about gender, ethnicity, values & beliefs (Reagon Democrats, Trump Voters)

Gender & Politics

increased representation of women but huge disparities remain in government

Gender Politics in the world

-Sweden & Rwanda have low gender inequality
-In Canada only 30% of women are in Parliament
-Kim Campbell was the only female PM and then lost her seat and resigned