SOC433H5 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Ascribed Status, Resource Mobilization, Consumerism
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Lecture 2
Criticisms
• It is naïve about power operates and how leaders maintain that power
• Power can come to be dominated by elites
• Naïve I the way that it suggests how power can be distributed in different relationships
o Eg. Husband and wife
• The focus on the public sphere on the democratic politics neglects the idea that many companies
and institutions are undemocratic and tyrannical in nature
• Similar to Marxist and Weberian perspectives, the focus on the state, neglects the importance of
individual level of power
• Interdependent relationships tend to be neglected
Power sociologically speaking
• Roscigno’s synthesis- social structure, legitimation and cultural processes
o From the Weberian perspective talks about how power is legitimated symbolically
o Marxist view, takes on the idea of the structured nature of power
o From the pluralistic perspective he is interested in how different interest groups vie for
power
• Structured nature of power
o Talks about the way the power is ascribed from socially and culturally ascribed status
o Power is derived from aspects such as race, class and gender
o Suggests that where one resides in a hierarchy in their achieved status and position will
affect how large scale institutions will help or hurt you
▪ Eg. Access to education, healthcare, etc.
o Rather than a trait of individuals but we also have to consider how power is deeply rooted
in structure and institutions
• Cultural scaffolding
o Talks about how power gets legitimated
o The values and belief systems that portray power as reasonable
o Different structures and groups rely on the ability of the group to be able to seen as
natural, just, etc.
o There are two ways cultural scaffolding occurs
▪ Symbolic vilification: vilifying immigrant groups or deviant groups
• Process where the powerful scapegoat opponents where the less powerful
people are deemed less worthy and dangerous
• The amplification of certain ideals and cultural forms of practice that
tend to be distributed among the elite in society
Power, cultural politics and social movements
• How does political change typically come about?
o Voting
▪ Limited
▪ Happens once every 2-4 years and only on one day
▪ Limited for the poor and marginalized in society
▪ The range of candidates that are limited
▪ The wealthy and prestige have more sway
▪ The process of gerrymandering
▪ Voting is challenging for poor people who have trouble accessing facilities or
cannot make the voting window
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