Legitimacy of authority

Question 1

What is Legitimacy of authority?

Answer 1

• An explanation for obedience which suggests that individuals are more likely to obey people who they perceive to have authority over them.

Question 2

What is a consequence of legitimacy of authority?

Answer 2

• Some people are granted the power to punish others.

Question 3

What is the Origin of legitimacy of authority?

Answer 3

• Children learn from parents and teachers and adults.

Question 4

Summarise your AO1 knowledge into roughly 6 points for a 16 marker.
What could you say?

Answer 4

• Define Legitimacy of Authority
• Mention the Social Heirarchy
• Individuals are willing to give up some of their independence to hand over control of their behaviour over to people that they trust.
• Problems arise when it becomes destructive - obvious in Milgram’s study - used prods to order participants to behave in ways that went against their conscience