The Power Elite Flashcards
(21 cards)
Social Inequality Aversion
Emotional discomfort resulting from witnessing or experiencing an unfair outcome
Positions of power
roles that grant them control over the lives of other people
Social reproduction
process by which society maintains enduring character from generation to generation
Power elite
small group of interconnected ppl who occupy top positions in imp. social institutions
Pluralist theory of power
idea that US politics is characterized by competing groups that work together to achieve goals
NOTE: contrasts the Elite Theory of Power
Elite theory of power
idea that a small group of networked individuals control the most powerful positions
- more homogeneous
- most are born into network
NOTE: contrasts the Plurist Theory of Power
Social Capital
Number of people we know and the resources they can offer us
Cultural capital
Symbolic resources (not money, things you say or act) that communicate one’s social status
Social closure
A process by which advantaged groups preserve opportunities for themselves while restricting them from others
Ex: elite college
Cultural Capital: Institutional
Refers to the symbolic significance of endorsements from recognized organizations
NOTE: institutional BUT think from an org level
EX; college degree
Cultural Capital: Objectified
Refers to the symbolic significance of objects we own
NOTE: show what kind of person we are
Cultural Capital: Embodied
Refers to the symbolic significance of our bodies (how we look, what we know, and what we can do)
How do elites keep + exert power? (4)
- inheriting $$
- Networks (& coordinated institutions)
- Media
- Elite Education
What does social fit mean?
Feeling of particular cultural capital matches our social context
Cultural hegemony
Power maintained by persuasion
Hegemonic ideologies
Shared ideas about how life should be organized
Individualism
the idea that people are primarily responsible for themselves
Collectivism
People are interdependent actors with responsibilities primarily for the feoup
Countervailing Power
the idea that once a party accumulates sufficient power, other parties will mobilize to counter them and diminish theri influence
How does “countervailing power” shape what the institution of medicine looks like?
Contributes to HC regulation
i.e declining powers of doctors from politicians, consumers, managers, etc.
Structural Ambiguities
cross-cutting practices and expectations experienced by an institution to other institutions
