The basic elements of conflict theory were set out by Karl Marx and Max Weber who shared two basic concerns:
Conflict theory in sociology is the creation of :
KARL MARX
Marx came to see his own writing as upending Hegel – replacing Hegel’s emphasis on mind as the crucial determinant of history with his own materialist philosophy
Communist Manifesto: sets out a program for a revolutionary government and outlines his theory of social structures and social change
People have a clearly defined nature – species being
If people do not behave in accordance with these interests it means that they have been deceived about what their “true interests” are by a social system that works in others’ favor
His analysis focuses on the conflicts between different social groups with different interests
He was interested in the link between the nature of ideology and the interests of those who develop them
The “ruling ideas” are the ideas of the ruling class
Emphasized the primacy of technology
The determining force in people’s lives was their relationship to property
Max Weber
Weber wanted to identify the origins of essential characteristics of modern society but viewed modern rationality as an “iron cage” of bureaucracy
Viewed people’s behavior as large self-interested
Stressed the importance of values and goals specific to a society
In the Protestant Ethic: suggested that the Calvinists’ desire to save their souls found expression in the goal of accumulating wealth, seen as evidence of god’s favor, but actually enjoying wealth would be a sinful indulgence
Analyzed the way people maneuver in pursuit of advantage in terms of both particular values and circumstances and more general sociological categories
Formulated the concept of Ideal Types
Concerned with power and the way people obtain domination over others
Authority: legitimate domination – certain people have a right to be obeyed
Charismatic: authority rests on a leader’s personal qualities
Traditional: also personal but based on tradition
Rational-Legal: derived from formal rules
Viewed the economy as important but not the sole determinant of both social structure and people’s chances in life
Stressed the importance of class, party and status groups
Class: people who share the same position economically
Party: an association that exists to secure power or attain ideal or material advantages for its members
Status group: lies in shared distinctiveness – such as college professors
Viewed ideas and values as having an independent effect on history
Emphasized the importance of legitimacy – the belief that someone’s position and the system incorporating it are right and proper
About Me
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- The great blessings of Mankind are within us,and within our reach;but we shut our eyes, and like people in the dark,we full foul upon the very thing we search for, without finding it.....
