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Sociology2014AnswerWritingChallenge15
INSIGHTS
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Sociology2014AnswerWriting
Challenge15
BYINSIGHTSSEPTEMBER18,2014

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Answerin250words:

1)ExamineParetosanalysisofthecirculationofelites.Itisvalidforthe
modernindustrialsocieties?
2)Distinguishamong power ,prestigeandauthority.Whatarethedifferent
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waysinwhichanauthoritymaygainlegitimacy?Whydoesachanging
societyfacecrisesoflegitimacy?

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RAWONE 2monthsago

2)Distinguishamong power ,prestigeandauthority.Whatarethedifferent

waysinwhichanauthoritymaygainlegitimacy?Whydoesachangingsociety
facecrisesoflegitimacy?
Power isimposingourwilloverotherswithorwithouttheirconsent.For
exampleacriminalextortingmoneyfrombusinessman.
Prestigeisassociatedprivilegeswitha class .ForexampleaBrahminenjoyedthe
privilegeofstudyingvedasinancient times
Authorityisthelegitimate power toexercisewilluponotherwhichisderived
fromthepeoplefurtherpeoplearealsoexpectedtoobeythesame.Forexample
trafficpolicefiningpeopleforjumpingredlight.
ThedifferentwaysinwhichauthoritymaygainlegitimacyisdiscussedbyMax
Weber .
HesaidaboutTraditional,Rationallegal&Charismaticauthority.InTraditional
authoritypeoplegetlegitimacybecausesuchactionsarefromtimeimmemorial
andpassedontogenerations.SuchasBrahminenjoyedahigh caste statusfrom
ancient times .
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InRationallegalauthoritythepersonderivetheir power fromthepeoplebased

onmeritorsomerationalbasis.Forexamplein democracy aministerischoosen
bythepeople.
InCharismaticauthorityapersonthoughtofhavingacharisma,&itisbelieved
hecandosuchthingswhichcantbedonebymasses.ForexGandhiworkfor
emancipationof women &LeninsocialistworkinUSSR
Thechangingsocietyfacescrisisoflegitimacyasbecauseofchanged values i.e.
ourperceptionofrightorwrong,ultimatelywhichguideouraction.Accordingto
Talcottparsonthe values arechangingfromaffectivitytoaffectiveneutrality,
fromcollectivitytoselforientation,fromuniversalismtoparticularism,from
ascriptiontoachievement,fromdiffusivenesstospecificity.Thusthereisgrowing
concernaboutself&individualismachievementforexamplethedilutionof
caste inmodernsociety,alsogrowinglivingrelationshipwithoutmarriage,
deficitinrespectingeldersetc
RAWONE>RAWONE 2monthsago

Pls review
Sahil Garg>RAWONE 2monthsago

Ithinkthequestionasksabouthowauthority"gain"legitimacy.When
weber talksaboutdifferentformoflegitimacy,heindicatethatauthority
isinternaltothesocietywhereitispresent.Itisalreadypresentbecauseof
certainfactorandthusenjoyslegitimacy.
Trytoponderoverit.OrCorrectme,ifiamwrong
Furthercrisesoflegitimacymaybewhat durkheim callas anomie ,
marx callas alienation or merton callasdeviance.Sotrytoinclude
that.:)
Animesh 2monthsago

1)ExamineParetosanalysisofthecirculationofelites.Itisvalidforthemodern
industrialsocieties?
Elitetheoryclaimsthatthesocietyisdistinguishedintotwomaingroupsa
rulingminorityandtheruled.Itsthepersonalqualitiesoftheelitesthatmakes
himruleoverthemajorityruled.
ParetohadpropoundedtheideaofeliteinthecriticismofMarxiststheoryof
communismandassertedthategalitariansocietyisanillusion.Thesocietywillbe
ruledbyeliteseitheritscapitalistsoritscommunistthroughthecirculationof
elites.
ParetosaysthattherearetwokindsofelitesLionsandFoxes.Theformeroneis
forcefulandhecantakeincisiveanddecisions,whereasthelateriscunningelite.
Paretosconceptofcirculationofelitescanexaminedwithillustrationsthat
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MilitarydictatorshipisanexampleofLioneliteandtheEuropeangovernment
establishedbymanipulationandwheelingdealingisanexampleofFoxelites.
Theestablishmentofeliteauthorityoneafterotherbylionsandfoxesiscalledas
circulationofelites.
Paretofurtherarguesthatunlike Marx whosehistoryendswiththesetupof
utopiancommunism,hishistoryisneverendingcirculationofelites.Thisistrue
forthemodernindustrialsocietiesalso.Theeconomicprosperityofindustrial
societyhasfoundedthepolarizationintermsofhavesandhavenots,andin
democraticrepublicnationslikedevelopedordevelopingcountriesUSA,Britain,
India, China etc.,theeliteclassesarethepoliticalminoritygroupswhoexploit
thesituationalneedofthepublicandcontinuerulingthroughgovernmentsby
winningelectionsalternativelyoneafterother.
Hencetheruling class isalsoaneliteandthe opposition classesarealsoelite
andcoercivelytheycirculatetheirpowersincentreandprovinces,whenever
opposition (Fox)getchancetheyformthegovernmentbymakingasidethe
ruling class (lion)nexttimetheformermaybecomelionandlateronesfox
henceParetoscirculationofeliteismanifestedstillinmodernindustrialsociety.
Sahil Garg>Animesh 2monthsago

Theanswerismoreaboutparetoaswellashiscriticismof Marx .Tryto

answerthesecondpartofthequestionaswell
Animesh> Sahil Garg 2monthsago

Thanks Sahil forreviewing..Yes,Ishouldremove Marx fromthe

answer.though,Ihadputhisthoughtsalsotogivemorepushto
validityofIdeasbyPareto.
fourthandfifthparahaveanswersofthesecondpartofthe
question.
Madforias >Animesh 2monthsago

page1
Madforias > Madforias 2monthsago

page2
NAWIN> Madforias 2monthsago

@everyone.isitrighttocallfoxandlioneliteinmodern
societyasfoxrefferstocunningandlionrefersto power as
positionisdeterminedbasedontheirhardworkorquality.
..plzhelp
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NAWIN>NAWIN 2monthsago

@mad.urhandwrittingisgood..andansweralso
Madforias >NAWIN 2monthsago

HiNAWINthanksforthecompliment...TheFoxandLion
conceptisclassicalelitisttheory..manycontemporary
sociologisthavegivensimilarconceptswithoutusingthese
words...Iamusingthesewordstoportray,thatcirculation
ofEliteisstillvalidinmodernworld.
kiran> Madforias 2monthsago

Hi,Ifeelthoughyouhavegottheanswerright,you
shouldhaveexaminedPareto'sanalysisabitmore.Further
,intheexampleofModernorganisation,isthereany
conceptofCirculation?IfIdidn'tunderstanditproperly,
pleasedoletmeknow.Cheers!
Sahil Garg 2monthsago

Ans1a
Sahil Garg> Sahil Garg 2monthsago

ANs1b
Animesh> Sahil Garg 2monthsago

Sahil it'snicelybalancedanswer.especiallythesayofFeminists
toprovethesecondpartofthequestionitconcludestheanswer
brilliantly.
onesillyrevisionit's'foxes'acunninganimalnot'oxes'
restaregreat!!:)
Madforias > Sahil Garg 2monthsago

goodoneShahil..requestingyourvaluablefeedbackonmine
Animesh 2monthsago

2)Distinguishamong power ,prestigeandauthority.Whatarethedifferent

waysinwhichanauthoritymaygainlegitimacy?Whydoesachangingsociety
facecrisesoflegitimacy?
Weber defines power asthechanceofanindividualor group ofindividualto
realizetheirwillinacommunalactionevenagainsttheresistanceofotherswho
areparticipatingintheaction.Accordingto Marx , Power isacoerciveactionby
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theminorityovermajorityindividuals.E.g.governmentofacountryhas power
overthesubjects.
Accordingto Weber ,prestigethehonorattachedwiththesocialstatusof
individualor group ofindividuals.Itcanbedistributedunequallyandcanbea
dimensionofsocial stratification .E.g.higherlevelpositionsin bureaucracy has
moreprestigethanthatoflowerlevelindividuals.
Weber definesauthorityasthatformof power whichisacceptedaslegitimate,
rightandjustandisobeyedbythesubjects.e.g. Bureaucracy isanauthority
whichislegitimateinthegovernanceofsociety.
Followingarethethreedifferentwaysinwhichanauthoritymaygainlegitimacy

TraditionalAuthoritythelegitimacyoftheauthoritythatcomesthroughthe
inheritedauthority.e.g.KingsinBritain,patriarchyisIndiansocietyetcarethe
examplewhicharethereexistinginsocietytraditionally.
CharismaticAuthoritythelegitimacyofthisauthoritycomesbytheleadership,
heroismandcharismaofthepersonality.Thelegitimacysustainedtillthe
charismaticpersonexistsortillthefollowerslegitimizehimascharismatic.E.g.
MahatmaBudhha,BhagwanMahavir,MahatmaGandhiwerethecharismatic
personalities.
LegalRationalAuthoritythelegitimacyisbasedontherulesandregulations.
E.g.theAuthorityofdemocraticgovernmentofIndiaisgivenlegitimacybythe
peopleofIndia.
Changingsocietyfacesthecrisisoflegitimacyduetofollowingreasons
Despoticruleoftraditionalemperorleadsto alienation ofpeopleandbreachof
trust,consequently revolution mayoccurandtheythrowawaytheirdictatorship
oremperorshipEg.ArabSpring.
Themoralandvalueerosionofcharismaticindividuals.E.g.AsharamBapu,
SwamiNityanand.
Economiccrisis,politicalandsocialcauses.E.g. Scotland s alienation from
British empire.
kiran>Animesh 2monthsago

YoucouldhavecondensedthefirstthreeParagraphstoOnebygiving
subtledifferencesonthe3entities.Plus,conclusionismissing.Cheers!
ABHISHEK 2monthsago

@Animesh....don'ttakeitotherwisebutIthinkweshouldnottaketheexampleof
thecases(ASHARAMORNityanand)wherefinaldecisionhavenotbeen
given.....Otherwiseniceanswer....
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NRN 2monthsago

ExamineParetosanalysisofthecirculationofelites.Itisvalidforthemodern
industrialsocieties?
Paretogavehistheoryofcirculationofelitesbasedonpersonalqualities.He
classifiedelitesintotwofoxlikeandlionlike.Thefoxlikeelitesfunctioned
throughdiplomaticmanipulation,wheelinganddealing.ForexampleEuropean
democracies.Thelionlikeelitesontheotherhandareforceful,decisiveand
assertivelikethedictatorialcountries. Change insocietywasbycirculationof
elites.Theeliteswouldbereplacedbynewonesduetoseveralreasonslike
decadence,lossofvigour,lackinginqualitiesofthecounterpartandresistanceto
change .Hencehistoryisagraveyardofeliteswhoarecontinuouslyreplaced.
ParetostheoryisbasedonhisstudyofancientempireslikeRoman,henceitis
consideredsimpleandnotveryrelevanttomodernindustrialsocieties.Hedoes
nottakeintopoliticaldevelopmentslikedemocraticStatewhichdoesnotdepend
onthepersonalqualityofasingleleader.Differencesinthepolitical system is
consideredminorbyhim.
Distinguishamong power ,prestigeandauthority.Whatarethedifferentwaysin
whichanauthoritymaygainlegitimacy?Whydoesachangingsocietyfacecrises
oflegitimacy?
Power accordingtoMax Weber istheabilityofapersonora group ofmento
realizetheirwillinacommunalactionevenagainstthe opposition ofothers
involvedinit.
Prestigereferstothesocialstandingofapersonthehonourthatisaccordedto
himbythesociety.Prestigemaybearesultofholding power .Butitmayalsobe
duetoindividualqualities,lifestyle.Itisnotnecessaryforapersonholding
power tobeheldinprestige.Forexampletheneorichhold power byvirtueof
moneybuttheyareheldinlowprestige.
Authorityreferstolegitimate power .Itariseswhenthosewhoaresubjecttothe
power recognizesitaslegitimateandabidebyit.
Waysinwhichauthoritycanbelegitimate
Bybackingauthoritybyrulesand laws .Exampleinbureaucraticsociety.
Withthebackingofthemasseswhoaretobegovernedbytheauthority.
Example democracy
Byforce.Examplemilitaryrule
For power tobelegitimized,Ittakestime.Duringperiodsof change theold
institutionslosemeaningandnewonesemerge.Hencethereisalotofconfusion
and anomie .Fornewrelationshipstobepatternedandinstitutionalised,they
mustrecurforfairlylongperiodoftime.Forexampleafter French revolution ,
therewaspolitical anomie untilNepoleantookcharge.

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SKY 2monthsago

ans1pg1

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