Political sociology is a branch of sociology concerned with political groups and leadership in society. It is the study of the relationship between politics and society in general. While there is disagreement about the exact nature of political sociology’s proper focus, most experts agree that the concept of power — i.e., who holds, wields, achieves, and seeks power, particularly within the state and/or civil society — is a central concern.
Because of the constant interplay and power struggle between the two groups, the relationship between the state and civil society is often seen as a key point of study. The state, in general, refers to government and centralized power, which is most often denoted by militarized and legislative authority, whereas civil society refers to organizations such as businesses, churches, and unions. The role of the individual, as well as the concept and interplay of power between the state and civil society, must be considered.
Social class theory, elite theory, and pluralism are the three main theories in political sociology. Power is examined in terms of which societal class controls the prevailing means of economic production in social class theory, which is often associated with Marxist theory. Elite theory is a theory that asserts that power is concentrated in a few elite groups and societies. Power is seen as being distributed and shared throughout society and institutions in pluralism.
In a book review of Alleyne Ireland’s “The Far Eastern Tropics,” the term “political sociology” first appeared in print in 1905. Its origins, however, can be traced back to the nineteenth century, with Moisey Ostrogorsky and Max Weber widely credited as its founders. Ostrogorsky was a Belorussian political scientist and sociologist who was well-known for his theories on political parties and party systems. Weber was a German historian, sociologist, and political economist whose influence on social theory was well-known.
Karl Marx is also frequently associated with political sociology, particularly in terms of his theory of economic determinism, due to his extensive research into socioeconomic systems and class struggles. In the United States, political sociology reached its pinnacle in the 1960s and 1970s. Today’s sociology concentrations tend to focus on minorities, sex, and gender.