Structural Symbolic Conflict

- structural symbolic conflict

Power * “Power is the ability to get others to do what you want despite Opposition”-Max Weber * Types of power
Physical control- coercion (threats, actual violence), force; police or military.
Symbolic Control- Manipulation, intimidation
Rules of Conduct- channel behavior in desired patterns, rules. * Weber also considered power a way to influence social life.

Legitimacy of Power
- Authority: power that is considered legitimate, lawful, just. * Force+ consent = power * Force < Consent = authority (legitimate power) * Force > Consent = dictatorship (illegitimate power)

Gaining legitimate power: * Traditional Authority- hereditary * Charismatic Authority- personal characteristics (making people like you) * Rational-Legal Authority- (most typical) leadership qualifications, proven merit, proper training, ect.

State Power and Conflict * Nation-state: a political, geographical, and cultural unit with recognizable boundaries and a system of government * Revolution: Social and Political Transformations of a nation that result when states fail to fulfill their expected responsibilities * Reform: making changed to governmental structures or social conditions in incremental steps within the existing political system.

WAR- armed conflict occurring within, between, or among societies or groups; organized mass violence. * Reasons for war: moral, religious, political, ideology, protect borders, protect economic interest, claim territory or resources; distract citizens from other problems in the country, political advantage of leaders * Avoiding war: deterrence, negotiation * state terrorism: government use of terroristic tactics to control people
Chapter 10
Family

Institutions
Institutions: Organized, patterned, and enduring sets of social structures that provide guidelines for behavior and help each society meet its basic needs or survival * Five basic institutions- 1950’s, believed it be the core structures to meet essential needs in an orderly way; family, economy, politics, religion, education * Other institutions- medicine, science, media, military. *
How to know if something is an institution * does it meet basic needs of survival for society? * Is a complex, routinized organization that provides social structure and guidelines? * Is it big enough to be national or global in scope?

For discussion: (essay)
How are institutions interconnected? -education affects family: if youre more educated, better job to sustain families.. (higher educated people= lower # of kids) ppl with more education= know how to get better resources and education to preventing kids. Upper education= find life partner. ”women getting MRS degree” -religion and economy: Protestant work ethic, American dream. ??

Family * Family- a unit comprised of 2 or more individuals who share a residence for a substantial period of time, have legal or moral responsibilities for long-term care of one another, and typically share one or more of the following: sex, pooling of incomes, care for children, some form of recreation * family of orientation- the one the indv. is born into; parents and possibly siblings * family of procreation- one in which an indv. takes a long-term mate and/or has their own children * are there other types of family?

Symbolic interactionism perspective * Symbolic interactionism perspective- social construction of reality and definition of a situation both relate to how family norms are learned
(ex. is it normal/acceptable to hit others? How might that be learned in a family situation?) * How might rational choice theory help to explain why ppl stay in abusive relationships?
Nov. 8, 2012

Structural-Functionalist Perspective * points out common purposes of family institutions in every society: sexual regulation, reproduction and replacement, socialization, emotional support and protection, status assignment, economic support. * How are some of these functions being transferred into other institutions in modern societies? Socialization, education, economic support, religion * Doctrine of the spheres- based on gendered division of labor; theoretical concept tat the mans tradition sphere of influence is outside the home in the professional world, and that a woman’s sphere of influence is in the home and with taking care of the family; becomes more outdated as family and gender roles and norms change in society.

Conflict Theory Perspective * argues that conflict in families is a natural and inevitable result of power and inequality among family members, such as allocation of resources or realms of responsibility. * Are all families in some way dysfunctional? * How might a feminist theory approach to studying the family be sociologically relevant?

Micro-Level Family Dynamics
Mate Selection * Exogamy: a norm that requires indv. to marry outside of their immediate group; also related to incest taboo * Endogamy: requires indv. to marry within certain boundaries to protect homogeneity of the group; ex. Same race, religion, social class, etc. * Arranged marriages: someone other than the couple selects the marital partners usually done by elders, parents, or matchmakers * Free-choice marriage: partnership selection primarily based on love and romance (or other factors) found in most western societies
Stages of Mate selection * Stimulus: something has to cause attraction appearance, voice, dress, sense of humor, similar background, shared interest, ect. * Value comparison: more likely to select a person who affirms one’s own values and beliefs (politics, religion, roles of men/women, ect.) * Roles and needs stage: complimentary role expectations of companion parent, housekeeper, lover; might involve shared needs, interest, and activities; if this is not compatible then will decrease.
Family Models and Power * Traditional model: eldest male dominates decisions making and takes on the provider role (work outside home) female is the care giver role and does housework * Transitional model: male and female may share a more equal part in decision making, female may have a job outside de the home but still remains primary care-giver at home and does most of housework * Egalitarian model: both provider sand caregiver roles are shared equally, as is housework and decision-making.
Types of Marriage * Monogamy: marriage of two individual, no outside sexual/romantic relationships * Polygamy: a marriage in which a man has more than one wife * Polyandry: a marriage in which a woman has more than one husband * What about open relationships in marriage?

More Varieties of Families * Extended family: includes 2 or more adult generations (grandparents, uncles/aunts, ect.) * Nuclear family- consist of 2 parents and their children * What about step-parents/children * cohabitation: living together in a sexual relationship without marriage * 2/3 of married couples in the U.S lived together for an average of 2 years before getting married (2005) as of 2009, ~65% of adults ages 19-44 had cohabitated at some point
Divorce
About 40-45% of all marriages in U.S end in divorce
After divorce, womans standard of living drops, while mens increases
Men typically have harder time adjusting emotionally to divorcel they leave children and have fewer friends outside of marriage
Nearly ½ of children in U.S live at least part of their lives in a single-parent househouse, 29.5% at any one time