CSP250/Beauty Within the Beast:
CLASS, GENDER AND RACE IN THE CULTURE OF
CAPITALISM
FALL 2009
The Sociocultural System
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1) SuperStrucrure: The mental life of the system (Ideas,
believes, values, norm
2) Structure: The Organization of the system
A) The Political Economy:
a1) The Economic Organization
a2) The Political Organization
B) The Domestic Economy: Kinship (Family, Marriage
& Descent Rules)
3) Infrastructure: Technological/Environmental Base of
the System
A) The Mode of Production
B) The Mode of Reproduction
Structure: A) The Political Organization
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Political Organization: the institutions of public-decision
making
Band: A political organization characteristic of Foraging society. It
is composed of several house holds who are related through
kinship where coercive authority does not exist. Leadership is
based on first-among-equals principles.
Tribe: A political organization characteristic of Patoralists and
Horticulturalists. It is composed of several bands or lineages. While
coercive power does not exist, leadership is based on prestige,
hard work, and generosity.
Chiefdom: A political organization of permanently allied tribes. It
is an intermediary stage between Tribe and State where leadership
is inherited.
State: A political organization that is centralized and leadership
posses coercive power.
Structure: A) The Political Organization
The State: A political organization that is centralized and leadership
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posses coercive power.
Power: The ability to mobilize resources to achieve ends
regardless of consensus.
Political Power: The ability to enact and enforce laws using
coercive authority.
Objective Power: The ability to effectively control societal critical
resources.
The Agrarian State: Political and Objective powers are held by
the political center
The Nation State: Political Power is held by the political center
while objective power is held by capitalists
 The Panopticon State: The Future?
World
Systems
The Culture
of Capitalism
The Consumer
(Laborers & Capitalist)
National Corporations
(Objective Power)
The Nation State
(Political Power)
The Laborer
World
Systems
World
Systems
The Culture
of Global Capitalism
The Consumer
(Laborers & Capitalist)
World
Systems
Trans-National Corporations
(Objective Power)
World Trade Organization
North America Free Trade Agreement
Free Trade Areas of the Americas
World Bank
International Monetary Fund
etc….
(Political Power)
The Laborer