Sociology / Unit 9 Soc 1483 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Authority
Captions available
The idea
Authority is power that people accept as legitimate, obeyed because it is seen as rightful rather than merely imposed.
In practice
A driver pulls over for a police officer's lights but would refuse an order unrelated to the officer's role.
Where people slip
Authority is a claim people happen to accept, not a property automatically attached to any office or title.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
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