Sociological Aspect THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

B. Sociological Aspect

Since R. Wellek and A. Warren’s second classification that sociology of literary work which concerns about social content and social purpose of the literary work. Thus, in this study, the writer analyzes song lyric Mosh. Mosh has been released in 2004 which is intended to criticize the current President of U.S.A, George W. Bush who has don some hypocrisy in hi administration. Many people have criticized his terms and policies. Thus, some aspects are often criticized by people are:

a. Power and Authority

In any society, someone or some group makes important decisions about how to use resources and how to allocate goods, whether it be a tribal chief of parliament or dictator. A cultural universal common to all societies, then, is the exercise of power and authority. Inevitably, the struggle for power and authority involves politics. In their study of politics and government, sociologists are concerned with social interactions among individuals and groups and their impact on larger political and economic order. Power lies at the heart of a political system. According to Max Weber, power is the ability to exercise one’s will over others. Weber developed his conceptualization of power in the early 1900’s; he focused primarily on the nation-state and its sphere of influence. 15 Power as the ability to exercise one’s will over others is now exercised on a global as well as national stage, as countries 15 Richard T. Schaefer, Sociology: A Brief Introduction, 6 th edition New York: McGrawhill, 2006, p. 367. and multinational corporation vie to control access to resources and manage the distribution of capital. Many of treated power as a scarce object, like any material good, so that there is a total sum of power, and more power for one group means less power for another. This view, often an assumption rather than an explicit definition is frequently associated with a definition of power as control over the behavior of others. According to James B. McKee, one older approach to the concept of power is that of power elite, a small group that controls the positions of authority and monopolizes the processes of decision making. Power, thus, is never to be conceptualized apart from authority, which is the right to make a decision. For example, when a president vetoes a bill, he exercises the authority of his office, as does the legislature when it votes on a bill. 16 The term authority refers to institutionalized power that is recognized by the people over whom it is exercised. Sociologists commonly use the term in connection with those who hold legitimate power through elected or publicly acknowledged positions. A person’s authority is often limited. Thus, a referee has the authority to decide whether a penalty should be called during a football game, but has no authority over the price of tickets to the game. Max Weber saw authority as the legitimate form of domination there were illegitimate forms as well, which he defined as the “probability that certain 16 James B. McKee, Introduction to Sociology, New York: Holt, Renehart Winston, inc, 1969, p. 457. specific commands or all commands will be obeyed by a given group of persons”. 17

b. War and Peace

Conflict is a central aspect of social relations. Too often it becomes ongoing and violent, engulfing, innocent bystanders as well as intentional participants. Sociologists Theodore Caplow and Louis Hicks have defined war as conflict between organizations that possess trained combat forces equipped with deadly weapons. This meaning is broader that legal definition, which typically requires a formal declaration of hostilities. 18

i. War

Perhaps the most critical issue is war, armed conflict among the people of various countries, directly by their government. 19 Sociologists approach war in three different ways. Those who take a global view study how and why two or more nations become engaged in military conflict. Those who take a nation-state view stress the interaction of internal political, socioeconomic, and cultural forces. And those who take a micro view focus on the social impact of war on individuals and groups they belong to. The internal decision-making process that leads to war have been much studied. From a micro point of view, war can bring out the worst as well as the best in people. 17 George Ritzer, Encyclopedia of Social Theory, California: Sage Publication, 2005, p.19. 18 Richard T. Schaefer 2006, Op. cit. p.374. 19 John J. Macionis, Society the Basics, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1996, p. 289. ii. Peace Sociologists have considered peace both as the absence of war and as a proactive effort to develop cooperative relations among nations. 20 While we focus here on international relations, we should note that in the 1900s, 90 percent of the world’s armed conflicts occurred within rather than between states. Often, outside powers are involved in these internal conflicts, either as supporters of particular actions or in an attempt to broker a peace accord. Sociologists and other social scientists who draw on sociological theory and research have tried to identify conditions that deter war. One of their findings is that international trade acts as a deterrent to armed conflict. As countries exchange goods, people, and then cultures, they become more integrated and less likely to threaten each other’s security. Another means of fostering peace is activity of international charities and activists group called non-governmental organizations NGOs. Finally, many analysts stress that nations cannot maintain their security by threatening violence. Peace, they contend, can best be maintained by developing strong mutual security agreements between potential adversaries.

c. Terrorism

Terrorism is violence or the threat of violence employed by an individual or group as a political strategy. Paul Johnson offers three insights about terrorism. First, terrorism tries to paint violence as a legitimate political tactic, ignoring the fact that such acts are condemned by virtually by every society. Second, terrorism Richard T. Schaefer 2006, Op. cit. p.376. is employed not jut by groups but also by governments against their own people. Third, although democratic principles oppose state terrorism, democracies are especially vulnerable to terrorism because these governments afford extensive civil liberties to their people and have limited police networks. 21 Acts of terror, whether perpetrated by a few or by many people, can be a powerful political force. Formally defined, terrorism is the use or threat of violence against random or symbolic targets in pursuit of political aims. For terrorists, the end justifies the means. They believe the status quo is oppressive, and desperate measures are essential to end the suffering of the deprived. Convinced that working through the formal political process will not effect the desired political change, terrorists insist that illegal actions often directed against innocent people are needed. Ultimately, they hope to intimidated society and thereby bring about a new political order. 22 The terrorists may wish to keep secret their individual identities, but they want their political messages and goals to receive as much publicity as possible. Since September 11, 2001, governments around the world have renewed their efforts to fight terrorism. Though the public has generally regarded increased surveillance and social control as a necessary evil, these measures have nonetheless raised governance issues. For example, some citizens in United States and elsewhere have questioned whether measures such as the USA patriot Act of 2001 threaten civil liberties. Citizens also can complain about the heightened John J. Macionis 1996, op. cit, p. 288. 22 Richard T. Schaefer 2006, op. cit, p. 376. anxiety created by the vague alerts issued by the federal government from time to time.

C. Figure of Speech