Haley Craig
Blog 2
http://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=AvsfAtnaCi7RiaP5NQ23BM2bvZx4?p=judge+senteces+girl+who+flicks+him+off&toggle=1&cop=mss&ei=UTF-8&fr=yfp-t-701
(Please go to link above)
As a society are we giving too much power to
people within the legal system? It is fair to say that the legal system is just
at times. It serves a purpose within our communities. Yet, when we are behind
bars we may not feel as protected by the laws/justice system but even violated
by it. Weber talks about this power and authority within the legal system. He
talks about what it means to be disciplined that is training a group of people
to obey your commands and rules. Within the legal system we have all been
disciplined to know how to act, how to comport our bodies, how to listen and
when to talk. Yet, if we go outside of these norms the people who are in the
legitimate authority use their power to assert themselves over the people who
are willing to obey those commands/rules or the people who have no choice in the
matter.
According to Weber power is the ability
to oppose ones will or agenda in a social relationship. This has to be within
and defined by a certain relationship. In the clip a judge is holding a bond
hearing with a young girl accused of being caught with a prescription drug.
He sets her bond at 5000 dollars.
Yet, he believes that she is being disrespectful, and so he calls her back. Next
he is able to impose his power over her by setting her bail even higher to
10,000 dollars. She does not appreciate the discipline that she is supposed to
obey. She proceeds to give the judge the middle finger. He in turns sentences
her to 30 days in county jail and she will still have to set the 10,000 dollar
bond. He uses his authority which is defined by Weber as the legitimacy to
domination and increases her bond and gives her jail time. He is a judge
therefore he is in a position of authority over others within the legal system.
He uses rational legal authority which is following the laws/rules/regulations
and he uses those rules to assert his power over the girl. The relationship
between the girl and the judge is important. Their relationship is defined by
the court. He would not be able to assert his power over her anywhere else
besides within the justice system. The judge I believe also has traditional
authority, since judges have always been at the top of the totem pole in the
judicial hierarchy. This is a custom and the way our culture works. Yet, it
wouldn’t be legitimized if society did not have followers who abide by the
commands and rules of the judges, the court and the justice system. Do we
believe that at times the judicial hierarchy fails? Of course. That it doesn’t
do its job and the power is placed in the hands of the wrong person/or group of
people and they are allowed to dominate without legitimate authority. Of course.
This happens in a lot of cases. A person guilty is sentenced too little time in
comparison to his/her crime. A person is given to hefty of a sentence for his or
her crime. These are all examples of when power, domination, and authority all
coincide, but fail within the system.
Why is it that we never question the
authority of the people in power? I believe that it has to do more with than
just tradition, or that we are following the rules or that the person is
charismatic. I think that power, authority and domination are all very powerful
when placed in humans’hands. When one receives power they are unlikely to want
to give that power up. Not without a fight. I believe that since we don’t see
power and it is not a tangible commodity we don’t believe it exist in every
situation. It does and the most profound part is in every relationship there is
someone who is more powerful, dominating and authoritative than the next.
Blog 2
http://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=AvsfAtnaCi7RiaP5NQ23BM2bvZx4?p=judge+senteces+girl+who+flicks+him+off&toggle=1&cop=mss&ei=UTF-8&fr=yfp-t-701
(Please go to link above)
As a society are we giving too much power to
people within the legal system? It is fair to say that the legal system is just
at times. It serves a purpose within our communities. Yet, when we are behind
bars we may not feel as protected by the laws/justice system but even violated
by it. Weber talks about this power and authority within the legal system. He
talks about what it means to be disciplined that is training a group of people
to obey your commands and rules. Within the legal system we have all been
disciplined to know how to act, how to comport our bodies, how to listen and
when to talk. Yet, if we go outside of these norms the people who are in the
legitimate authority use their power to assert themselves over the people who
are willing to obey those commands/rules or the people who have no choice in the
matter.
According to Weber power is the ability
to oppose ones will or agenda in a social relationship. This has to be within
and defined by a certain relationship. In the clip a judge is holding a bond
hearing with a young girl accused of being caught with a prescription drug.
He sets her bond at 5000 dollars.
Yet, he believes that she is being disrespectful, and so he calls her back. Next
he is able to impose his power over her by setting her bail even higher to
10,000 dollars. She does not appreciate the discipline that she is supposed to
obey. She proceeds to give the judge the middle finger. He in turns sentences
her to 30 days in county jail and she will still have to set the 10,000 dollar
bond. He uses his authority which is defined by Weber as the legitimacy to
domination and increases her bond and gives her jail time. He is a judge
therefore he is in a position of authority over others within the legal system.
He uses rational legal authority which is following the laws/rules/regulations
and he uses those rules to assert his power over the girl. The relationship
between the girl and the judge is important. Their relationship is defined by
the court. He would not be able to assert his power over her anywhere else
besides within the justice system. The judge I believe also has traditional
authority, since judges have always been at the top of the totem pole in the
judicial hierarchy. This is a custom and the way our culture works. Yet, it
wouldn’t be legitimized if society did not have followers who abide by the
commands and rules of the judges, the court and the justice system. Do we
believe that at times the judicial hierarchy fails? Of course. That it doesn’t
do its job and the power is placed in the hands of the wrong person/or group of
people and they are allowed to dominate without legitimate authority. Of course.
This happens in a lot of cases. A person guilty is sentenced too little time in
comparison to his/her crime. A person is given to hefty of a sentence for his or
her crime. These are all examples of when power, domination, and authority all
coincide, but fail within the system.
Why is it that we never question the
authority of the people in power? I believe that it has to do more with than
just tradition, or that we are following the rules or that the person is
charismatic. I think that power, authority and domination are all very powerful
when placed in humans’hands. When one receives power they are unlikely to want
to give that power up. Not without a fight. I believe that since we don’t see
power and it is not a tangible commodity we don’t believe it exist in every
situation. It does and the most profound part is in every relationship there is
someone who is more powerful, dominating and authoritative than the next.