Chapter 3- Lecture Flashcards
Should contemporary theories be thought of as completely separate from classical theories?
no
What theme runs through all modern social theories?
power
What are the contemporary social theories?
- western marxism
- feminist theories
- post-strcturalism
- queer theory
- post-colonial theory
- anti-racist theories
Who is the leading theories in western marxism?
antonio gramsci
What did antonio gramsci suggest the world is organized around?
domination and hegemony
How di Gramsci diverge from Marx?
In his analysis of how the ruling class ruled
What is domination?
physical and violent coercion exerted by the police and the military
What is hegemony? What does it involve?
ideological control and manipulation where society’s dominant ideas reflect the interests of the ruling class
-involves consent
Hegemony: a process that is constantly___and ___. Involves ___via allegiance of the masses.
- negotiated
- renegotiated
- consent
What does hegemony explain in society about particular features of social organizations?
How they come to be taken for granted and treated as common sense.
What is an example of hegemony?
You feel entitled to fancy holidays, years ago this wasn’t the case.
What are some examples of things that are commons sense in society?
- notion that all women want to have babies
- notion that women re bad drivers
- notion that all Asians are good with computers
- notion that all women should wear makeup to be beautiful
What did Gramsci divide the superstructure into?
divided into the sate and civil society
-Prevailing consciousness internalized by population and becomes common sense.
In marxist philosophy, the term cultural hegemony what used to describe what?
The domination of a culturally diverse society by the ruling class, who manipulate the culture of that society–the beliefs, explanations, perceptions, values, and morals–so that they ruling-class worldview becomes the worldview that is imposed and accepted.
How does cultural hegemony function?
by achieving the consent of the masses to abide by social norms and rules of law by framing the worldview of the ruling class, and the social and economic structures that go with it, as just, legitimate, and designed for the benefit of all
What are some real world examples of cultural hegemony?
- Middle class should not stop spending in times of economic hardship–integral to survival of country and upper class. But the upper class won’t go bankrupt, the middle class will.
- Propagating myth of purity that goes with the white wedding dress. Married in church because it is what is expected.
- Notion of beauty: now, we must have white teeth. In the past it wasn’t a big deal but now it’s the expectation.
What do feminists differ in their expectations of?
women’s oppression and the nature of gender and in their ideas about women’s emancipation.
What is the core concern of a feminist? What does this include?
- core concern for gender oppression
- includes oppressed males and vulnerable groups
Is there one single feminist theory? What do they share, regardless?
no single feminist theory, but they all have the same core
___is a key part of feminist theory. Explain.
patriarchy
-men have social power and thus an interest in maintaining their social privilege over women.
Who is Dorothy Smith?
A second-wave feminist
Who is bell hooks?
a third-wave feminist.
What is the pink tax?
extra money that women have to pay for things (ex. razors, shampoos) over what men have to pay for the same product
What is Androcentrism?
- male centered
- placing male point of view at the centre of the world
What did early feminist adopt to discuss inequality? What type of women were the first to push the feminist theory?
- scientific view
- middle class women
Why is the feminist theory pushed back today? What type of idea is this?
- because it is perceived that we no longer need it
- cultural hegemonic idea
What is post-structuralism?
concerned with how knowledge is socially produced
Who is the leading theorist behind post-structuralism? What are his three main focuses?
Foucault
-power, knowledge, discourse
What is power acc. to Foucault?
Created within social relationships, multidimensional, found everywhere, and always at work.
What is an example of Foucaults definition of power (where is created)?
Ex. instructor has the power to give us her personal thoughts. Power to teach how she wants. How we can use knowledge and how it’s put out there is power.
-right from the time you need a life partner there are ground rules that are established about power from cultural hegemony
What is knowledge acc. to Foucault (what can it never be separated from?
- Can never be separated from relations of power
- comes from a particular advantaged point of view
What is an example of Foucault’s definition of knowledge?
- Ex. Sociology–perpetuates European thought
- Ex. in this course, it comes from a textbook. I few were sitting somewhere else, the class would look very different and what would be taught would be different.
What do discourses guide? What do they tell us about the world?
How we think, act, and speak.
- ways of understanding a particular subject and social phenomenon.
- a way that you’re supposed to act
- Tell us how the world is and how it ought to be.
What are some examples of discourse?
- giving us ideas about how we should act (ex. whitening our teeth)
- discourse of transfer of knowledge at university (production to get workers)
- discourse of heath (you have to fall within a certain weight, heart rate, etc.)
What is discipline acc. to Foucault?
how we come to be motivated to produce particular realities.
Ex. getting a speeding ticket.
How does power operate discipline?
By producing some behaviours while discouraging the next.
-Who has the pier to control how you behave.