...Assess Weberian explanations for social class inequalities – 40 marks In terms of social class, the lower classes face more discrimination and inequalities within every institution. Although Weber acknowledges that social class inequalities occur, but he also found that age, gender and ethnicity can be forms of discrimination as well. Not all of the working class can be homogenised for having the same experiences facing inequalities. The more power you have the less inequalities you have, this is why the working classes face more than the upper classes. Marxists would disagree with Weber as he under played the role of social class, Marx argued it was the source of inequality, they don’t place any focus on the other factors Weber identifies. Functionalists disagree with both Marx and Weber as Durkheim believed that ‘inequalities’ are just differences. They also say that those differences can be overcome because it’s down to the individuals themselves. They don’t believe that society creates the inequalities for people but that individuals create them for themselves. Weber was influenced by Karl Marx and became the third founding father of sociology, he is known has the ghost of Marx due to the high similarity between the theories. Weber’s theory is a mix of structuralism and interactionism, showing elements of both Marxism and Functionalism within it. Weber believed that society as well as the individual can influence behaviour, but also that behaviour can influence the institutions...
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...Outline and Assess functionalist explanations for ethnic inequality Functionalists hold the view that ethnic inequality is a dysfunctional for society, and that ethnic minorities need to become more similar to the white majority. This is known as Assimilation theory, which is staunchly criticised by the Marxists who believe racism exists to justify the inequalities that are so wide spread by the Bourgeoisie via Capitalism. Weberianism concurs with Marxists (so they diverge from the Functionalists) to an extent, but they introduce status into the explanation. Postmodernists take a approach antagonistic to all of the afore mentioned approaches, and that is to argue that blanket terms such as ethnicity are no longer relevant in the modern era, where our identities are defined by consumerism and globalisation. Functionalists outline the Assimilation Theory, suggested by Patterson. Patterson believes that the influx of immigrants into Britain in the 1950s disturbed what was a homogenous society with social stability and a high degree of social integration, leading to a value consensus. The norms and values brought in with the immigrants led to a Cultural Clash, where each different ethnicity were seen to be against the norm. This created many stereotypes e.g. boisterous West Indians. Prejudice also came about, buoyed by xenophobia, competing for jobs between ethnicities and a lack of similarity (Assimilation) with foreigners. Patterson continues by arguing this has caused self-segregation...
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...Outline and Assess Sociological Explanations of Age Inequality (40 Marks) Most theoretical explanations of age inequality focus on the inequalities faced by the youth and the elderly. Functionalists look at different roles taken on during ageing and have a positive outlook of the stages of ageing as it is believed to benefit society. In contrast, Marxists focus on an underlying class struggle and believe that age is a social construct made to uphold capitalism. However, the Weberian outlook is more complex as it has an interactionist approach and delves deeper into different experiences of age. Similarly, Postmodernists stress the importance of recognising that identities have become fluid and experiences are not fixed so age inequalities have become blurred. However, many of these explanations can be criticised and it is important to note that some of them do not directly refer to age inequality but can be applied to it. The functionalist approach is that society benefits from the way it treats people according to their age. Parsons, believes that people learn their role in society according to their age. He sees a child in their teen years as someone who is going through the transition of becoming an adult, whereas old age is considered as a time of dependency, created by pensions and a drop in status as the elderly become cut off from mainstream society. Eisenstaedt agrees with this as he also argued that differential age groups enable individuals to learn and acquire...
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...What is Social Class? In sociology, the term ‘social class’ is most often used to refer to the primary system of social stratification found in modern capitalist societies. Social stratification refers to ‘the presence [in society] of distinct social groups which are ranked one above the other in terms of factors such as prestige and wealth’ (Haralambos and Holborn 2004, p.1). The defining feature of a stratified society, then, is that of inequality in terms of the ‘arrangement of individuals…in a hierarchy of advantaged and disadvantaged life chances’ (Fulcher and Scott 1999, p. 601). It has been suggested that social inequality is a feature of all human societies (Haralambos and Holborn 2004, p.1; Bilton et al 1994, p.34). Sociologists have identified a number of different forms of stratification systems existing in other societies or historic periods, for example, the caste system in traditional India, slavery and feudalism (Bilton et al 1994, pp. 36-41). From a study of other systems it is clear that not all systems of stratification are organised in terms of social class; the caste system for example was stratified in terms of status. In societies where ‘economic relationships are primary’, however, the division of members into groups in terms of similarities in attitudes, lifestyles and occupations is generally termed divisions of class. (Bilton et al 1994, p.36) For classic sociologist Karl Marx, an examination of the workings of social strata was essential...
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...treat the symptoms and progression of the disease, there is still no cure. The ALS Association works through research, public education, care services, and public policy initiatives towards finding a cure and supporting the many people affected by the disease. Based in Washington D.C., the ALS Association is comprised of a headquarters, association chapters at the local level, and a national network of certified treatment facilities. In existence for more than a quarter of a century, the organization was thrust in the spotlight and subjected to increased scrutiny with the wildly successful “ALS ice bucket challenge” that swept social media in 2014. Is the ALS a disciplined Weberian bureaucracy or an organic grassroots organization challenging hierarchy and bureaucratic rules as detailed in the Neo-Weberian model articulated by Charles Perrow? Analysis of the organization, along with the wild popularity and financial gain from the ice bucket challenge, reveals that the organization is a dynamic combination of both Weber’s ideal type bureaucracy and a collection of passionate individuals whose autonomous freedom catapulted the association’s funding and visibility. German sociologist Max Weber considered bureaucracy an ideal type- the most efficient and rational form- for the structure and management of organizations. He claimed that...
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...Social Inequality essay plans for Part b) 30 mark question Evaluate the usefulness of sociological explanations of ethnic inequalities.(30) Evaluate the view that society is institutionally racist (30) Adapt according to question given Introduction Ethnic inequalities are still significant in the UK – give a few examples. Suggest some explanations e.g Racism, Institutional racism, social class of ethnic minorities (Marxism), welfare dependency (New Right). This essay will identify and assess these explanations. AO1 Define types of Racism e.g Barker and new racism, institutional racism – McPhearson report on murder of stephen lawrence – racism in met police. Jenkins suggests recruitment to jobs is more word of mouth and disadvantages ethnic minorities. Modood 1994 28% of african caribbean people surveyed said they felt they had been refused a job on grounds of race. AO2 There are many government acts such as Race relations acts which should prevent discrimination AO2 However because racism is implicit (hidden) now it can be difficult to prove in court. AO1 Marxists such as Westergaard and Resler argue that race is a distraction from the real issue which is social class. It is capitalism which disadvantages certain groups and ethnic minorities are more likely to be in lower classes. AO2 However this ignores the existence of racism in society e.g in education where black boys have the highest exclusion rates in school. AO1 Another marxist explanation by Castles...
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...What Is Governance? High-quality government It has four approaches: (1) procedural measures, such as the Weberian criteria of bureaucratic modernity; (2) capacity measures, which include both resources and degree of professionalization (3) output measures (4) measures of bureaucratic autonomy. Introduction To measure governance, includes an elaboration of the issue's complexity and the confused state of current discussions. In other words, everyone is interested in studying political institutions that limit or check power—democratic accountability and rule of law— but very few people pay attention to the institution that accumulates and uses power, the state. The relative emphasis on checking institutions rather than power-deploying institutions is evident in the governance measures that have been developed in recent years. The Varieties of Democracy project is also collecting data on bureaucratic quality based on expert surveys. Other bureaucratic quality measures include the Bertelsmann Transformation Index which “focuses on how effectively policymakers facilitate and steer development and transformation processes,” and the proprietary Political Risk Service’s Group (PRSG) International Country Risk Guide The existing measures of state quality or capacity have a number of limitations. There is an inherent weakness in expert surveys, especially when trying to create time-series data. Since the concept of good governance is not well established...
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...Angel L. Mason Week 4 Application Intro to Public Administration Since the time of Max Weber and his sociological research on bureaucracy during the Pre-World War I era, public administration has played a major role in the ever shifting relationship between the individual and the community. This altered our essential concepts of the public and private monarchy within social life during the twentieth century. In the twenty-first century, the contemporary liberal democratic impulse towards both an unfettered individualism and a strong restricted civic community or culture has developed major challenges to Weber’s ‘modern’ approach to public administration. From former U.S. President Bill Clinton’s declaration that “the era of big government is over” in 1995, to recent proclamations within international theories of a new world order cemented by a ‘global’ civil society, ‘bureaucracy’, as the foundation of the contemporary nation-state, has been challenged on a theoretical and practical level. It is from this exemplar that democratic administration theory has largely emerged. Responding to the new challenges of traditional bureaucracy and their subsequent ‘hollowing out of the State’ as an effective institution, democratic administration theory has attempted to construct a new basis of administrative rule in which both the ‘expert’ and ‘client’ becomes leveled in their discourse through democratic and even radical reform of the administrative process itself. ...
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...There is much debate in sociology about whether class is still important. Many argue that class is no longer important as an individual’s identity and life chances are based more status and cultural factors such as lifestyle, values, intelligence, education and the like, the post-modernists state that class has ceased to be the prime determinant of identity and suggest that societies are now organised around consumption rather than production, consequently people now identify themselves in terms of what they consume rather than in terms of social-class position. Class identity has therefore fragmented into numerous separate and individualised identities. Others argue that class is still a central influence on people’s lives, that it affects their life chances (health, education, voting, social mobility etc.), they argue that class inequality exists and that such inequalities are widening rather than narrowing. Early theories such as Functionalist theory argue that inequality is functional for society since it makes sure that those who show the most potential talent are encouraged to develop this talent through higher education and training, with the promise of higher incomes when they qualify (deferred gratification). They state that in order for society to function properly, society must make sure that people fully use their talents. Inequalities stem from the fact that society values different roles in different ways, based on the shared norms and values of a society. Davis...
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...Outline and asses marxist theories on social inequalities. Marxism is a political, social, and economic philosophy derived from the work of the 19th-century historians Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. It views human history as a struggle between social classes and asserts that capitalism is inherently exploitative. According to Marxism, social inequality is an unfair situation, in which some individuals or groups have more money, influence and power etc over others, usually referring to the bourgeoisie, who use this advantage to oppress the proletariats. Marxists would argue that social inequality is caused by false class consciousness, and that eventually would lead to a revaluation. Marxism is a conflict theory, focusing on inequalities and divisions within society. According to Karl Marx, all stratified societies have two major classes, the bourgeoisie (rich) and the proletariats (poor). The rich owns the means of production, such as land capital, machinery etc, while the poor does not, this gives the ruling class the power to exploit the lower class, through the use of the superstructure, e.g. the legal and political system to justify their actions and maintain social order, due to the fact that the ruling class have more influence compared to the working class. According to Karl Marx, the rich exploits the working class who have to sell their labour to survive, thus creating huge inequalities, furthermore, due to the fact that many working class people rely on this...
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...Marxism is a political, social, and economic philosophy derived from the work of the 19th-century historians Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. It views human history as a struggle between social classes and asserts that capitalism is inherently exploitative. According to Marxism, social inequality is an unfair situation, in which some individuals or groups have more money, influence and power etc over others, usually referring to the bourgeoisie, who use this advantage to oppress the proletariats. Marxists would argue that social inequality is caused by false class consciousness, and that eventually would lead to a revaluation. Marxism is a conflict theory, focusing on inequalities and divisions within society. According to Karl Marx, all stratified societies have two major classes, the bourgeoisie (rich) and the proletariats (poor). The rich owns the means of production, such as land capital, machinery etc, while the poor does not, this gives the ruling class the power to exploit the lower class, through the use of the superstructure, e.g. the legal and political system to justify their actions and maintain social order, due to the fact that the ruling class have more influence compared to the working class. According to Karl Marx, the rich exploits the working class who have to sell their labour to survive, thus creating huge inequalities, furthermore, due to the fact that many working class people rely on this as a means of income, this gives the ruling class even more power...
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...According to Max Weber, religion emerges to satisfy a social need. “In treating suffering as a symptom of odiousness in the eyes of gods and as a sign of secret guilt, religion has psychologically met a very general need (Weber 271). Rastafarianism emerges in the slums of Kingston, Jamaica in the 1930’s to meet the needs of the poor, unskilled black Jamaicans who needed a hope. The social situation which was emerging in the 1930’s which called for this need was as follows. Jamaica was a commonwealth of the British Empire. It had recently, around 1884, received a write in clause to their constitution which stipulated if the new government did not succeed and the economic life of Jamaica were to suffer because of it, the political constitution would be amended or abolished to meet new conditions. Black Jamaicans had a taste for power in their mouths and in 1938, this erupted in labor riots and violence. This act did nothing for their cause. It would still be 30 years until Jamaica received its independence. Blacks in Jamaica were the victims of social stratification which left them at the bottom rung of the ladder. They had menial jobs such as field worker or an attendant at the sugar plant, if they had jobs at all. The blacks were suffering as a people and as an organized group. Ethopianism had been introduced to Jamaica in 1784 by George Liele, by adding it to the name of his Baptist church, hoping to graft itself onto the African religion of Jamaican slaves. But the movement...
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...Century: Max Weber developed a typology of organizations from ancient China to modern industrial society, providing the foundation for the sociology of organizations. In particular, Weber was concerned with what he considered to be the most rational form of organization, the bureaucracy, and the authority embedded in it. Weber noted that bureaucracies, prior to industrialization, were large and efficient but were guided by the patrimonial culture and the ruling aristocracy. (In World of Sociology, 2001.) In past centuries formal organizations functioned under what is called conventional bureaucracy. The ideal typical model of Bureaucracy given by Max Weber is the milestone in understanding the functioning of modern government. The Weberian model categorically focuses on two dimensions (i)The Structural, relating to the hierarchical arrangement of positions, legal rational basis of authority, with system of compensation, and(ii)The Behavioral, relating to the merit based selections of officials with the emphasis on training. (Prof. Sharma, 2010.) In past years formal organizations labored hard, yet now with the development of modern technology devices much of the work load is easier, and has more creativity. With these types of technology...
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...Century: Max Weber developed a typology of organizations from ancient China to modern industrial society, providing the foundation for the sociology of organizations. In particular, Weber was concerned with what he considered to be the most rational form of organization, the bureaucracy, and the authority embedded in it. Weber noted that bureaucracies, prior to industrialization, were large and efficient but were guided by the patrimonial culture and the ruling aristocracy. (In World of Sociology, 2001.) In past centuries formal organizations functioned under what is called conventional bureaucracy. The ideal typical model of Bureaucracy given by Max Weber is the milestone in understanding the functioning of modern government. The Weberian model categorically focuses on two dimensions (i)The Structural, relating to the hierarchical arrangement of positions, legal rational basis of authority, with system of compensation, and(ii)The Behavioral, relating to the merit based selections of officials with the emphasis on training. (Prof. Sharma, 2010.) In past years formal organizations labored hard, yet now with the development of modern technology devices much of the work load is easier, and has more...
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...Over the past decades, there has been different explanation of social class. In which sociologist describes social classes as a form of social stratification. For the purpose of this assignment, I will be critically analysed the various perspectives of social class and its impacts on society. However, this essay will analyse three major perspectives of social class, which are Marxism, Functionalism and Weberian. The impacts of social stratification an individual’s life chances and finally explains and evaluate social classification and their usefulness to the society. Social Class refers to a group of people who share a similar economic status, such as an occupation. According to the Oxford dictionary, social class is a system whereby people are divided into groups based on perceived social, cultural and economic status. However, social stratification is an element of social class, which is usually defined by sociologist as an inequality of uneven distribution of power, prestige and wealth. The structure of stratification use culture, social mobility and life chances, to report the issues of social inequalities Haralambos and Holborn (2013). The Marxists perspective of social class pioneered by Karl Marx (1972), the Marxists perspective focuses on the social strata drawn from the relationship of social groups to the means of construction, rather than social inequality in general. Marx’s classical definition, opposing proletarians and bourgeois in the society on...
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