Category: Theory
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Max Weber’s Theory of Class, Status, and Power
Sociologists love to cite and discuss Max Weber. Weber wrote a famous essay called, “Class, Status, and Party.” Weber designed the essay to set him apart from Karl Marx, who had a unidimensional view of classes, inequality, and society. Max Weber had a multidimensional view of classes, inequality, and society. Two main differences between Weber […]
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Marxist and Neo-Marxist Theories of Social Stratification
Why does social stratification exist? Karl Marx had a Theory Karl Marx, a social and economic thinker in the 19th century, had a theory of how societies are organized and why inequality exists. His powerful theories inspired the Communist revolutions in Russia and China, and eventually in Eastern Europe and Vietnam. Because of the popularity […]
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Classic Theories of Social Stratification
Why is there inequality in society? Social stratification, and inequality, are fundamental concepts in sociology. We defined stratification as the existence of structured inequalities between social groups on the basis of power and resources. But this just defines the term. A crucial question is: Why does inequality exist in society? To answer this question, let’s […]
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Basic Sociology Concepts: Social Stratification and Inequality
What are the basic sociology concepts in social stratification and inequality? To understand basic sociological theories in social stratification and inequality, we must first understand basic concepts in this field. This post presents definitions of basic sociology concepts and concepts related to inequality and social stratification. It is based on classic theorists. You may be […]
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What can we learn about society and sociology from very old textbooks? Not much.
In sociology, the concept of society is fundamental. It is a concept that every sociology student, and simply everyone, should think about. But what is society in sociology? And can we learn it from very old sociology textbooks? In this post, I attempt to answer these questions with the work of Charles A. Ellwood, 14th […]
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Mythical Farmers and Max Weber’s Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism
Where are the farmers in Weber’s Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism? Farming is the US capitalist ideal of a people: morally and spiritually strong, selling the products of their hard labor. We idolize them as the pure embodiment of what society should be. We gain insight into this national myth through the work […]
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Intersectionality is Everywhere
Three decades after Kimberle Crenshaw popularized the term “intersectionality,” it has become a mainstream term. The term is mainstream because it is the truth and because elements of society who are against the idea that we should recognize the deep-seated issues of historically marginalized groups have seized on it as a rallying cry. For these […]
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The Concept and Measurement of Power in Intersectionality
The idea of power is inherent to intersectionality. In this post, we discuss how the concept of power is integral to the concept and framework of intersectionality, and how to measure power structures. Intersectionality is about politics and the use of power. Noted intersectionality scholar Patricia Hill Collins (2015: 3) argued that, “Drawing upon racial […]
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What is Power? What is a Power Structure?
What is Power and what are power structures? To define a power structure, we must first define power. Drawing on the work of Scott (2001), we see that power has many definitions: Power as a social relationship has two main “agents:” the principal and the subaltern. In this relationship the principal wields power that affects […]
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Social Structure and the Sociological Imagination
In this post, we discuss why the concept of social structure is important for the sociological imagination. The Sociological Imagination and “The Promise” The Sociological Imagination is perhaps sociology’s most famous treatise on what sociology is and should be. It is not necessarily correct, but it is famous. C. Wright Mills, sociologist of the 1940s […]