Weber defines power as any social relationship where one person exerts his or her own will over another person or group. Domination and discipline are forms of attaining power. Domination is getting a certain number of people to submit to their orders whether or not the dominated are willing. Discipline is getting a certain number of people to form an automated habit of thinking or action based on the will of the person in power. In cases of dominance there is one person or head exerting their will over others. They may have a staff but that staff is still considered as being dominated.
The federal government and men attain power over women in the form of abortion laws. Even if women are pro life, this is still a power of men over women because only women would be physically affected by it. They would be affected because it is power over what they can and cannot do with their body. Women would also be affected in that they would be the ones going to jail for committing the crime of illegal abortions. Ultimately the government is the entity trying to attain power over women’s bodies and population control. Domination is used by legislation when people try to make it illegal for women to have abortions. Discipline is used when birth control is over promoted for women. They are trying to form a habit for women so that there will be fewer births.
Stances on abortion have been ever changing in this country. After abortion became decriminalized in 1973, Medicaid insurance covered all abortion care (National Abortion Federation). From 1980-1990, provisions changed and Medicaid no longer covered any cases of abortion whether they were from consensual relations, rape, incest, or health endangerment. Again in the early 1990s, laws changed again and cases of rape, incest, and life endangerment became part of Medicaid coverage. Currently the government is looking for ways to lessen Medicaid spending.
Based on these changes in legislation, it can be concluded that the government tries to implement more power in time of economic crisis. The last time there was a deep recession like there is now was in 1982, which correlates with the change in power of abortion rights, and spending. This relationship is an iron cage complex, which Weber describes as giving up certain rights for the sake of overall bureaucracy. The federal government is a bureaucracy in that it is a governing body of hierarchical officials that make and implement rules for society to follow. People become trapped in the iron cage of institutions where they give up their own power for the common good that makes the social institution function. In economic crisis, the government must cut spending in certain areas like Medicaid, which may infringe on rights that people typically have like abortion rights. People have to accept these rights taken away for the common good in hopes that the economy will improve if spending is reduced. Lower class people are mostly affected by domination, discipline, and the iron cage because they are typically the people most benefitting government funded programs. This includes Medicaid, public housing, or public schooling, which are the first resources to be cut. Domination is used by creating laws that people must follow and discipline is used in creating preventative behaviors for people to follow which will keep them in accordance with the law.
"Public Funding for Abortion." National Abortion Federation. (2006): n. page. Web. 21 Sep. 2012. <Federationhttp://www.prochoice.org/about_abortion/facts/public_funding.html>.
The federal government and men attain power over women in the form of abortion laws. Even if women are pro life, this is still a power of men over women because only women would be physically affected by it. They would be affected because it is power over what they can and cannot do with their body. Women would also be affected in that they would be the ones going to jail for committing the crime of illegal abortions. Ultimately the government is the entity trying to attain power over women’s bodies and population control. Domination is used by legislation when people try to make it illegal for women to have abortions. Discipline is used when birth control is over promoted for women. They are trying to form a habit for women so that there will be fewer births.
Stances on abortion have been ever changing in this country. After abortion became decriminalized in 1973, Medicaid insurance covered all abortion care (National Abortion Federation). From 1980-1990, provisions changed and Medicaid no longer covered any cases of abortion whether they were from consensual relations, rape, incest, or health endangerment. Again in the early 1990s, laws changed again and cases of rape, incest, and life endangerment became part of Medicaid coverage. Currently the government is looking for ways to lessen Medicaid spending.
Based on these changes in legislation, it can be concluded that the government tries to implement more power in time of economic crisis. The last time there was a deep recession like there is now was in 1982, which correlates with the change in power of abortion rights, and spending. This relationship is an iron cage complex, which Weber describes as giving up certain rights for the sake of overall bureaucracy. The federal government is a bureaucracy in that it is a governing body of hierarchical officials that make and implement rules for society to follow. People become trapped in the iron cage of institutions where they give up their own power for the common good that makes the social institution function. In economic crisis, the government must cut spending in certain areas like Medicaid, which may infringe on rights that people typically have like abortion rights. People have to accept these rights taken away for the common good in hopes that the economy will improve if spending is reduced. Lower class people are mostly affected by domination, discipline, and the iron cage because they are typically the people most benefitting government funded programs. This includes Medicaid, public housing, or public schooling, which are the first resources to be cut. Domination is used by creating laws that people must follow and discipline is used in creating preventative behaviors for people to follow which will keep them in accordance with the law.
"Public Funding for Abortion." National Abortion Federation. (2006): n. page. Web. 21 Sep. 2012. <Federationhttp://www.prochoice.org/about_abortion/facts/public_funding.html>.