legitimacy of authority

Question 1

what is legitimacy of authority?

Answer 1

an explanation of obedience.
- socialized from early age, initially by parents, then teachers to accept that a hierarchy of power exists in society
- recognize there own and others positions in this social hierarchy system with authority figures having power in social situations because people are taught to trust them or because they have the power to punish them

Question 2

example of legitimacy of authority

Answer 2

for example, the police have power in regards to the law, doctors have power in regards to health and medicine. the authority they have is legitimate in the sense that it is agreed upon by society, and this is accepted as it allows society to function smoothly

Question 3

what did milgram believe?

Answer 3

generally there is a shared expectation that most situations have an appropriate authority figure controlling the situation.

Question 4

what is a consequence of legitimacy of authority?

Answer 4

some people are granted the power to punish others. problems arise when legitimate authority becomes destructive e.g. leaders like hitler

Question 5

strength of legitimacy of authority - cultural differences

Answer 5

can explain cultural differences in obedience
different people in different countries obey authority figures in different ways
kilham and mann - only 16% of australians went to top voltage compared to 85% of germans (mantell). authority is more likely to be accepted as legitimate in some cultures

Question 6

strength of legitimacy of authority - RW application

Answer 6

kelman and hamilton suggest the Vietnam War is explained by the power of hierarchy in the US army. The army has authority recognised by the US gov and the law. soldiers assume orders given by the hierarchy to be legal

Question 7

weakness of legitimacy of authority - does not explain all (dis)obedience

Answer 7

does not explain lack of obedience in a hierarchy which L of T is widely accepted. rank and jacobsen’s nurse study showed differences in obedience in nurses all working together under the same doctor. limitation as it suggests that presence of authority alone may not always guarantee uniform obedience or compliance within a hierarchical structure