StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

How Marx, Weber, and Durkheim would Propose to Maintain Social Order - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
 This essay describes the question, "how is social order maintained?" The essay analyses a social order is maintained according to Weber, Marx, and Durkheim. That process can be studied, understood and even used in the real world, but it is never done quite easily as it can be studied. …
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER95.5% of users find it useful
How Marx, Weber, and Durkheim would Propose to Maintain Social Order
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "How Marx, Weber, and Durkheim would Propose to Maintain Social Order"

How Marx, Weber and Durkheim would propose to maintain social order Some have argued that underlyingall sociological theory is the question, "how is social order maintained?" Contrast how Marx, Weber, and Durkheim have answered this question. Introduction In the field of sociology, there are perhaps no greater influences than the thoughts and ideas presented by Karl Marx, Max Weber and Émile Durkheim. Their contribution to the understanding of social systems and the workings of society have been debated, discussed and written about ever since they first gave their ideas to the world. While their ideas may be popular to more or less the same degree, they actually take very different positions on how order is maintained in society. At the same time, there are certain similarities between the thoughts of these philosophers which can be discussed if an examination is made of each thinker’s ideas. Karl Marx Of the three sociologists mentioned in the question, Marx is the one who gives sociology the meaning of conflict. Even though his philosophical and moral discourses covered a wide range of topics, his ideas about class conflicts between the workers of the world and those who control the means of production were the ones which made him famous. The struggle between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie coupled with the dominance of the bourgeoisie doesn’t actually maintain social order since such a system is inherently instable according to Marx because a struggle between these classes is inevitable (McLellan, 1973). Similar to the functionalist ideas presented by Durkheim, Marx presented the function of the bourgeoisie to control society because they controlled the means of production in the system. On the other hand, the proletariat simply has to depend on working as labor for the bourgeoisie simply because it is their natural function. While there is conflict between these classes, it is not necessarily evil or a step on the way to a revolution since the two classes can live with ease under a capitalist system which provides opportunities for all parties (Avineri, 1968). Unlike the other two sociologists mentioned in the question, Marx is perhaps the most misunderstood and misinterpreted of all philosophers since his philosophies and social ideas were changed by others enough in his own lifetime to lead him to declare that he was not a Marxist. While conflict and revolution were discussed by Marx extensively he considered them to be natural processes and the functional results of a capitalist or feudal system. Once a revolution happens and the struggles subside, a Marxist society would evolve into a classless system which remains in perfect harmony (McLellan, 1973). Revolutions could also be brought about by those who believed in the ideas presented by Marxist or related philosophies. The world was able to see how Marxist philosophy affected society and how a social revolution could turn violent with the events of the October Revolution in 1917 which led to the victory of the Russian Bolsheviks. As a matter of fact, Marxist ideas of sociology and social order affected nearly every region of the world before and after the Second World War and still hold sway over the remaining communist countries (Avineri, 1968). Max Weber The second German sociologist on the list is Maximilian Weber but unlike Karl Marx, Weber takes a very different approach to the concept of how social order is maintained. Religion plays a dominant role in the ideas presented by Weber but it can not be denied that his ideas are very applicable and representative of how modern western countries have taken shape. Being an anti-positivist, he takes an opposing view to Durkheim, especially in his famous essay The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism which deeply connects which the social influences and the sociology of religion as well as the relation between economy and religions (Iannaccone, 1998). In the simplest of terms, social order and society itself is maintained by the elected government or any other governing authorities with a total monopoly can control over the use of force. In fact, statehood and the legitimacy of the state comes from having total control over how and when force can be used to bend the will of other individuals to its own (Wolfgang, 1992). This also leads to a similar position to Karl Marx who suggests that conflict is inherent in a capitalist system and revolutions can come about when the proletariat rises against the hegemony of the state. Weber’s definition of states and the maintenance of social order can be easily applied to how governments function at the basic level today. Force and punishment is the sole purview of state authorities while individuals who use force against others on their own are liable to be prosecuted, captured and punished for said use of force. In effect, even if the unauthorized use of force by an individual was for revolutionary reasons as suggested by Marxist thought, it would be severely punished and might even be called treason which leads to the ultimate penalty (Wolfgang, 1992). The difference between Weber and Marx is made obvious by the idea that Weber supports the capitalist system and thinks it is a natural state of affairs which must be established for the growth and development of a society, Marx thinks that the capitalist system is an artificial creation which can lead to the exploitation of the working classes. Additionally, while a lot of Weber’s philosophy is focused on the systems and positive influences on social as well as economic setups of a society due to religion (Wolfgang, 1992), on the other hand, Marx does not think that religion plays a great role in boosting the social setup and in fact it acts as a tool for the control of the proletariat by the bourgeoisie (McLellan, 1973). The control of society and maintenance of the social order is helped significantly by the creation of a bureaucracy which not only concerns the government and resource allocation of a country but may also permeate into other areas of the society at large. Social organizations, local groups and even informal clubs may create their own systems of bureaucracy which are rational methods to control individuals with laws and rules. The hierarchy of individuals with greater and greater power over a given system has been established in many western systems which include everything from the publicly traded company to a large government department with thousands of employees (Wolfgang, 1992). Like Marx, Weber did not think that such a system would be efficient by any means since bureaucracy leads a society away from being action oriented to being goal oriented and these goals may never be reached. Additionally, bureaucratic systems have a tendency to expand themselves and trap people in rules and regulations which must be followed or punishments can ensue (Wolfgang, 1992). While a light level of bureaucracy can be helpful for the system and create a good governance system for a nation it can also act as too much of a good thing. Judging by the historical examples, it can be said that Max Weber turned out to be more pragmatic than Marx or Durkheim simply because he foretold that the over dominant bureaucracy could become the ruling class where rules and laws would lead to the collapse of the system. This certainly happened in the case of Russia where the politburo reforms and the removal of a free market system led to a state where the union simply could not hold itself together. If we examine the works of Durkheim, it can be said that he would suggest that the bureaucracy as a social body could not perform its function. Émile Durkheim Durkheim’s ideas represent a mixture of the ideas of conflict and stability presented by Marx as well as the ideas concerning religion and society as presented by Weber. A lot of the work presented by Durkheim was concerned with the representation that religious dogma came from social influences more than divine injunctions and a significant portion of his writings deals with how social organizations maintain their basic functions in a society where a common religion and ethnic background could not be ensured (Iannaccone, 1998). For instance, the issue of immigration has changed the social structure as well as the majority/minority equations in many pockets around the country and Durkheim’s ideas are very applicable in these cases in maintaining and upholding the social order as well as a stable social system. Using a scientist’s approach the idea of social stability, Durkheim saw society as an organism where different parts of the system had different functions to perform. As long as the functions were performed with efficiency and without too much waste, a social setup could continue to exist in perfect harmony without conflict or a breakdown in services. However, if there was a breakdown it would have to be fixed quickly or the entire system could collapse (Lukes, 1985). Unlike the approach taken by Weber, Durkheim did not focus on the role of the individual in society but rather on the role of the groups which make up society what it is. Durkheim coined the term social facts which point towards a phenomenon that have an existence of their own and are not dependent on the work done by any person. Perhaps the strongest fact which a society adheres to is the division of labor which separates men and women into different positions within a social order (Lukes, 1985). This social role in turn, becomes their individual function for a society, social group or a family structure which maintains the order in the system. Conclusion Given the depth of the ideas which the three sociologists have presented the world, this analysis is merely a cursory look at how a social order is maintained according to Weber, Marx and Durkheim. In fact, a complete comparison of these philosophers as well as the ideas presented by them would require the production of a book or several volumes. However, if a person takes a glance at the social suggestions made by these philosophers, it becomes clear that removing present conflicts and the control of emerging conflicts are essential towards the establishment and maintenance of a social order. Additionally, once a social order is given a state of equilibrium, it becomes necessary to maintain that state with delicate balancing of powers, responsibilities and accountability systems which form a part of the social order. That process can be studied, understood and even used in the real world, but it is never done quite easily as it can be studied. Works Cited Lukes, S. Emile Durkheim: His Life and Work. Stanford University Press, 1985. Iannaccone, L. “Introduction to the Economics of Religion.” Journal of Economic Literature 36.1(1998): 1465–1496. Wolfgang. M. The Political and Social Theory of Max Weber. University of Chicago Press, 1992. McLellan, D. Karl Marx: His Life and Thought. Macmillan, 1973. Avineri, S. The Social and Political Thought of Karl Marx. Cambridge University Press, 1968. Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“How Marx, Weber, and Durkheim would Propose to Maintain Social Order Essay”, n.d.)
Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/sociology/1537576-how-marx-weber-and-durkheim-would-propose-to-maintain-social-order
(How Marx, Weber, and Durkheim Would Propose to Maintain Social Order Essay)
https://studentshare.org/sociology/1537576-how-marx-weber-and-durkheim-would-propose-to-maintain-social-order.
“How Marx, Weber, and Durkheim Would Propose to Maintain Social Order Essay”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/sociology/1537576-how-marx-weber-and-durkheim-would-propose-to-maintain-social-order.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF How Marx, Weber, and Durkheim would Propose to Maintain Social Order

Conjunctiva in Contact Lens Wear

lease add a new paragraph as follows:-Program of research and investigation: -Under this heading, I would like you to write aboutTo Clearly State the research problem, research key questions, sub question or hypotheses or key issues that will be tested or addressedThis research will perform its investigation to describe the possible effects of lens wearing on 20 candidates to discuss the conjunctival hazardous effects (if present) and either confirm or deny the hypothesis in question....
5 Pages (1250 words) Research Proposal

Emile Durkheim's Theories on Education and Morality

The French society intended to shape the students in order to meet society's needs while the American society used the laissez-faire approach to education.... ccording to Filloux, Durkheim emphasized the general needs of the individual in order to recognize the function of a social phenomenon (304).... In order to be called a moral person, Durkheim stated that the individual has to abide by a norm (23) and "act in terms of the collective interest" (xi)....
8 Pages (2000 words) Research Proposal

Symptoms Related to Autism

Leo Kanner in 1943 when he held that autism is a neurological brain disorder that affects children before the age He further added that the disease targets those areas of the brain responsible for social integration, language, abstract and creative thinking.... The symptoms of autism include social impairment, poor communication skills (both verbal and non-verbal), and through repetitive, stereotyped and repetitive behaviour (APA, 2000).... As explained above autism is a neurological brain disorder characterized by communication impairment, social impairment and repetitive, restricted or stereotyped behaviour....
9 Pages (2250 words) Research Proposal

Team Working and Effectiveness in Health and Social Care

The main objective of this project “Team Working and Effectiveness in Health and social Care” is to establish a practice development work thus enhancing and promoting good teamwork and effectiveness as an important aspect in improving health and social care outcomes.... hellip; The desired outcome of the project is to identify the tools and ideas for attaining good teamwork and effectiveness in both social and health care facilities....
5 Pages (1250 words) Research Proposal

Equal Standards between Local and International Students in the Australian Universities

The research aims to get to know whether the Australian universities are well regulated to maintain equal standards between local and international students prior to and after admission.... nbsp; Various researches have been done on an educational related topic about the Australian system of education and how it is controlled....
8 Pages (2000 words) Research Proposal

Why You Should Implement a Customer Relationship Management System

However, students rely on all of these business divisions in order to guarantee a high-quality educational experience.... nbsp;  The recommendation provided is to implement CRM software that would give all three departments the visibility they require to successfully service the student, therefore improving relationships and college marketing image.... Unlike most traditional campuses that have face-to-face networking capabilities, the online campus is heavily reliant on the impression that is given to potential (and current) students by means of how the business presents itself....
9 Pages (2250 words) Research Proposal

How Social Media Culture Can Be Changed to Curb Loss of Information

The author of the paper "How social Media Culture Can Be Changed to Curb Loss of Information" will begin with the statement that social media are the networks, applications, and virtue communities through which people create and exchange data, information and ideas.... hellip; social media not only produces millions of feeds from the users but also encounters a very high rate of losing information.... There are tools to monitor social media which have to be developed to counter the lack of durability of information and data in social media....
9 Pages (2250 words) Research Proposal

How Parental Care Activities at Home Influence Social Skills Development of Children

… The paper “How Parental Care Activities at Home Influence social Skills Development of Children in Early Childhood Education” is an excellent example of a research proposal on education.... The parents perform a vital role in the life of a young child, specifically during the early years; an opportunity that later determines the physical, psychological, and social progress of the child in the future.... The paper “How Parental Care Activities at Home Influence social Skills Development of Children in Early Childhood Education” is an excellent example of a research proposal on education....
10 Pages (2500 words) Research Proposal
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us