Conflict and Critical Theories

Fall 2010

inanutshell

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…

Outline

Ingredients Genealogy and Branches Historical Imperatives

Varieties Frankfurt School “Public Sociology” 1950s-60s-70s Disciplinary Self-Critique Collins’ Conflict Theory

Ingredients

Genealogy and Branches Historical Imperatives

Genealogy and Branches

1920

1930

1940

1950

1960

1970

Critical Theory (Frankfurt School)

Critical Race Theory Feminist Theories QueerTheories

“Conflict Theory” “Public

Sociology”

Conflict theories

Critical Etc. TheoryCritical Legal Studies

R. CollinsConflict Sociology

1920

1930

1940

1950

1960

1970

Marx(class struggle)

(ideology)(consciousness)(critical, false)

Clausewitz(1780-1831)

War…policy…other means

Machiavelli(1469-1527)

GenealogyHobbes

(1588-1679)

Darwin(1809–82)

Spencer(1820-1903)

Goffman(1922-82)

(impression mgt)

Erikson(1902-94)

(identity crisis)

Simmel(1858-1918)Conflict as

sociation

Weber(power)

(class, status, power)(legitimacy)

Freud

Horkheimer(1895-1973)

Adorno(1903-69)

Malthus(1766 –1834)

Critical Race Theory Feminist Theories QueerTheories

Game Theory(Schellling)

Mills(1916-62)

Reisman(1909-2002)

Conflict theories

Collins (b1941)

Critical Etc. TheoryCritical Legal Studies

Russian Revolution, etc. Great

Depression

WWII, Cold War, 1950s

Durkheim(ritual)

Marcuse(1898 – 1979)Haberm

as(b1929)

Historical Imperatives (1920-50)

Russian Revolution, great depression, Stalin, WWII, fascism, cold war, US becomes world power, the bomb, civil rights, breakdown of colonialism

WWI, Bolshevik Revolution Change Playing

Field for Left

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).

Strickland video 0:00-2:45

Simmel

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.

Weber

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.

Freud and Erikson

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.

Malthus & Darwin

Struggle for survival, competition for resources

Goffman

Social life as impression management and strategic interaction

von Neumann &Morgenstern

Theory of Games and Economic Behavior (1944)

Varieties

Frankfurt School “Public Sociology” 1950s-60s-70s Disciplinary Self-Critique Collins’ Conflict Theory

Frankfurt School

Summer 1922 group of independent thinkers convene to discuss Marxism.

Inspired organizing formal setting for same purpose.

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)

Institute for Social Research (1923-33)

Horkheimer & Adorno

Habermas

Public Sociology 1950s & 60s

Disciplinary Self-Critique

Collins’ Conflict Sociology