Functions of major social institutions

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Functions of major social institutions

• Economic system functions organize and regulate
  the production, distribution and consumption of
  goods and services latent functions reproduce
  the stratification system and maintain social
  inequality.
• Political system maintain internal as well as
  external order by exercising power and authority.
• Dysfunction state coercion, nationalism

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Two Ways of Defining Economic Systems

• In terms of levels of development, subsistence
  technology and predominating economic sectors.
• 1. Hunting and gathering stone, wood,
  hands (subsistence economy the volume of food
  produced is just enough to meet survival needs.)
• 2. Horticultural/pastoral iron,
  domesticated
  
  animals and crops
• 3. Agrarian sickle, hoe, animal
  draw-plowing
  farming, irrigation agriculture
• 4. Industrial machine power, electric,
  petroleum,
• nuclear power,
  mass production
• 5. Post-industrial automation,
  microelectronics,
  computerization, robotization.

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Different types of economic systems

• In terms of the ownership of the means of
  production
• 1. Primitive communal sharing no private
  ownership of resources.
• 2. Slavery ownership of human labor
• 3. Feudalism ownership of land
• 4. Capitalism ownership of capital
• 5. Socialism resources owned by state
• Communism?

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Differences between the Capitalist system and the
Socialist system

• Socialism
• 1. State and public ownership
• 2. Planned economy
• 3. Centralized control of economy by government
• 4. Ideologies profits are immoral, property is
  evil, everyone should have the right for basic
  things in life

• Capitalism
• 1. Private ownership
• 2. Market economy
• 3. Free competition, no government control
• 4. Ideologies encourage people to strive for
  profits and personal property.

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Convergence theory

• Mixed economy Economic system has both the
  elements of capitalism and socialism.
• The major difference between the two ends of the
  continuum is ideology differences.

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American Economic System

• During Industrial Stage
• Individual capitalism
• Laize-faire capitalism
• Competitive capitalism

• During Post-industrial stage
• Corporate capitalism
• Welfare capitalism
• monopoly capitalism

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Effects of the Transition on Society

• Concentration of economic power e.g. monopoly,
  conglomerate, oligopoly, intercorporate control
  a network of communication between different
  corporations.
• Restricted competition
• Workers alienation (separation or workers form
  their work product, the feeling of powerlessness,
  indifference to work). Declining importance of
  union, stockholders revolt
• Greater inequality, interlocking directorate
  membership in board of directors in several
  companies.

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Why is the Transformation?

• The World System (Wallerstein 1976) All
  countries, through trade and exchange, in terms
  division of labor, operate as a single economic
  system. Different nations take different roles in
  the system, become interdependent.
• Core nations tertiary economy
• Semi-peripheral nations secondary economy
• Peripheral nations primary economy
• It operates through multinationalization
• treaties,
  agreements

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Factors Contributing to the Formation of the
Global System

• Historical industrialization has left a gap in
  level of development between countries.
• Technology microelectronics, computerization,
  robotization, make transportation and
  communication easier.
• Physical and Social environment availability of
  natural and human resources
• Political the end of the Cold War,
• favorable environment for economic
  development.

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The Effects of the World System

• On Societies
• the concentration of economic and political power
• Restricted competition
• U.S. economic dominance declines
• Larger gaps between nations
• Increase inequality in the host countries
• Damage economic growth of national economy in
  host countries
• Long-terms effects on developing countries.

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Effects of the Global System

• On Individuals
• Displacement of manufacturing workers
• Increase in service jobs and professional jobs.
• Middle-class shrinking
• Increased inequality
• Increased Womens Labor Force participation
• education and information more important
• workers' alienation

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Political Systems

• Major sociologic concerns
• the source of power,
• the exercise of power,
• the distribution of power,
• and the relationship between government and
  people

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The source of power (authority)

• Charismatic power power based on individual
  attributes and personal charm.
• Traditional power power based on long
  established custom.
• Legal Rational Power laws, legal procedure

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The source of power determines the type of
government

• Authoritarian government people are excluded
  from political process, and one or a few in
  control.
• Totalitarian government the government not only
  control politics, but all other aspects of
  peoples life.
• Democratic government

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Problems Concerning the Political System

• Ideal decentralized, small, democratic
• Reality 1. centralized form of government
• a power elite
• 2. Growing federal bureaucracy expanded
  government employment increase,
• expenditure grows fast
• 3. Declining voting turn-out gender, social
  status, and racial/ethnical differences
• voter apathy vs increasing number PACs and
  lobbyists

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The American system

• Power elite model power is concentrated in the
  hands of a few people who are big corporate
  leaders, military and political leaders.
  (conflict perspective)
• Pluralist model power is dispersed among
  different interest groups that are represented in
  the government, decision is made based on
  negotiation and compromised of the
  representatives. (functionalist perspective)

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Political-Economic Ideologies

• Hunting -gathering subsistence economy,
  non-market
• Agrarian feudalism, mercantilism
• Industrial free market, free competition
  capitalism
• Socialism centralized control, command
  economies,
• Post-industrial knowledge and information is
  central
• to economic development,
  growth in service,
• welfare system
• Democratic socialism major economic
  organizations
• owned by the state, but economic
  decision made
• democratically, but allow private
  ownership

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Social Organization of Work

• Human relations formal organization and goals
  are affected by patterns of informal
  organizations, cooperation and teamwork.
• Work place democracy
• Micro-level study
• professionalization of occupations,
• professional socialization for informal
  norms.

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Conditions for Democratic Systems

• high level of economic development
• the literacy level informed citizens
• diffusion of power among groups
  and organizations
• cultural heritage for individualism
• political culture that legitimize the democratic
  system and its institutions.
• the existence of opposition force

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Democratic systems

• the Iron Law of Oligarchy rule by a few people
  who stay in office indefinitely
• parliamentary democracy
• representative democracy
• The American system