SOC 2070 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: False Consciousness, Proletariat, Bourgeoisie

• School: University of Guelph
• Department: Sociology
• Course: SOC 2070
• Professor: Patrick Parnaby

Document Summary

Critical theories: focus on the power relations that underlie the creation of social rules, and that have an interest in emancipation and social justice. Nonpositivist theorizing offers a subjective view. Deviance is in the eye of the powerful beholder. Definitions of deviance reflect the interests of the powerful. So(cid:272)ial rules a(cid:374)d regulatio(cid:374)s are(cid:374)(cid:859)t a produ(cid:272)t of (cid:272)o(cid:374)se(cid:374)sus. Instead they emerge from those who have the power and authority to define them: a product of essentially conflict between the powerful and powerless. Argument is that these rules are enforced by institutions who represent powerful interests: therefore the powerful are less likely to break rules, the powerless are more likely to break rules. Order comes from domination (we are successfully dominated by the powerful) Those who resist are then criminalised and/or prosecuted. Economic elite (bourgeoisie) create laws to protect the capitalist system and their interests in order to maintain their wealth and power.