Week 2 Readings

Oppression

: attitudes, behaviours, and pervasive and systematic social arrangements by which members of one group are exploited and subordinated while members of another group are granted privileges.

Ideology

: ideas or ideals that sustain a regime.

social relationship

Power: the probability, within a(n) , of realizing ones own even against resistance, regardless of the basis on which this probability rests.

Religion

= helps maintain the structure of capitalist society.

Capitalism

limits the freedom and exercise of power by the state.

European

_ sociology: societies = totalities, attempted to understand relationships as a whole.

Marx

: proletariat (working class) would emerge victorious from a revolutionary confrontation with the capitalists.

American

_ sociology: attempted to understand particular institutions.

Politics

: a continuous conflict over the control of scarce material and symbolic.

Status groups

: people who share a common occupational /professional position + values /lifestyle.

Superstructure

: politics, state, religion, philosophy.

Rational bureaucracy

____ ____: alienation, no freedom.

Economics

_: central feature to the patterns of inequality.

Gemeinschaft relations

: individuals interact in a face-to-face manner.

Gesellschaft relations

: interactions take place in an impersonal fashion, involving only 1 aspect of ones self.

Rape culture

: rape and violence against women are accepted as a common feature of society.

Class consciousness

____ ____: the working class becomes aware of itself as a class.

Marx

: all political /social phenomena are caused by the economic substructure of society.

Substructure

= economy; it shapes all institutions.

Political sociology

Interrelationships of political + social phenomenon

Marx

All political/social phenomena are caused by the economic substructure of society

2 problems

integration of societies + protection of individual liberties

Political economy

the economy is not a neutral institution

Socialism

social cooperation between workers to create wealth, means of production are controlled by the state

Communism

means of production are collectively owned by the workers themselves

Determinism

inevitability of historical change

Verelendung

Worsening financial conditions of the average worker → _: increasing misery

Class consciousness

the working class becomes aware of itself as a class

Strength of the state

law and administration + great leadership figures

Politics

a continuous conflict over the control of scarce material and symbolic

Status groups

people who share a common occupational/professional position + values/lifestyle

Weber

class, status groups, parties

Custom

status, status group, ideological/normative power

Exchange

wealth, classes, economic power

Command

rulership, party, political power