SOC216H5 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Émile Durkheim
Document Summary
Cultural/evolutionary theory: emile durkheim: the shape of law and society converge. Law reflects morals, and it creates social order. Law (and government in general) benefits those who own wealth by favoring capitalist profit-making. Do(cid:374)"t (cid:449)orry about cal(cid:448)i(cid:374)is(cid:373: modern capitalist societies, including law, are organized around rationalization and bureaucracy. Legal-rational authority is the primary way that power is exercised today. Rationalization: rational when pursing a recognized goal, not involving faith or magic or emotion, contrast is non-rational, realistic, calculated, means to achieve goals, complex activities involved in achieving goals. Law no longer dependent on faith, religious, guidance: manifestation of rationalization through bureaucracy. Impersonal positons and offices are structured within a hierarchy: complex organization, accordance to general rules, organized around offices and positions to each other. In order for businesses to flourish there has to be less rules and regulations: action plan, easier for new businesses to form, allows existing ones to work more fluidly.
