February 9, 2010
I. C. Wright Mills – Power Elite
a. Movement from institution to another – military, economy, political – military industrial complex
b. The social psychology of the elite – political paradigm, school
II. Jergen Habermas – German Social Philosopher – second generation critical theorist. Examples of first generation critical theorist were Adorno who was responsible for the culture industry. Marcuse (German) wrote the book “One Dimensional Man.”
a. Habermas worked on the re-construction of Historical Materialism – Marx theory (Das Capital) Capitalism = new elements—Recent Capitalism= the role of the state (government).
b. Marx Theory—a gap exists between economic and political while Habermas notes that the government (political) corrects and/or recovers economic failure—Example “The Bail-Out” ;o)
III. Jurgen Habermas
a. Max Weber + Sigmund Freud + Talcott Parsons
b. Weberian Marxists
c. Marx vs. Habermas—Marx was dealing with early capitalism (industrial capitalism) and the separation between political and institutions in economic institutions, economic analysis—economic factor alone—proletariat and bourgeoisie. Habermas focused on post-industrial society (new capitalism—information technology)—active intervention on the part of the state—interested in a social economic and cultural analysis.
d. “System” and “Lifeworld” are parts of society. System=political institution plus economic institution. Lifeworld =Communicative action.
e. Habermas = System to Lifeworld. System = Political and Economic = face-to-face interaction is not a requirement = the process of rationalization in formal organizations. Lifeworld = communicative action = face-to-face interaction plays a critical role.
http://www.cynthiagilligan.com/sociology/2~9~10.doc