Power Relationships (AQA GCSE Sociology)
Revision Note
Written by: Raj Bonsor
Reviewed by: Lucy Vinson
Everyday power relationships
Everyday relationships, including those in homes, workplaces, and classrooms, can involve the exercise of power
People enter power relationships when they try to control or influence other people's behaviour
Inequalities in power between individuals and groups are the basis for power relationships
For example, between children and parents, students and teachers, the public and the police
Factors such as social class, gender, sexuality, race, age, disability, religion and beliefs may affect power relationships
Politics & the exercise of power
Politics involves the exercise of power and power relationships
Sociologists are interested in:
the influence of governmental power on society
how the distribution of power leads to social conflicts
Different political systems have different distributions of power
Democracy
The political system in many countries, including the UK, is founded on democracy
Power is shared widely in a democratic society, and the government's authority is based on consent or rational legal authority rather than force
Dictatorship
A dictator who rules by coercion holds a disproportionate amount of political power
Under a dictatorship, the media is censored, and propaganda efforts are used to promote the dictatorship's agenda and win over supporters
Representative democracy
In a representative democracy, citizens elect representatives who make political decisions on their behalf
In UK general elections, voters in a constituency each cast one vote or ballot
Most candidates belong to a political party, such as Labour, Conservative or the Liberal Democrats
The candidate who receives the most votes is elected as that constituency's Member of Parliament (MP)
First-past-the-post is the name given to this kind of electoral system
Proportional representation
In an alternative electoral system, proportional representation (PR), seats are allocated in proportion to the number of votes cast
For example, if a party wins over 50% of the vote, it wins over 50% of the seats and can form a government
331 of 650 MPs elected in 2015 won their seat with less than half of the vote in their constituencies
PR is argued to be a fairer system as it gives minority parties and independent candidates a better chance of winning seats in Parliament
The state
The state, which includes the military, police, and judiciary, is a key component of the political process and is responsible for organising and regulating society
The role of state institutions is to make, implement and enforce laws
In the UK, the state has authority over England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales
The Northern Irish Assembly, the Scottish Parliament, and the Welsh Assembly now have some state authority
The UK government
The government refers to MPs who are ministers that are selected by the prime minister, who is leader of the governing political party, e.g. Labour
Despite being a part of the state, the police, military, and legal system operate independently of the government
The role of the state
The study of power and the state can be divided into two main schools of thought: pluralism and the conflict approach
Their opinions on how power is used and distributed in society differ
The Pluralist Approach | The Conflict Approach |
|---|---|
This approach argues that a range of competing interests and pressure groups exists in society | This approach argues that those in powerful positions within the state tend to come from privileged backgrounds |
No one group always gets its way or controls decision-making | Marxists argue that it is the bourgeoisie who have power in capitalist society |
Instead of taking sides, the state should serve as a neutral referee | The state's job is to safeguard the bourgeoisie's interests |
All citizens' needs are met, and various interests are regulated | This group's economic dominance gives it political power, so state policies generally benefit its members |
The role of pressure groups
The pluralist view
According to pluralists, new social movements, protest movements, trade unions, and pressure groups are essential to democracy
The goal of pressure groups and emerging social movements, like Black Lives Matter, is to bring about social change by challenging the status quo (the current situation)
Protest movements organise direct action, for example, to protect the environment
Examples of such movements include Extinction Rebellion or Just Stop Oil
As a result, all opinions and interests can be heard and represented, and citizens can take part in the political process
The conflict view
The conflict view argues that society is based on conflicting interests between different groups
Some key groups, such as large corporations have enough power, staff and financial resources to be able to influence government policies
The possession of resources, wealth, and property is the foundation of some groups' power
They gain status as a result, and they can control decision-making and have a greater impact on policymakers
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