The “Consensus” Erodes: Conflict Theory

I General Background

A. Remember: Ideas are never independent of their societal, cultural, historical context

1. Sociological theory born, e.g., in the wake of the three great revolutions

2. Functionalism in mid-20^th century

B. Culture Social Structure Dialectic

1. Post WWII

a) unprecedented economic boom for U.S. economy

i) GI Bill

ii) Sole intact industrial economy

iii) Increasing home ownership

b) Baby boom (1946-1964)

2. Huge cohort: raised in relative affluence + highly educated

a) High expectations

3. à Social Change

a) Institutions not meeting highest cultural ideals

C. “Anti-institutional mood” à receptivity to critical perspectives on status quo

II. Conflict Theory (Neo-Marxist)

A. So, roots in Marx

1. Mode of Production à Relations of Production à Superstructure

B. C. Wright Mills

1. Background

a) Modern world defined by freedom and reason (Enlightenment Project/Democracy)

b) Contemporary of functionalists & one of their biggest critics

i) Grand theory

ii) Ignored power and conflict in favor of consensus

c) Concerned with threats to freedom and reason

2. The Power Elite

a) Three types of power

i) Authority

ii) Coercion

iii) Manipulation (power wielded unbeknownst to the powerless)

b) Power is both enlarged (expanded; WWII, e.g.) and centralized (in fewer and fewer hands)

c) Key decisions in hands of small number of people in three institutional arenas

i) Economic

ii) Political

iii) Military

d) The members of this power elite are interconnected

i) similar origins, education, career, life style

e) Traffic of personnel between/among economic, military, political arenas

i) Interlocking boards of directors

ii) permanent war economy + privately incorporated economy

f) So: psychological similarity + social intermingling + blending of command

g) KEY: most critical decisions are not even on the public agenda

h) Media = mass distraction vs. genuine democratic function

C. Critical Theory

1. Two key issues

a) Why no revolution?

b) Why did Marx/Engels’s ideas à totalitarian systems

2. Adds a cultural dimension to Marx: the role of ideology

a) Ideology (a system of ideas designed to reproduce an existing social system) à Hegemony (Antonio Gramsci)

i) People’s acceptance of the legitimacy of leaders and of the status quo

b) Critique of consumerism

i) Culture industry à Mass consciousness

3. Key figures

a) Theodor Adorno

b) Max Horkheimer

c) Herbert Marcuse

d) Jurgen Habermas (contemporary)

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