Introduction to Sociology Dersi 4. Ünite Sorularla Öğrenelim

How can we define the term “politics” and what is the origin of it?

Politics, etymologically origins from Ancient Greek “politika” and “police” as city, urban meaning “urban politics” meaning “state affairs”. In today’s meaning, politics can be described as governance of a country, state, and people.

What are the basic needs of society in functionalist approach?

In functionalist approach, society is evaluated in terms of basic needs. The state has emerged as a necessity within the society. These needs are: 1. Maintaining order 2. Relations with other states/governments 3. Directing the system

What is political sociology?

Political sociology is the “study of power and the intersection of society and politics”. Unlike political science, political sociology is a sociological branch “which is concerned with the social causes and consequences of given power distributions within or between societies, and with the social and political conflicts that lead to changes in the allocation of power”. In other words, it is a sub-discipline that analyses “political authority’s institutional regulations, of functions of political authority and transformation of political system”.

How do political science and political sociology differ?

It can be differentiated as follows: While political science is concerned with how public administration and administrative organizations will work efficiently, political sociology is concerned with oppression and constraining elements of bureaucracy. As a result, political sociology is interested in interrelations with individuals, society and institutions in general and social conditions of politics, how politics is being affected by social life, relations with other social institutions and etc.

What does the term Democracy refer to?

Democracy is generally seen as the political system, which is most able to ensure political equality, protect liberty and freedom, defend the common interest, meet citizens’ needs, promote moral self-development and enable effective decision-making, which takes everyone’s interests into account.

How can the term social democracy be defined?

Social democracy can be defined as a hybrid political tradition that is inspired by socialist ideals and an existing political atmosphere and determined by liberal values.

What does pluralist approach claim to explain?

Pluralist perspective to politics in society is “closely linked to structural-functionalist theory” and it is “an analysis of politics that sees power as spread among many competing interest groups” Pluralist approach, claims to explain the power and distribution of power in Western democratic societies. There are two versions of pluralism, which are classical pluralism and elite pluralist approach.

What is globalization?

Globalizations is a process that has an impact on the world’s economic, cultural domains. Thus, globalization affects not only cultural and economic domains, but also the political domain as well. Developments in communications technology and extraordinary improvements led to post-industrial social structures. Global economy exceeds the borders of national economies and reshaping as transnational economies. All sorts of economic, cultural, political changes have mostly global impacts.

How can the term “state” be defined and what are the types of it?

Weber defined the state as “a human community that (successfully) claims the monopoly of the legitimate use of physical force within a given territory”

There are different types of states:

1. Authoritarian state: It can be defined as the government of a powerful figure or a group.
2. Totalitarian state: In totalitarian states, all institutions are totally controlled. This type of the state is deprived of legitimization. In order to control society as a whole, any kind of violence and fear can be used.

What are the types of democracy?

Democracy has two main different models:

1. Participatory democracy: It is the democracy that principally every citizen actively participates in the government and where population is relatively less.
2. Representative democracy/liberal democracy: In representative democracy there are political systems where “decisions affecting a community are taken, not by its members as a whole, but by people they have elected for this purpose”

What is authority and what are the types of it?

Authority is a particular type of domination; and it is legitimate. There are 3 types of authority:

Traditional authority: Authority based on the belief in long-running traditions is traditional authority.

Charismatic authority: It is based on the devotion of followers or subordinates to what they define as the exceptional characteristics of a leader. These characteristics are mostly seen as “supernatural, super-human, or at least exceptional compared to lesser mortals”

Rational-legal authority: Those who possess rational-legal authority are legitimated on the basis of legally enacted rules and the right of those with authority under those rules to issue commands.

What does the term laicism mean?

Laicism, is the separation of religious and state affairs; it comprises more than this conventional definition of the term. Laicism involves freedom of thought and faith. However, in a given society, even though freedom of thought and faith is ensured, laicism may not exist. In this sense, “a laic social order is a social order that every person from diverse religions and beliefs, on equal conditions, observing the same regulations, not distinguishing any religious privileges and supremacy”

How can political science be defined?

In the Dictionary of Sociology, political science is defined as an academic discipline which examines power and distribution of power in various types of political systems. A more inclusive definition is that “it is a science of institutions related to political authority and behaviors playing role in the formation and functioning of these institutions”

What are the major features of the social democratic?

Social democracy is a subsidiary of social state. “The major features of the social democratic stance are the following:

• Social democracy endorses liberal democratic principles and accepts that political change can and should be brought about peacefully and constitutionally.
• Capitalism is accepted as the only reliable means of generating wealth; socialism therefore, is not qualitatively different from capitalism.
• Capitalism is nevertheless viewed as morally defective, particularly as a means for distributing wealth; capitalism is associated with structural inequality and poverty.
• The defects of the capitalist system can be rectified by the state through a process of economic and social engineering; the state is the custodian of public or common interest.
• The nation-state is a meaningful unit of political rule, in the sense that states have a significant capacity to regulate economic and social life within their own borders”.
• By redefining itself, social democracy gained power in the second half of the 20th century against neoliberalism in continental Europe. However, at the start of the 21st century, these achievements have weakened. Social democracy could not adapt itself over neoliberalism in terms of changing social and economic conditions, and because of the hegemonic policies of neoliberalism, social democracy declined.

What is socialism?

Socialism emerged after rapid impoverishment of a vast majority of people due to industrialization in the 19th century, as working class formed an ideological construction. In other words, socialism emerged “as a critique of liberal market society and was defined by its attempt to offer an alternative to industrial capitalism”. Marshall (1998) defines socialism as “an economic and political system based on collective or state ownership of the means of production and distribution- although, like capitalism, the system takes many and diverse forms”.

What does legitimacy mean?

Legitimacy does not mean any power to be ruling as means of elections or utilizing force or power of sanction; legitimacy requires the recognition through consent.

What is paternalism?

Paternalism might resemble a father figure starting from the 19th century, particularly “a father from a more kindly and stable time, superimposed on the image of a boss” .According to Sennett “this picture of authority is paternalism, as high capitalism constructed it”. Paternalism is mostly seen in authoritarian regimes or where democratic values and culture are not established in a given society. In Turkey as well, the state is seen as a “father” in political culture; some leaders who have charismatic and/or traditional authority could be seen as a “father” portrait.

What are the main approaches in sociology covering politics?

There are 4 main approaches in sociology covering politics. The first one is functionalist approach, second is pluralist approach, third is elite theory, and fourth is Marxist-conflict theory.

What is ideology?

Ideology is a world-view and it avails us to understand the social world from different standpoints. Ideologies are efforts to interpret social facts and realities in social life. Ideology, is one of the concepts used frequently in social sciences.

What does elite theory rely on?

Elite theory relies on the idea of small and elite groups governing the society. In other words, elite theory “sees power in society as being monopolized by a small minority (or elite)”. It is a political theory that is developed by Wifredo Pareto and Gaetano Mosca. For Mosca, all societies are divided into two: rulers and ruled. Ruling classes are minority and ruled classes are majority.