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Final Exam

Final Exam 1) Explain Webers theory on social stratification? Webers theory of a society is based in three main factors: class, status, and power. Material is an economic order formed by unequal distribution of material things. Classes are formed according to skill to produce and ability to buy in the market. Any person can belong to any class regardless of color, race, or religion. In short it can be said that people with the most are at the top of the economic order and people with the least are at the bottom. Status groups are formed according to ones unequal access to prestige, honor, and power. This can change from society to society and is not based on ones personal wealth. Status is usually inherited and can not be gained trough religion, race, or ethnicity. There are two points that characterize status groups: First there is based on occupation-CEO of corporations, high powered and prestigious positions. Secondly there is someone’s lifestyle. This includes thinking, eating, and consuming similar things. Also, holding similar jobs and living in similar neighborhoods. These status groups are very restrictive to others and usually stay between themselves. Power is a political order where people exercise different amounts of power. Power is based on 1) how many people you control 2) the extent that the people you control will go for you 3) how powerful the people you are controlling are. In short, power is the ability of someone to make others do what they want without giving them a choice. 2) Chafe argues that race and sex discrimination show similar patterns. In his view, what are the similarities between the oppression of woman and oppression of blacks? Groups around them controlled Blacks and Woman. In both groups upon your unwillingness to accept your role you were forced into physical and spiritual exile. Blacks and woman wee controlled in four ways – physically, economically, psychologically and internal pressure. Blacks and woman were threatened with physical violence and sometimes even death if they didn’t live up to their expectations. Even though woman were not persecuted physically as much as blacks were, male dominance and physical strength played an important role in controlling woman. Traditionally the male being known as the “protector” is based upon female inequality because that that the male must take physical control when the females cannot protect themselves. The same thing happened in the work place, woman were very limited based on their inability to do heavy labor. Blacks and woman were also oppressed economically. If a black employee did not act as expected they were fired. Since money is power many people feel that until woman have the opportunity to earn a decent living they will not have power. This is because as long as they have to go to man for money men will hold the power. Black and woman were also oppressed psychologically. Blacks sensed others expectations of them and them became what were expected from them. Authority played a major role in shaping the way they thought of themselves. Most men thought that their wives weren’t mature enough to handle money. Even the woman that did work worked “woman’s” jobs, such as waitresses and secretaries. They conformed to the image others had of them. Woman with men’s jobs risked hostility and disapproval. “ You should be happy with your place” was the psychological message given to both blacks and woman. Last and most effective is internal pressure. Blacks were socially discouraged from bringing about change whether it’d be from whites or blacks. They were taught from a young age that they had to adopt and learn to obey and accommodate white people. The same way blacks taught each other to get on the white good side, so to mothers taught their daughters how to be good mother and “housewives” which meant getting on the males’ good side. Both blacks and woman who did not conform were ostracized. The main idea was to have internal pressure to conform if not to face the sanctions that awaited anyone that didn’t. 3) What is the pluralist/elitist debate? Contrast these two approaches on the exercise of power in the U.S. There are two basic theories on who’s in I control? Who wins? Who loses? Pluralism is a group theory of democracy. It states that society contains many conflicting groups, with access to government officials that compete with one and other to influence policy decisions. Members of a group that reflects their beliefs can influence policy, not individuals alone. These groups argue amongst themselves and the government, the compromises they come do result in public policy. Several factors make up the pluralistic argument. First, no one group dominates. Power is divided unequally between the groups to achieve their goals. Two, groups argue with each other to get what they want while the government plays referee. It is in the best interest of the group to play by the rules, this helps them to achieve their goals. Three, the result of arguing turns to compromise since no specific groups has a dominant power. Usually groups must give in on some things that they don’t want to get things that they do want. This is made easier because the interests of memberships in a group overlap. For example a black doctor can be part of the AMA or the NAACP. Fourth is the compromised reached trough arguing which is a consensus on basic political that most groups are satisfied with. The pluralistic view is an argumentation process among organized groups and various government agencies. The arguing results in compromise that determines who gets what, when, and how. The following is an example of pluralism: When an idea is proposed to require automobile makers to install more safety devices ( i.e. airbags) the car manufacturers worry about increasing costs. Labor unions worry that wages will go up if cost goes up. Insurance wants to know how this will effect their claims. Oil company’s worry that gasoline demand will go down because costs or cars are going up. Each group has different interests and the committees of the house and senate must weigh all the different argument and reach a compromise. Elitism is the belief that a unified and unrepresentative elite dominates society. The elite makes the important decision making while they encourage powerlessness below. They do not represent the different interests in society and look after only their own interests to prevent different views from surfacing. American politics therefor is an elite of economic, political, and military leaders is unchallenged, unresponsive control of the “political game”. Power comes from institutions and not from individuals. By gaining control of these institutions the elite gain power. The elite occupies powerful positions such as CEO’s of large corporations and admirals in the army. These positions are open only to the rich and powerful. The ruling class controls the countries economy and uses their political power to maintain the status quo. Elite control arguments in representing the conflict in society, therefore the result is never a consensus. Society is held together by force and control, rather than by agreement. Politics is a constant struggle between those who have the power and those who want it. The following is an example of elitism: The trilateral commission is an organization of three hundred “organized citizens” from North America, Western Europe, and Japan. It takes people from government, business, labor and so on. It is a policy- oriented group that analyzes issues such as energy and world trade that face all three regions and develops proposals for joint actions. Many critics though say it is a partnership of the world ruling class set up to manage the international system among themselves. Bibliography:

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