Soc 100 - Politics 4 Flashcards
Cybernetics
Study of society’s CONSCIOUS mechanisms of control (e.g. state). How does society become informed about and monitor itself?Important in Structural Functionalism and Systems Theory (Niklas Luhmann)�
If spontaneous order fails, what do structural functionalists recommend?
societies need institution to make clear decisions about their future and deal with problems that emerge�.
What role does the state play? Describe it. According to st fu.
The state plays the role of Goal Attainment: it’s the way societies consciously decide on their aims, and figure out the best way to fulfill them.State is a conscious, deliberate mode of social order�.
The State
The social institution responsible for setting rules that govern us as a whole.A society’s way of administering itself as a whole.State refers to set of institutions, some of which merely implement rules; extends beyond politics to include e.g. police, welfare system�.
What does the state monitor, and arbitrate impartially between?
it monitors relations between individuals and groups, and should in theory stand above them, to arbitrate impartially between them.
Nation vs Nation-State
Idealised image of society as culturally, ethnically, or linguistically unified whole: you inherit national identity, and it’s part of who you ‘are.’�vs.A ruling state institution that identifies itself as the state of a particular ethnic/cultural group, not just as an impartial governing institution.
What is the Political Sate to the nation?
an institution within that broader unity� (coherent unit held together by common values, beliefs, etc.)
In contrast to nations, how were people organized in the past few centuries?
strong belief in nation-state, i.e. a nation (or culturally-unified group) should have own self-government, and hence its own state.
Social Exchange Theory. Who uses this idea to explain State?
George Homans.We can best understand society as the product of a series of calculations of cost and benefit by individual members.In this theory, State is the consequence of a calculation of best interest�-people agreed to form a state and surrender to authority because stability benefitted them�
How does Weber think the Modern State can only be defined sociologically?
We have to say that a state is that human community which (successfully) lays claim to the monopoly of legitimate physical violence within a certain territory…. The state is held to be the sole source of the ‘right’ to use violence�
For critical theorists, what is key for ruling classes to assert their dominance?
State control; a tool for control.
What do Crit Th focus on to ask questions about state power? What questions do they ask?
The Monopoly of Legitimate Violence.-Who controls the levers of power? What is the purpose of their control?�-How do class relatins affect control of the state? Is there a connection between State and wealth, or religion, or gender, or ethnicity?
Bureaucracy
Trained professional officials, operating by set rules and procedures to administer organization.For Weber, official government bureaucracy an inevitable part of complex society�.
How do older states compare to modern states in terms of bureaucracy?
Older (monarchical) states relatively small, as government had few tasks beyond keeping the peace. Modern states have far more social tasks, so requires more complex social apparatuses to fulfill its tasks�:-Welfare systems, healthcare, education. Military also larger, and more complex: reliant on advanced technology�
What does Weber think is the product of power struggles between monarchs and nobles?
The rise of the bureaucracy.Bureaucrats are professionals, selected and promoted on basis of expertise, not because they’re friends with the king.Bureaucracy runs by rules and procedures: an ‘iron cage.�’
