Book Theme: Pathway to Meltdown

Ah, bureaucracy – that endless hallway of never-ending paperwork and thick red tape. Weber introduced the idea of bureaucracy claiming that it is the most rational form of organization and domination, but it was not without its negative side. Take a look at the key components of bureaucracy and then answer the following questions.

Like Marx, Weber was also interested in how societies were stratified along class lines. However, unlike Marx, Weber suggests that class and status are distinct from one another. Whereas class can be identified objectively, status is something that is more socially determined. Read the excerpt carefully and then ponder the following questions.

In One-Dimensional Man, Herbert Marcuse serves up a scathing indictment of advanced industrial society. He is particularly critical of consumerism, which he argues contributes to the creation of “false needs” and the perpetuation of social control. As you read the excerpt, ask yourself: has much changed since Marcuse was writing? Then, answer the following questions.

In Toward a Rational Society, the Frankfurt School theorist Jurgen Habermas argues that modern societies are increasingly characterized by a tension between technology and the social life-world. As you read the excerpt, think about how Habermas explains this tension and what he thinks needs to be done to fix the problem. Then, answer the following questions.

The beginning of Michel Foucault’s Discipline and Punish is grim. Its vivid portrait of the torture and execution of Robert François-Damiens illustrates just how far the modern penal system has come. However, Discipline and Punish is not just a book about prisons – it is also about how we discipline and control our bodies. Answer the following questions after completing the reading.

Many of the scholars of rationality included in this text (Weber, Ritzer, Bauman, etc.) emphasize the destructive nature of rationality. Graeber has a different perspective: rationality, without visionary leadership, becomes trivialized, distracting us from truly transformative social change. After you complete the reading, please respond to the questions below.