Shah’Tavia Young
A hoe02/07/2014
Blog 2 – Weber
Professor Zopf
Power: Class, Status and Party
Sociologist Max Weber ideas have heavily influenced social theory and research and sociology as a whole. He has been credited as one of the founders of sociology. One of Weber’s most noted theories is his theory on Power: Class, Status and Party. In this theory he gives definition of each, in lemans terms class is a hierarchy (economic order) of people with the most common being: upper, middle and lower; status (social order) is organized position grouping of prestige and parties operate in the sphere of power. In the 2013 movie 12 Years of Slave directed by Steve McQueen, these structures of power can be seen between the blacks and whites and also within the blacks and whites themselves.
Weber states that class is a category of men who have the same life chances, but class is not a community. In the movie of 12 years of Slave, Solomon Northup, a free black man was kidnapped from New York City and forced into slavery in rural Mississippi. He was a black man, who was very intelligent and considered to be one of the upper classed blacks. Despite, him being well-known and well-liked he was not exempt from being treated like every other black person during the times of slavery. His class did not keep him from being kidnapped into slavery. His race prevented him to be looked at as being high class because he was in fact mot white. Class did not only affect just the blacks but the whites as well. Solomon’s first owner Ford was seen as being a middle class white. He was not one of the richest white men but, he was not poor and he owned land and slaves as well. However, Solomon’s second owner, Epps, would be considered lower class. He was not well liked, he was a bit better off than most whites in rural Mississippi. Although he was financially better off than many, he still was considered lowered class, because according to Weber “economically conditioned” power is not identical to “power”. With that being said, many did not socialize with him and only dealt with him when it involved business.
On the other hand, status groups are usually communities. Max Weber’s definition of status being an organized group of prestige people. People who own property or are property less may still belong to the same status group. However, status is a way of life and people of certain classes are expected to behave a certain way. People of certain status are not supposed to mix with those not of their status. In 12 Years of Slave, Solomon had a higher status than many other blacks. He was intelligent, had his own home in New York, he was musically inclined and he was liked and respected by many whites. However, when he was kidnapped and made a slave that no longer mattered. He was not allowed to be able to read nor write. The fact that he was able to do that could harm him rather than help him.
When status is looked at in racial terms, blacks were of a lower status of whites. In 12 Years of Slave, whites were not allowed to mix with blacks or be too friendly. If this happened then they could be disowned from their own status group. Even with Solomon being a high status black, his status did not matter to whites because he was not white and the status of just being white overruled whatever status the black man was. The field hand, which is one of the lower statuses, are even held much higher than a black man. Now a in group comparison between Solomon’s two owners, Epps and Ford, shows that they are of two different status groups. Although Epps is financially better off, his status is much lower than other whites due to the fact that he is an alcoholic and he married a woman that was white trash. Therefore, many people did not socialize with him or invite him to events. On the other hand, Epps was well liked and well respected by many, even without all the money he still maintained a sense of power in the community.
Parties however, can be a mixture of both social class and status, one of them or neither. The purpose of a party is to be an influence over people to gain social power. Solomon tried to get many of the blacks to rally together to escape from capture but, since the blacks were not societalized, there was no order or people willing to enforce things. Epps also tried to influence his slaves by teaching them the bible and using it against them. He would often blame them for the cotton not growing and that this was God’s way of punishing him. This strategy worked because of the usage of religion. He also threatened them with punishment and often went through with it. Epps had power over the slaves but, in the community he lived in he did not have much, if any power over his peers. This shows that power cannot be obtained if others are not willing to listen and abide by the things said by the person who is trying to gain social power.
Max Weber’s theory of power can be applied to almost any setting and community. There are always people who have a higher social class and status. Social class and social status are not the same but, they are related. In society, class and status play a significant role in people’s lives. There are many factors such as race, economic, commodities, labor and etc. The movie 12 Years of Slave is a good portrayal of Weber’s theory of power, showing the relationship between whites and blacks, and between blacks and whites separately. No matter what your social class is, it cannot give you a higher status if you do not already have the way of life. Power is strived for because of the social honors that come with it but, social honors do not lead to power.. Power is not always distributed evenly but class, status groups and party all play a role in distribution of power.
Link to movie trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUQNjfhlREk
A hoe02/07/2014
Blog 2 – Weber
Professor Zopf
Power: Class, Status and Party
Sociologist Max Weber ideas have heavily influenced social theory and research and sociology as a whole. He has been credited as one of the founders of sociology. One of Weber’s most noted theories is his theory on Power: Class, Status and Party. In this theory he gives definition of each, in lemans terms class is a hierarchy (economic order) of people with the most common being: upper, middle and lower; status (social order) is organized position grouping of prestige and parties operate in the sphere of power. In the 2013 movie 12 Years of Slave directed by Steve McQueen, these structures of power can be seen between the blacks and whites and also within the blacks and whites themselves.
Weber states that class is a category of men who have the same life chances, but class is not a community. In the movie of 12 years of Slave, Solomon Northup, a free black man was kidnapped from New York City and forced into slavery in rural Mississippi. He was a black man, who was very intelligent and considered to be one of the upper classed blacks. Despite, him being well-known and well-liked he was not exempt from being treated like every other black person during the times of slavery. His class did not keep him from being kidnapped into slavery. His race prevented him to be looked at as being high class because he was in fact mot white. Class did not only affect just the blacks but the whites as well. Solomon’s first owner Ford was seen as being a middle class white. He was not one of the richest white men but, he was not poor and he owned land and slaves as well. However, Solomon’s second owner, Epps, would be considered lower class. He was not well liked, he was a bit better off than most whites in rural Mississippi. Although he was financially better off than many, he still was considered lowered class, because according to Weber “economically conditioned” power is not identical to “power”. With that being said, many did not socialize with him and only dealt with him when it involved business.
On the other hand, status groups are usually communities. Max Weber’s definition of status being an organized group of prestige people. People who own property or are property less may still belong to the same status group. However, status is a way of life and people of certain classes are expected to behave a certain way. People of certain status are not supposed to mix with those not of their status. In 12 Years of Slave, Solomon had a higher status than many other blacks. He was intelligent, had his own home in New York, he was musically inclined and he was liked and respected by many whites. However, when he was kidnapped and made a slave that no longer mattered. He was not allowed to be able to read nor write. The fact that he was able to do that could harm him rather than help him.
When status is looked at in racial terms, blacks were of a lower status of whites. In 12 Years of Slave, whites were not allowed to mix with blacks or be too friendly. If this happened then they could be disowned from their own status group. Even with Solomon being a high status black, his status did not matter to whites because he was not white and the status of just being white overruled whatever status the black man was. The field hand, which is one of the lower statuses, are even held much higher than a black man. Now a in group comparison between Solomon’s two owners, Epps and Ford, shows that they are of two different status groups. Although Epps is financially better off, his status is much lower than other whites due to the fact that he is an alcoholic and he married a woman that was white trash. Therefore, many people did not socialize with him or invite him to events. On the other hand, Epps was well liked and well respected by many, even without all the money he still maintained a sense of power in the community.
Parties however, can be a mixture of both social class and status, one of them or neither. The purpose of a party is to be an influence over people to gain social power. Solomon tried to get many of the blacks to rally together to escape from capture but, since the blacks were not societalized, there was no order or people willing to enforce things. Epps also tried to influence his slaves by teaching them the bible and using it against them. He would often blame them for the cotton not growing and that this was God’s way of punishing him. This strategy worked because of the usage of religion. He also threatened them with punishment and often went through with it. Epps had power over the slaves but, in the community he lived in he did not have much, if any power over his peers. This shows that power cannot be obtained if others are not willing to listen and abide by the things said by the person who is trying to gain social power.
Max Weber’s theory of power can be applied to almost any setting and community. There are always people who have a higher social class and status. Social class and social status are not the same but, they are related. In society, class and status play a significant role in people’s lives. There are many factors such as race, economic, commodities, labor and etc. The movie 12 Years of Slave is a good portrayal of Weber’s theory of power, showing the relationship between whites and blacks, and between blacks and whites separately. No matter what your social class is, it cannot give you a higher status if you do not already have the way of life. Power is strived for because of the social honors that come with it but, social honors do not lead to power.. Power is not always distributed evenly but class, status groups and party all play a role in distribution of power.
Link to movie trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUQNjfhlREk