Fall 2010
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Society the thing consists of distributions of
interests and distributions of power and
society the happening involves interactions
among these.
Language, ideas, culture are important
playing field on which society happens
Imagine there’s no conflict…it isn’t hard to
do, but it’s completely unrealistic…
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Ingredients
 Genealogy and Branches
 Historical Imperatives
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Varieties
 Frankfurt School
 “Public Sociology” 1950s-60s-70s
 Disciplinary Self-Critique
 Collins’ Conflict Theory
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Genealogy and Branches
Historical Imperatives
1920
1930
1940
1950
1960
Critical Theory
(Frankfurt School)
“Conflict
Theory”
1970
R. Collins
Conflict Sociology
Critical Race Theory
Feminist Theories
QueerTheories
Critical Legal Studies
Critical Etc. Theory
“Public
Sociology”
Machiavelli
Hobbes
(1469-1527)
(1588-1679)
Marx
(class struggle)
(ideology)
(consciousness)
(critical, false)
Clausewitz
(1780-1831)
War…policy…
other means
Weber
Simmel
(power)
(class, status, power)
(legitimacy)
(1858-1918)
Conflict as
sociation
Malthus
(1766 –1834)
Darwin
(1809–82)
1920
Spencer
Russian Revolution, etc.
Durkheim
1930
(ritual)
Adorno Horkheimer
1940
(1820-1903)
Great
Depression
Freud
(1903-69)
WWII, Cold
War, 1950s
(1895-1973)
Mills
(1902-94)
(identity crisis)
(1916-62)
1950
Marcuse
Reisman
(1898 – 1979)
1960
Erikson
(1909-2002)
Goffman
(1922-82)
Habermas
(impression mgt)
(b1929)
1970
Collins
(b1941)
Critical Race Theory
Feminist Theories
QueerTheories
Critical Legal Studies
Critical Etc. Theory
Game Theory
(Schellling)
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Russian Revolution, great depression, Stalin,
WWII, fascism, cold war, US becomes world
power, the bomb, civil rights, breakdown of
colonialism
European socialism had three choices
1.
support moderate non-revolutionary (SPD) socialists and
disavow Moscow
2.
accept Moscow, join communist (KPD) party, work against
Weimar republic
These were old choices. Recent events gave rise to 3rd option:
3.
re-examine foundations of Marxist theory, understand past,
prepare for future
(Jay 1973, 3).
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Strickland video 0:00-2:45
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Conflict and the Web of Group Affiliations
1.
Proposition: Conflict establishes and maintain identity
and boundary lines of groups.
2.
Proposition: Conflict is not always dysfunctional for a
relationship; may even be necessary. Safety valve and
signal.
3.
Proposition: Conflict is not absence of relationship;
conflict presumes a relationship.
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Exercise of power a primary social dynamic
1. Claim . Symbolic realm recursively entwined with material
2. Claim: Bases of legitimacy change over time.
3. Claim: State as legitimate monopoly on force.
4. Claim: Organization as crystallization of power relations.
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Psychic struggle/conflict as “natural”
1. Claim . (Self) deception, repression, denial as common
2. Claim: Stages of development with external identifications.
3. Claim: Self can be irrational.
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Struggle for survival, competition for resources
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Social life as impression management and
strategic interaction
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Theory of Games and Economic Behavior (1944)
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Frankfurt School
“Public Sociology” 1950s-60s-70s
Disciplinary Self-Critique
Collins’ Conflict Theory
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Summer 1922 group of independent thinkers
convene to discuss Marxism.
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Inspired organizing formal setting for same purpose.
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1923 Felix Weil, well-to-do political science PhD,
helped to set up an endowment and found the
Institute for Social Research affiliated with the
University of Frankfurt.
(Jay 1973, 8)