Weber's authority

This file is for students of Sociology and Political Science. It describes authority and it's classifications.

1. 3 TYPES OF AUTHORITY Traditional Charismatic Rational- legal Prepared by: Debolina Ghosh M.A. (Eng), M.A.(Sociology) NTA NET Qualified (Sociology) Contact for U.G. & P.G. Classes : 9836060417 MAX WEBer (1864- 1920)

2. What is Authority?

3. Weber defines authority as legitimate forms of domination, that is, forms of domination which followers or subordinates consider to be legitimate. Legitimate does not necessarily imply any sense of rationality, right or natural justice. Rather, domination is legitimate when the subordinate accept, obey and consider domination to be desirable, or at least bearable and not worth challenging. It is not so much the actions of the dominant that create this, but rather the willingness of those who believe in the legitimacy of the claims of the dominant .

4. Weber outlines three major types of legitimate domination: traditional, charismatic, legal or rational . These 3 forms do not constitute the totality of types of domination but they show how it is possible for some people to exercise power over others. Authority extends and maintains power and shows a study of its origins can show how people come to accept this domination as a regular and structured phenomenon. These are ideal types, with any actual use of power being likely to have aspects of more than one type of authority, and perhaps even other forms of power such as the use of force or coercion. Three types of authority are discussed here:-

5. Traditional Authority

6. Traditional Authority is the type of authority where the traditional rights of a powerful and dominant person or group are accepted, or at least not challenged, by subordinate individuals, by subordinate individuals . These could be:- a) religious , sacred or spiritual forms b) well established and slowly changing culture or c) tribal, family and clan type structures. The dominant individual could be a priest, clan leader, family head or some other patriarch, or a dominant elite might govern. In many cases, traditional authority is buttressed by culture such as myths or connection to the sacred, symbols such as cross or flag, and by structure and institutions which perpetuate this traditional authority. In Weber’s words, this traditionalist domination “ rests upon a belief in the sanctity of everyday routines” . Ritzer notes that “ traditional authority is based on a claim by the leaders, and a belief on the part of the followers, that there is virtue in the sanctity of age- old rules and powers.”

7. Different types of traditional authority might be 1) gerontocracy or rule by elders, 2) patriarchy where positions are inherited. Gerth and Mills observed that patriarchy is by far the most important type of domination, the legitimacy of which rests upon tradition . Sydie notes that, the power of the patriarch is a personal prerogative. He is able to exercise power without restraint, ‘ unencumbered by rules’, at least to the extent that he is not ‘limited by tradition of by competing powers’ . This type of authority may have few limits to the exercise of domination and to those in modern societies the means by which people are selected for positions or the practices carried out may appear irrational. Weber considers a more modern form to be 3) patrimonialism or rule by administration or military force. A fourth type of authority is 4) feudalism . This is a more routinised form of rule, with “contractual relationship between leader and subordinate.”

8. For Weber , traditional authority is a means by which inequality is created and preserved. Where no challenge to the authority of the traditional leader is likely to remain dominant. Marx might argue that there are economic reasons for such dominance, but Weber would be more likely to claim that commonly accepted customs or religion constitute the underlying source of such authority. Status honour is accorded to those with traditional forms of power and this status helps maintain dominance. Weber notes that traditional authority blocks the development of rational or legal forms of authority.

9. Charismatic Authority

10. Weber defines Charismatic Authority as “resting on devotion to the exceptional sanctity, heroism or exemplary character of an individual person, and of the normative patterns or order revealed or ordained by him.” That is, charisma is a quality of an individual personality that is considered extraordinary. Weber considers charisma to be a driving force that surges through traditional authority. The sole basis of charismatic authority is the recognition or acceptance of the claims of the leader by the followers. While it is not systematic, it can be revolutionary, breaking traditional rule and can even challenge legal authority. Ritzer notes, “ Although Weber did not deny that a charismatic leader may have outstanding characteristics, his sense of charisma is more dependant on the group of disciples and the way that they define the charismatic leader”.

11. Charismatic authority can easily degenerate into traditional authority. Bit if a charismatic leader originally claims that traditional forms of authority are to be disregarded, this is a revolutionary claim. Ritzer comments that “authority legitimised by charisma rests on the devotion of followers to the exceptional sanctity, heroism or exemplary character of leaders as well as on the normative order sanctioned by them. All of these modes of legitimising authority clearly imply individual actors, thought processes and actions”. While this form of authority may seem much less solidly based than economic power, rationality or legality, or the use of physical force or coercion, they are no less real as source of power.

12. Charisma has shortcomings as a long term source of authority, but it can be quite effective during the lifetime of the charismatic leader . If it is to be continued, it has to be transformed into a traditional or legal form of authority. In addition it may be exercised in an irrational manner, preventing the development of more rational forms, especially those leading to capitalism. There is also a possibility that administration of charismatic authority leads to the development of legal and rational authority.

13. Legal or Rational Authority

14. This is authority or legitimate domination resting on “ rational grounds __ resting on a belief in the legality of enacted rules and the right of those elevated to authority under such rules to issue commands .” There are various ways that legal authority could develop. Systems of convention, laws and regulation develop in many societies, and there are many different principles of legality that occur. The development of law in the West leads to establishment of a legal system, such that there is rule of law, written legal codes, legal rights and rules, and the “ professionalised administration of justice by persons who have received their legal training formally and systematically .” In the West, Weber connects these forms to the development of rationality and bureaucracy. Other legal forms in societies in other parts of the world could develop in quite a different direction, perhaps blocking the development of rationality.

15. With the development of a rational legal system, there is likely to be a political system which becomes rationalised in a similar way. Associated with this are constitutions, written documents, established offices, regularised modes of representation, regular elections and political procedures . These are developed in opposition to earlier systems such as monarchies or other traditional forms, where there are no well developed set of rules. As a political or legal system develops in this rational manner, authority takes on a legal form. Those who govern or rule either have, or appear to have, a legitimate legal right to do so. Those who are subordinate within this system accept the legality of rulers, believing they have the legitimate right to exercise power.

16. This rational legal form of authority may be challenged by those who are subordinate. This challenge is generally unlikely to result in dramatic changes in the nature of the system very quickly. For Weber, such struggles need not be class based though, but could be based on ethnic struggles, nationalism etc and these are mainly political struggles. The extent to which this is true would have to be tested in each particular situation. Some of the current political struggles would appear to be class based, other concerned with states or other concerns. The farmers wished to have their market situation improved, and this could be interpreted as a Weberian class based struggle.

17. Weber viewed the future as one where rational – legal types of authority would become more dominant. While a charismatic leader or movement might emerge, the dominant tendency was for organizations to become more routinised , rational and bureaucratic. It is in this sense that legal authority can be interpreted. In modern societies, authority is in large part exercised on the basis of bureaucracies

18. THANK YOU Prepared by: Debolina Ghosh M.A. (Eng), M.A.(Sociology) NTA NET Qualified (Sociology) Contact for U.G. & P.G. Classes : 9836060417