SOC 153 Chapter Notes - Chapter 15: Charismatic Authority, Representative Democracy, Traditional Authority

• School: Miami University
• Department: Sociology
• Course: SOC 153
• Professor: Steven Nelson

Document Summary

Politics: exercise of power and attempt to maintain or change power relations. Power: weber said power is the ability to get your way even with the resistance of others. Micropolitics: exercise of power in everyday life. Macropolitics: exercise of large-scale power, the government for example. Authority: power that people consider legitimate when rightly exercised over them. Coercion: power people do not accept as legitimate when exercise over them. State: political entity that claims monopoly on the use of violence in some particular territory. States claim that they have the exclusive rights on violence to punish anyone else who uses violence. Revolution: armed resistance designed to overthrow and replace a government. Mostly in tribal groups because in these groups customs dictate relationships. Rational-legal authority: authority based on laws, written rules and regulations. This comes from the position that someone holds. Charismatic authority: authority based on an individual"s outstanding traits which attract followers. These leaders are seen as messengers of god.