Authority in Society

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Authority in Society In the early twentieth century Max Weber defined three types of authority. These are listed in the text as Traditional, Rational-Legal, and Charismatic. The text further defines authority as power that people view and respect. The Traditional Authority is defined as power legitimized by respect for long-established cultural patterns. This may not be so prevalent in today’s society but is still present in royal families. In some countries, authority is still passed down through families. The King, Queen, and Prince still pass down the governing power of England. The same is true in some African and European countries. The Rational-Legal, or bureaucratic, Authority is based on power that is accepted by rationally enacted law. This is present in our country at all levels of government. We elect the President of the United States all the way down to municipal leaders. A big difference between Traditional Authority and Rational-Legal Authority is that power is passed down in Traditional and power is taken away in Rational-Legal Authority. When a new president takes office the governing rights are taken away from the former president as that person leaves office. The last authority defined by Weber is the Charismatic Authority. This is power legitimized by the unique and rare qualities of a charismatic person. This can be a person that is favored in a specific social group or society. This authority is based on personality rather that passed down or elected. An example of Charismatic Authority person is Oprah. She is respected in society for her views internationally. They respect her opinions and she is uniquely respected in today’s society. As Weber explained, authority depends on its economy. Preindustrial societies relied on traditional authority however declined as societies industrialized. As more time
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