SOC 112 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Talcott Parsons, Thorstein Veblen, Conspicuous Consumption
28 Jan 2017
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Week 1 and 2: review of conflict theory (c. 1), review of functionalism, and. Groups in society are engaged in a continuous power struggle for control of scarce resources. Conflict may take form of politics, litigation, negotiations, or family discussions about financial matters. Well known conflict theorists: simmel, marx, and weber contributed greatly by focusing on inevitability of clashes between social groups. Today, advocates of conflict perspectives view social life as a continuous power struggle among competing social groups. Focused on exploitation and oppression of the proletariat (workers) by the bourgeoisie (owners/capitalist class) Recognized importance of economic conditions in producing inequality and conflict in society, adding power and prestige as other sources of inequality. Power - ability of a person within a social relationship to carry out his or her own will despite resistance from others. Prestige - status group is a positive or negative estimation of honour.
