SOCI 201 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Poverty Threshold, Relative Deprivation
14 Nov 2016
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Document Summary
The study of the social organization of power. Power is the ability to impose one"s will on others. Group power- a group"s ability to do so and constitutes most political power. Power is legitimate if it is recognized by the groups under control. Power is not just inherent in a leader, but necessitates cooperation between the governed and the government. Legitimate power is the defining characteristic of authority. Authority is normally where ultimate power resides. In this context, authority is the ultimate power, but situations can change and authority can be lost. When non-authorities seek to change power structures, they engage in social movements. Social movements can range on a scale from nonviolent to full on revolution. Any setting in which force (coercion) is, or can be, used constitutes a political setting. In most political settings, force is not used, but the threat of coercion is employed. Most authorities use force rarely to maintain order- order is achieved nonviolently.
