SOC 2000 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Bourgeoisie, Upper Class, False Consciousness
Document Summary
Functionalism as a theory has several major flaws: neglects the negative functions of some issues (crime, homelessness, prostitution. , there may be multiple functions not taken into account, seems to imply a benevolence of social systems and their operation. The idea of government, education, cooperation is there to have effect in the society: often fail to ask why something functions as it does relying more on the examination of the function itself. The basis of conflict theory is credited to karl marx (1820-1895) The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles (marx, 1848) Social class: a group of people who occupy a similar place in the economic system of production. Upper class, middle class, lower class: marked by differences in power, status, wealth, values and norms. People respect more who have higher position tend power and status. Wealth is the what you have minus depts: potential for mobility between classes.
