Weber talked about three different types of
authority including rational, traditional and charismatic. Rational authority
is authority that is ruled by laws that people must obey; they are written that
dictate how we behave. Traditional authority is something that is rules that we
have grown up with. Something such as religion, gender roles and marriage are
things that traditional authority is. An example is following something that
your mom does, because her mom did it and her mom did it and so on. The last
type of authority that Weber defines is charismatic authority. This is
something that is common with figures in society such as President Obama or
even the Beatles; generally this type of authority is able to gain a large
following.
I think that these types of authorities still exist
in today’s society. Weber developed these theories because he felt that society
generally followed one type of authority then changed to another type. I think
that to some extent that is true today also. For me personally, all three types
of authority are prevalent in my life. Rational authority runs my life in the
way that I must obey laws that the government has in place. Tradition authority
shines through in my life by the gender roles that have been displayed in my
family throughout the years. My dad cooked and cleaned while also going to work
and my mom did the laundry and went to work. I think when I get married, those
rules will apply to my relationship, since it is what I have grown up with.
Finally, charismatic authority is in my life because of my advisor. I was sent
to her because I was in transition of majors and she helped me more than I could
have ever asked for. She inspired me, guided me and helped me with any and
every question that I had.
I chose a short video of John F. Kennedy’s speech
given on September 12, 1962. It is a very inspirational speech about America’s
dream of going to the moon. My favorite quote from this short video is when he
says, “We do things not because they’re easy, but because they are hard…” He
inspires the people of NASA to not give up on something just because it is hard;
he encourages them that the rewards will be well worth it. I think he is a
great example of someone who holds a great amount of charismatic authority
simply because he had a huge following and he was a very inspirational and
charismatic public figure.
I liked how you pointed out how each authority plays a part in your life. I think you made a good point on traditional authority because your surroundings as your growing up do affect your life as an adult. I think when people say I don't want to be like my parents you actually end up being like them without trying out of habit.
ReplyDeleteRelating J.F.K to our class disscussion is interesting. It was a short but interesting clip. Basically, the leader of the country said that we are going to go to the moon, and we did. Someone had to determine wheather or not we were going to the moon. Without bureaucracy, there wouldn't be a hierarchy of command. Without the hierarchy of command, no one would have decided who was going to do what for the "mission to the moon." Therefore; we would have never left earth.
ReplyDeleteNice post! I like your examples of the different types of authority in our society. I find it interesting that the gender roles that you explain in your household are completely opposite of society's norm, but in your home, they are traditional. It just goes to show that traditions truly vary by family. I am curious; which type of authority do you think is most prevalent in our society today? JFK was a very charismatic person, so this video clip was a good choice. Overall, interesting post!
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