Social Theory Exam 2

civilizing process

etiquette and manners become more refined, increasing thresholds of shame and repugnance, “web of action” grows

court society

origin of refinement

Color line

social boundaries separating race are socially constructed

symbolic barrier

seperation according to color line

Booker T Washington

advocate for vocational training of Black folks

Talented tenth

Washington, African Americans should be led by small educated elite

“Racial Formations in the US”

Omi/Winant, looked at how ratial cateegories are created, defined, and destroyed

Race project

effort to organize and distribute resources along racial lines (jim crow Laws)Rac

Racialization

process by which social meanings are attached to physical or cultural differences

Omi/Winant

US transition from racial dictatorship to racial democracy

Ibram X Kendi

“Stamped from the Beginning”, racist ideas as justification

Anti-racist activism

identifying attitudes, social conditions and polcieis that are discriminatory by outcome

Georg Hegel

Absolute idealism, thought and consciousness are basis of all reality

Dialectical model

shows how conflict and contradictions drive social transformation (thesis vs antithesis —> synthesis)

essentialist apprach

humans have fixed essence regardless of context, REJECTED BY MARX

holistic apprach

analyze totality of all aspects of a phenomenon

dialectical materialism

society develops through contradictions within economic structures, expressed through class struggle

modes of production

how a society organizes its material-social existence (capitalism, feudalism, socialism)

Base/superstructure

everything is built on economic foundationf

forces of production

labor, capital, knowledge, technology

relations of production

class relations and property ownership structures (bourgeoisie vs proletariat)

Antiquity period

Ancient production, slavery, slaves-slave ownersM

Middle Ages

Feudal, serfdom, serfs-feudal lords

Modern Era

Bourgeois, wage earning, bourgeosie-proletariat

Future period

Communism, abolition of private property, no class antagonists

Capitalism

defined by private property, production for profit, bourgeoisie owns capital to increase profit

What cannot exist in a capitalist society?

Social problems

Historical materialism

material conditions (the economy) are the predominant forces in history

How is class struggle expressed?

Class antagonism

Objectification

people project their ideas, skills, etc onto material worldR

Reification

treating the economy and market as if they are living entities

Alienation

workers become estranged from their products, their labor, themselves, or others

L. Feuerbach

argued that religion is the product of the human mind, projection of human wishes/desires onto imagined divine entity

Religion as opium of the people

religion is used by the powerful to keep less powerful in place by promising heavenly rewards

What does the bourgeoisie profit from?

Exploitation of surplus value produced by proletariats labor

Conflict of interest

Workers interest in minimizing wages, workers interest in maximizing wages

Wage/profit relation

the lower the wages, the higher the profits

subsistence-level wages

capitalists pay just enough for workers to survive (food, shelter, basic needs)

What type of value is prioritized by capitalism?

Exchange value (value) over use value (utility)

surplus value

value produced by workers minus wages they are paid

labor theory of value

value of a commodity is determined by amount of labor that goes into it (NOT basis of markets)

industrial reserve army

pool of unemployed workers, keeps wages low due to competition among workers who will accept any job at/above subsistence level

What is the context of the Communist Manifesto?

Revolution of 1848Wh

Who commissioned the Communist Manifesto?

Communist League

How did the CM view human history?

The history of class struggle (oppressor vs oppressed)

Market dynamism

Capitalism involves universal interdependence of nations

Class conciousness

Workers understand their collective exploitation and unite for change (class FOR itself)

False consciousness

Workers fail to recognize their exploitation and identify with capital interests (class IN itself)

Kantian Philosphy

Reality is indefinitely complex, cannot be captured in concepts

Ideal type

one-sided exaggeration and abstraction of certain features of a phenomena

Sociology according to Weber

explains social behavior by first understanding motives then showing larger social effects

Verstehen

social behavior and actions

Spirit of capitalism

motives and ideas that guide people engage in modern economic enterprises

“The calling”

occupation seen as divine vocation, duty to serve God

modern professionalism

emphasis on technical competence, credentials, and ethics codes

modern capitalism

“spirit of capitalism”

protestent asceticism

emphasis on discipline, self control and methodical life conduct as religious duties INNERWORLDLY

asceticism

practice of restraint through denying worldly pleasures and focusing on moral and spiritual perfection

Catholic asceticism

emphasizes withdrawal from society OTHERWORLDLY

Virtuois

Spiritual “elites,” highly discipline beleiveersS

self abnegation

renouncing personal desires, material possessions, and worldly attachments

monastic vows

poverty, chastity, obedience (aka wealth, sex, authority)

masses

follow ideals less strictly, practice rituals (magic), confession, absolution, purgatory

Protestant Reformation

rationality over magic

Entzauberung

Disenchantment (elimination of magic)

Luther

“Sola fide,” vocational “calling”

Calvin

predestination —> disenchantment —> fatalism

Predestination

doctrine that God has planned all events for eternity (including salvation)

Logical consequence of predestination

fatalism

Practical consequence of predestination

Attempts to prove oneself, seeking signs that you are among the elect to achieve salvation

Baxter

Pursuit of wealth is dangerous, instead constant, productive work is best way to live a godly life

World mastery

shaping the secular spheres according to ethical principles

Work ethic

assure salvation through hard work, frugality, ascetic life style, vigilence

Puritans/quakers

Rejected unrestrained impulses, leisure, external display of wealth

iron cage

individuals are trapped in systems of rational control without original spiritual meaning

“last humans”

Nietzsche, spiritless, comfort driven individuals of modernity

Power

the chance to realize intentions against resistence to other

Class

relates to economically determined positions in societyc

class situation

shared economic and material interests, power of disposal/delegation

life chances

opportunities, living conditions, life experiences

proprty classes

ownership of property

commercial classes

assets based on exchange and trade of goods and services

social classes

combination of property and asset ownership

social closure

restricted access into certain status groups

status order

stratification based on consumption patterns and exclusion from social participation

parties

associations of people in deliberately formed organizations (political, religious)

Thomas Edsall

NYT politics writer, social status is culturally defined, fear of falling, last place aversion

Fear of falling

fear of reduced social participation, social isolation

Stalhartes Gehause

iron cage

sola fide

salvation by faith alone

verstehen

social behavior

Adventure capitalism

violent acquisition of wealth

medieval laity

salvation by good works, little systemic influence of religion of economic conduct