Power: Is a fundamental sociological concept, affecting every level of society and influencing our daily lives in countless ways (experience sociology, page 111). Power is a universal aspect of social interaction. It plays an important part in shaping relations among the members of a group. Power differences enter into determining the relations between father and child, employer and employee, politician and voter, teacher and student.
The milgram experiment: these experiments offer a powerful; and disturbing look into the power of authority and obedience. Milgram developed an intimidating shock generator, with shock levels starting at 30 volts and increasing in 15 volt increments all the way up to 450 volts. Each participant took the role of a “teacher” who would then deliver a shock to the “student” every time an incorrect answer was produced. While the participant believed that he was delivering real shocks to the student, the student was actually a confederate in the experiment who was simply pretending to be shocked. The level of shock that the participant was willing to deliver was used as the measure of obedience. Milgram demonstrated the danger of obedience. The term expert power in chapter 5(page, 115) relates to the video because people are following the instructions of a person who has superior knowledge and also these people are being coercive by the psychologist Stanley Milgrim because of the fact that “the teachers” want to stop punishing their “students” and the psychologist keep telling them the experiment must continue. Its impressive how somebody with knowledge and power can control ourselves to make us do what we don’t want.
Five faces of oppression by Iris Young. The word oppression still exists in the everyday lives of women but has changed its tyrannical implications, meaning there is no dictator to influence or force negative actions toward women gender, According to Iris Young. The word oppression has come to represent communities and individuals that are being discriminated by the way society is structured, rather than sinlge leader oppression. Most people do not think women are subjected to discrimination but it still exists, yet women individually have proven that they are able to overcome it. By just being a woman, there are stereotypes which are often upheld by men, making it difficult for many women to reach their full potential and success in what are otherwise considered a “man’s occupation”. This is not always true. A perfect example of a man and woman working side by side with equal power in the decision making and their successful are my parents. The different types of oppression: exploitation, marginalization, powerlessness, cultural imperialism, violence.
Exploitation- This type of oppression is involved to people who work to produce a profit while not getting pay fairly. This term can also be connected to the economic theory of capitalism meaning the social class, those that have wealth and those who have not, which it creates a class difference by not treating people the same because of the social status.
In chapter 5 of the book it talked a lot about power and throughout my experiences something that I really connected with was powerlessness because sometime I feel like I'm being control by one of my friend and I'm aware of it, but I just don't say anything.
It was interesting to see what your thoughts were on this matter. Many people can display power in a number of ways. As you know, exploitation is one of them and can be seen in everyday life. Though it might be seen more than the others that you mentioned (marginalization, powerlwessness, cultural imperialism, and violence) it does not mean it is the most important. In the case of the Milgram Experiment, I believe that the results would have varied if it would have been performed in other countries. I think that culture played the main role as to why the participants made the decisions they did.
ReplyDeleteI liked reading your blog and found it interesting that you picked exploitation among the others. I feel that this is one of the more subtle forms of power because you wouldn't know how you were exploited if it was something that you were raised or thrown into. With the Milgram experiment I think it's something that is in most of society because they don't know how to handle the control over another person.
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