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¶ … Rules America?' By G. William Domhoff
Does the book primarily rely on a structural, symbolic interactionist or conflict theoretical perspective to understand and explain the behavior or event it is studying.
Discuss what your book has to say about social inequality, whether social economic, gender, race, ethnicity or age.
If your book describes a social problem or an undesirable condition in society, discuss the a) discrepancy between the actual and the ideal, b) intended and unintended consequences, and c) "moral crusader."
Domhoff, G. William. Who Rules America? Power and Politics in the Year 2000.
William Domhoff's Who Rules America is an insightful look into the sociology of modern America. Written from a conflict and structural functionalist perspective, the book largely feels that individual choices are determined by society. Dumhoff suggests that the root of most social inequalities comes from the existence of a power elite that control social and economic power in the United States.
Dumhoff argues that America's upper class has obtained social and economic power through contemporary American politics. He notes that social inequality, whether attributed to gender, race, ethnicity...
Dumhoff notes that a few wealthy individuals (power elite) control the United States. He notes that these power elites tend to dominate both the government and the economy, effectively ruling the political and social system of the U.S.
Domhoff's analysis is clearly not based on the symbolic-interactionist perspective. His analysis relies very little on the classical symbolic -interactionist view that the interaction between individuals forms the basis of society. His book certainly does not comply with the symbolic-interactionist belief that individuals are partially free to make their own social words. As such, the author can be seen as taking a much more determinist approach than the symbolic -interactionist theory would allow.
Domhoff's analysis has a clear basis in conflict theory. He clearly believes that groups within society compete for what appear to be unequal power and scarce resources. As a result, he argues that the ruling elite is in conflict with the poorer in American society. He sees society as a struggle between the different groups, all who have different self-interests. Further, the author considers human beings to be largely constrained by society, another…
Works Cited
Domhoff, G. William. Who Rules America? Mayfield Pub. Co., 2000.
Rahm Emmanuel, the son of an Israeli immigrant, fits the elite 'profile' less well but was highly prominent in the Clinton Administration, thus reflecting a 'hold over' of power rather than a radical break with the previous Republican administration. Emmanuel also has an MA from Northwestern University. Obama senior advisor David Axelrod was a prominent member of the Chicago media and has a degree from the University of Chicago.
Putnam (2000) suggests that trust already exists within societies, when clearly there is evidence that it does not exist, and that people are not confident in who is in control (Domhoff, 2005). Putnam (2000) argues that it is important to have a strong and very active and aggressive civil society within the United States to consolidate democracy. Many of the traditions of independent civic engagement have been lost according
SOCIOLOGY - HOW WORKING-CLASS PEOPLE EXPERIENCE BOTH STRUCTURAL AND CULTURAL BARRIERS TO UPWARD MOBILITY. The American Dream is a popular cultural fiction that drives many Americans to work hard and persistently for upward mobility. Unfortunately, structural and cultural barriers show that the American Dream is too often a myth for the working class. The works of G. William Domhoff and Barbara Ehrenreich give two valuable perspectives on the obstacles that many
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