Use LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to navigate between flashcards;
Use UP and DOWN arrow keys to flip the card;
H to show hint;
A reads text to speech;
21 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
Functionalist theory of social stratification
|
central issue: social order
focus of study: culture, tradition, values source of problems: breakdown of moral order |
|
Bureaucratic/elite theory of SS
|
central issue:
bureaucracy source of problems: heirarchical authority structure focus of study: institutions/elites and individual behavior |
|
organizational theory
|
central issue: class conflict
source of problems: exploitation of labor focus of study: Class struggle and social revolution |
|
Functionalist Theory of Society and Social Stratification
|
• Political power is more or less evenly distributed among major groups
and institutions in society • There is no one group or class that disproportionately influences and controls society • The state represents the interests of the entire people who are represented through a variety of organizations • Stratification is necessary to get various tasks done by occupationally differentiating the population through an incentive structure CRITIQUE: • Takes society at face value, as stated in official documents (e.g. the Constitution) • Goes by surface-level appearances, rather than investigating the real nature of society and social inequality |
|
Bureaucratic/Elite theory of Society and Social Stratification
|
• Society is hierarchic in nature and the state and other major
institutions of society are controlled by a dominant elite • Power lies in the bureaucratic political institutions of society led by an entrenched political elite • Stratification and “life chances” among the population is based on occupational, income, wealth, and status differentiation • Power, privilege, and prestige are the result of one’s status within the stratification system in society CRITIQUE: • Places too much emphasis on the political / bureaucratic / governing elites • Ignores or dismisses the power of wealthy economic interests like the capitalist class |
|
Marxist Theory of Society and
Social Inequality |
• Political power is a reflection of economic power based on money
and wealth held by the dominant economic class • The state in class-divided societies is the state of the dominant economic class (e.g., slaveowners, landlords, capitalists) • Social inequality in class-divided societies is the product of the exploitation of one class by another (e.g., wage-labor by capital) • Class, race, and gender oppression are the outcome of exploitative relations and practices in society that benefit the ruling class CRITIQUE: • It sees political power as a reflection of economic power, thus downplays the nominal power of bureaucrats in government • Focusing on the dominant economic class, it sometimes underestimates the power of non-economic actors, like the military and religious groups |
|
Historical Development of Society
and Social Inequality |
Communal Society: Egalitarian social relations based on common
property and sharing Despotic Society: State-centered, bureaucratic rule by central state based on public property (Ancient China, India) Slave Society: Slave-owning society, slaves exploited as the private property of masters (Ancient Greece and Rome) Feudal Society: Landlord-ruled society based on the exploitation of serfs and peasants (Medieval Europe) Capitalist Society: Society based on the exploitation of wagelabor by the capitalist class (Modern Europe, United States) Socialist Society: Society ruled by the working class based on state-owned public property (Modern China, Cuba, former USSR) Communist Society: Society ruled by the whole people based on common, community-owned property (none exists yet) |
|
Why is class struggle the motive force of history and the source of social transformation?
|
Class conflict is based on inequality in
relations of production. It arises when one class labors and another reaps the profits (for example, slaves vs. slaveowners, serfs vs. landlords, and wage-laborers vs. capitalists). This leads to the polarization of classes, class consciousness, and class struggle. It is through class struggle (which takes place at different levels and in various forms) that fundamental social change comes about. It is in this way that societies and social systems are transformed. The highest form of class struggle is class war (commonly referred to as “civil war”), which often results in revolution or counter-revolution, or both. Class Conflict Arises from class inequality and opposing class interests. It exists between any two (or more) antagonistic classes and takes various forms in different social and historical contexts. |
|
What is class struggle?
|
Class Struggle
Arises from class conflict and is the expression of the highest level of class consciousness. Such struggle takes place at the economic, social and political levels and, if successful, it may lead to social revolution. |
|
What is class conflict?
|
Class Conflict
Arises from class inequality and opposing class interests. It exists between any two (or more) antagonistic classes and takes various forms in different social and historical contexts. |
|
Communal Society
|
Egalitarian social relations based on common
property and sharing Relations of production: no classes or division of labor, except by sex associated conditions: low pop. contradictions: possibility of economic surplus and exchange |
|
Despotic Society
|
State-centered, bureaucratic rule by central
state based on public property (Ancient China, India) |
|
Slave Society
|
Slave-owning society, slaves exploited as the
private property of masters (Ancient Greece and Rome) |
|
Feudal Society
|
Landlord-ruled society based on the exploitation
of serfs and peasants (Medieval Europe) |
|
Capitalist Society
|
Society based on the exploitation of wagelabor
by the capitalist class (Modern Europe, United States) |
|
Socialist Society
|
Society ruled by the working class based on state-owned public property (Modern China, Cuba, former USSR)
|
|
Communist Society
|
Society ruled by the whole people based on common, community-owned property (none exists yet)
|
|
Capitalist Class (bourgeoisie)
|
owners
(~ 2% of the population) (a) monopoly (big business) sector (b) non-monopoly (competitive) sector |
|
Working Class
|
(proletariat) wage-labor (~ 85% of the labor force)
(a) industrial workers (b) farm workers (c) clerical workers (d) service workers (e) highly technical workers (f) retired and/or temporarily unemployed workers |
|
Self-employed(petty bourgeoisie)
|
own account (~ 15% of the labor force)
(a) shopkeepers (b) family farmers (c) professionals and managers |
|
Unemployed(lumpenproletariat )
|
welfare/poor (~ 8-10% of the population)
(a) permanently unemployed (b) homeless/street people (c) disabled/unemployed (d) criminal element (e) dropouts |