SOCA02H3 Lecture : Politics part 2
Document Summary
The sociological attempt to frame politics sociologically leads to two types of theories most commonly pluralist and elite theories. Elite theories are generally rooted in conflict theory. Elite theorists says that a powerful economic elite does. Karl marx is orginator of conlict and elite theory. Marx wrote for the ny times (thank you for the irrelevant tidbit of information). The bourgeoisie controls government officials, and thus governments do what the bourgeoisie tells them to do. The government controls security forces (i. e. police, army) and these can be called upon when workers get too uppity (i. e. strike). Elite theory: rests on the idea that there are class-shared economic interests, and the shared interest of the wealthy is to pay workers as little as possible. Mills (wrote some book) said that the masses are ruled by a small elite of government, business, and military, which have been the ruling elite of america in the 1950s.
