FREE Pluralism Essay (original) (raw)

"Pluralism can never exist in its purest form." Discuss with reference to elitism and Marxism.
Many major sociological theories are concerned with the distribution of power in society and view those with power as controlling the society. In this essay I will be examining the way pluralism, elitism and Marxism view the distribution of power in society as well as why it is argued that pluralism cannot exist in its purest form.
Pluralists, such as Weber, believe that direct democracy is impractical in modern, complex societies and that representative democracy is the best way to ensure all interest are represented. Pluralism defines two key factors that ensure representation of all interest groups as competing political parties providing a choice of government policies and pressure groups influencing political decisions. Pluralists view the state as necessary to maintain democracy by promoting political liberty. For example, freedom of speech and holding regular free elections provides everyone in society with the opportunity to express their opinion on political issues. Hence Britain, from this perspective can be categorized as a pluralist society as it conforms to all of the above criteria.
Pluralism in its purest form would consist of all of the different interest of society being equally represented by political parties and pressure groups involved in decision making. Pluralists, such as Dahl, view those making or influencing decisions as having power, therefore pluralism in its purest form would mean that power is divided amongst several groups rather than being monopolised by one.
There are however several criticisms of pluralism. By simply viewing power as held by those making decisions, as in Lukes" first face of power, pluralism ignores the importance of the other faces of power; setting the agenda and manipulating the views of others. For example, it is argued that only government have power as they set the agenda and thus choose which issues are to be decided on so it is irrelevant who is then involved in the decision making.

1. Pluralism

The dictionary defines pluralism as "a form of society in which the members of minority groups maintain their independent cultural traditions." Pluralism can also be described by the phrase the "melting pot," in which a place where races, theories, and cultures are blended together. ... "In 1860, there had been 49 cities over 10,000 in population; by 1900 there were 645," (www.expo98.msu.edu) Still, to some, pluralism presented a problem. ... However, the idea of pluralism and for what America stands for freedom were gone and their rights lost. ...

2. Monism and Pluralism

Monism and pluralism both are examples of materialism. ... Pluralism is a theory that states that ultimately, there are many kinds of substance, not just one. ... Aristotle and Aquinas explained the pluralism of beings by composition. ... It is more of a pluralism theory. ... Pluralism states that more than one basic stuff makes up the universe. ...

3. Pluralism & Elitism

In the United States, to understand politics, one must first understand the theories of pluralism and elitism. ... The theory of pluralism requires one to understand the groups that exist within the United States. ... Pluralism also allows for more ideas to be seen and for more groups to have a chance for its views to be expressed. ... However, politicians also need the vote of the masses, or the group (pluralism), to stay in office. ... Elitism, in my opinion, definitely runs this country, although pluralism cannot be disregarded completely....

4. Pluralism in a Patriotic America

The assortment of government interest parties is cultivated by the pluralism of the government at the federal, regional, and local levels. ... Everyone has the right to free speech in America, so it is necessary to have pluralism to allow every faction and group be allowed the opportunity to voice their opinion. ... We have pluralism to make sure that people's viewpoints are represented via factional groups that then transmit that viewpoint to the representatives in Congress and Senators. ... However, pluralism can make it difficult to get legislation enacted because different political ...

5. Theology - Pluralism and Inclusivism

These brackets are exclusivism, inclusivism and pluralism. Many a times, critics of pluralism say that pluralists are not true Christians because they do not take their faith seriously. ... The third bracket mentioned was that of Pluralism. Pluralism defines God as divine and mysterious. ... A way to understand pluralism better is imagining a mountain with the peak being God. ...

6. Marxism versus pluralism

Marxism and Pluralism are two theories which espouse particular views of the state which, on initial inspection, appear to be in opposition to each other. However, certain aspects of Pluralism's pressure groups reflect the economic drive of the state as demonstrated by Marx. ... Pluralism suggests that it is this which is good for democracy, firstly because opposing groups provide checks and balances for each other; for example, while Greenpeace may lobby for higher road taxes, oil consortiums argue against them, therefore both viewpoints are presented to the state, as a neutral decision...

7. Americans

What It Means To Be An American An examination of Walzer's views of American pluralism and exceptionalism. ... Walzer seems to believe strongly in the compatibility of pluralism with national unity. ... His vision of American pluralism is as multifaceted as is the pluralism itself. ... The pluralism of identities is of paramount importance. ... Ultimately, the practice of pluralism is not as simple as to theorize its existence or to imagine its implications. ...

8. Conservation of Races

To relate "The Conservation of Races" to our American Pluralism course, we must first define pluralism. "Pluralism is a condition in which numerous distinct ethnic, religious, or cultural groups are present and tolerated within a society. ... Dubois's definition of race and his idea of all the races working together to benefit humanity takes the definition of pluralism to another level. The study of American Pluralism is the study of all of the different cultural groups in America and how they interact. Dubois" view of American Pluralism in "The Conservation of Races" is that the races, ...

9. Who, if anyone, exercises power in the contemporary world?

Pluralism The pluralists believe that the in democratic political system everybody is represented in the political process. ... Dahl, the most prominent pluralist theorist, defines pluralism as the "struggle of individuals and groups to gain autonomy in relation to the control of other" (Dahl, 1986, p. 244). ... Kelso talks about three types of pluralism: Laissez-faire Pluralism, Corporate Pluralism and Public Pluralism (Kelso, 1978, pp. 5 -6). Laissez-faire pluralism is how Kelso defines the "classical" pluralist theory as expressed by Robert Dahl and others. ... As we can see in this de...

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