PO101 Chapter Notes - Chapter 12: Erving Goffman, Margaret Atwood, Middle Ages
Document Summary
The role of the government and civil society in politics. Different views of politics: politics as the art of government is all about the state, politics as public affairs incorporates the role of civil society, politics as compromise and consensus. Restricted view of politics: polity understood as a system of social organization centered upon the machinery of government. The arena of politics: cabinet rooms, legislative cham(cid:271)e(cid:396)s, (cid:373)i(cid:374)ist(cid:396)ies, . Political actors: politics as self-serving activity, politicians as power-seeking hypocrites. Lord acton: power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Public realm: politics, commerce, (cid:449)o(cid:396)k spa(cid:272)e, (cid:272)ultu(cid:396)e, . A social sphere, distinct from both the state and the market, which includes a wide range of social institutions and organizations around which people pursue common interests. These can include: formal organizations (labour unions, professional associations, voluntary organizations, etc) I(cid:374)fo(cid:396)(cid:373)al (cid:862)o(cid:396)ga(cid:374)izatio(cid:374)s(cid:863) su(cid:272)h as: spontaneous, loosely organized networks and social movements.
