Define each of Weber's three types of authority and give an example of each
What will be an ideal response?
Traditional authority is power that is legitimized on the basis of long-standing custom. In
preindustrial societies, the authority of traditional leaders, such as kings, queens,
pharaohs, emperors, and religious dignitaries, is usually grounded in religious beliefs and
custom. Members of subordinate classes obey a traditional leader's edicts out of
economic and political dependency and sometimes personal loyalty. As societies
industrialize, traditional authority is challenged by a more complex division of labor and
by the wider diversity of people. Charismatic authority is power legitimized on the basis
of a leader's exceptional personal qualities or the demonstration of extraordinary insight
and accomplishment that inspire loyalty and obedience from followers. Charismatic
authority tends to be temporary and relatively unstable? it derives primarily from
individual leaders (who may change their minds, leave office, or die) and from an
administrative structure usually limited to a small number of faithful followers. The
most stable form of authority is rational–legal authority, which is legitimized and
encoded in written laws and regulations. With rational–legal authority, the power is
invested in the position or office, not in the individual person who occupies it.
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Critics of Durkheim's definition of religion argue that a. he was an atheist and not qualified to study religion. b. his underlying assumptions about how to approach the study of religion are wrong. c. the combination of characteristics Durkheim attributed to religious activity can be found in many"nonreligious" activities
d. he failed to make a clear distinction between the sacred and the profane.
_________ can be ideas, markings, things, etc., that carry meanings beyond themselves to others who share in the culture.
Fill in the blank(s) with the appropriate word(s).
The authority structure of most large organizations today is ______.
A. coercive B. informal C. transformational D. bureaucratic
The United States utilizes which type of government?
A. democracy B. dictatorship C. oligarchy D. representative democracy