Nichelle Rodriguez Week #9: Max Weber's Theory of Power
Today, power has many different definitions. Power can be seen as a young child seeking help after constant bullying, going against their fear that asking for help will only make it worse. Power can be seen as taking on a public stance of what you believe in. However, Max Weber defined power as the ability to go against adversity, in order to achieve one’s own will.
Max Weber was a German sociologist, who studied social dynamics and the effects of power in society. His work receives praise to this day. Weber believed that power was defined by multiple criterias some of which are: the ability to control one’s own decision, power that is inherited through status, and power that is obtained through charisma.
How is Max Weber’s theory still applicable today? Look at today’s government. Politicians today are almost required to have all the qualities that Weber’s criteria lays out. Politicians must display some aspect of self control, they must be publicly portrayed as an individual mentally stable enough to rule. Most politicians come from affluent families, some even of which have prior connections to politics established by their parents or generations that come before them. And lastly, a president will never have earned that status without winning the favor of the people. They must portray themselves in a way that is likeable by a variety of demographics.
In America, a president can be seen as the pinnacle of power, at times even given the privilege of immunity from criminal prosecution, directly showing how they are able to go beyond the law. Max Weber’s theory can be seen as applicable even in today's society; within the most large display of power—the American president.
Hello Nichelle,
ReplyDeleteI have never heard about sociologist Max Weber before, however I do agree that his philosophy is very accurate and applicable today. When thinking about the concept of power, not just one thing comes to mind. Power can simply just represent the ability to do something. Like Weber states, though, different types of power can be obtained through many different ways. However, I think that Weber’s philosophy can be applied to more than just examples where someone has power or influence over other people. The first of his statements is that power means that someone has control over their own decisions, which I believe is the pinnacle of the concept of power, because even if someone has control over other people, without knowing what they want to do, having power over others is useless, so I believe that the first of his statements should be focused on rather than the latter concepts.
Hi Nichelle! I found your blog extremely insightful since I wasn't familiar with Max Weber's theories before, and I admired how you took a sociologist's theories of powers and effectively tied it to modern society today. Opening with different examples of how power can be personified–like how a young child stands up to their bullies or taking a public stance–made your argument about Max Weber's theories in modern society all the more relatable. Your descriptions of Weber's ideologies was very clear and thoroughly explained, and I particularly liked how you connected his theories to the both American government and the president, especially since that's a very relevant topic right now. Overall, your blog was very well-structured and really demonstrated how sociological theories written in the past can still be applicable today!
ReplyDeleteHi Nichelle, the name Max Weber sounds familiar, and it is interesting to see that his philosophy around social dynamics and the effects of power in society can be applied today. Employing his definition of such a complex concept helps make it more concrete and easier to understand for me and other readers and creates credibility in your blog post for this week, his words anchoring your post to make it more reliable. Further tying his words to today’s political system helps me and other readers visualize how his words are exercised in front of our eyes, which continues to ground your purpose of informing about what power means. That last paragraph in your blog post is rather interesting, especially the first sentence about how a president can even be immune from criminal prosecution. What if that immunity is abused, or utilized as protection from a crime that violates the rights of the people they represent as president? Are there extents to which a president’s power can reach and influence the people? How can Weber’s words be applied in other world governments? Once again, this is a very interesting and informative blog post, and I applaud you for being able to construct a practical basis for me and other readers to start on when thinking about what power means.
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