Jeffrey C. Alexander
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780195160840
- eISBN:
- 9780199944156
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195160840.001.0001
- Subject:
- Sociology, Culture
This book presents a new approach to how culture works in contemporary societies. Exposing our everyday myths and narratives in a series of empirical studies that range from Watergate to the ...
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This book presents a new approach to how culture works in contemporary societies. Exposing our everyday myths and narratives in a series of empirical studies that range from Watergate to the Holocaust, it shows how these unseen yet potent cultural structures translate into concrete actions and institutions. Only when these deep patterns of meaning are revealed, it argues, can we understand the stubborn staying power of violence and degradation, but also the steady persistence of hope. By understanding the darker structures that restrict our imagination, we can seek to transform them. By recognizing the culture structures that sustain hope, we can allow our idealistic imaginations to gain more traction in the world.Less
This book presents a new approach to how culture works in contemporary societies. Exposing our everyday myths and narratives in a series of empirical studies that range from Watergate to the Holocaust, it shows how these unseen yet potent cultural structures translate into concrete actions and institutions. Only when these deep patterns of meaning are revealed, it argues, can we understand the stubborn staying power of violence and degradation, but also the steady persistence of hope. By understanding the darker structures that restrict our imagination, we can seek to transform them. By recognizing the culture structures that sustain hope, we can allow our idealistic imaginations to gain more traction in the world.
William Bain
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- April 2004
- ISBN:
- 9780199260263
- eISBN:
- 9780191600975
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199260265.003.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, International Relations and Politics
Begins by giving an outline of the idea of trusteeship as presented by P. H. Kerr, and then as viewed against a background of the opposite idea—that of liberty, as considered by J. S. Mill. It states ...
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Begins by giving an outline of the idea of trusteeship as presented by P. H. Kerr, and then as viewed against a background of the opposite idea—that of liberty, as considered by J. S. Mill. It states the purpose of the book is to interrogate the character of trusteeship as an idea of international society, to investigate the assumptions, claims, and justifications that render it intelligible as a recognized and settled mode of human conduct in international life. It contends that the character of trusteeship is discernible in full relief at the intersection of two dispositions of human conduct: the good of assisting persons in need, and the good of respecting human autonomy. The first part of the chapter is a general discussion of the idea of trusteeship in contemporary international society, and it ends by commenting that, since the 11 September attacks, there is very little about the Bush administration's claims that would be out of place in the age of empire—an age in which trusteeship was the most obvious outward manifestation of a similarly righteous mission to propagate the virtue of civilization and to eradicate its enemies. The remaining three sections of the chapter discuss the idiom of Oakeshottian conversation in which the book is written, the international society/English School theoretical tradition in which the book is situated, and the character of trusteeship, which is intelligible in a particular relation of virtue, inequality, and tutelage.Less
Begins by giving an outline of the idea of trusteeship as presented by P. H. Kerr, and then as viewed against a background of the opposite idea—that of liberty, as considered by J. S. Mill. It states the purpose of the book is to interrogate the character of trusteeship as an idea of international society, to investigate the assumptions, claims, and justifications that render it intelligible as a recognized and settled mode of human conduct in international life. It contends that the character of trusteeship is discernible in full relief at the intersection of two dispositions of human conduct: the good of assisting persons in need, and the good of respecting human autonomy. The first part of the chapter is a general discussion of the idea of trusteeship in contemporary international society, and it ends by commenting that, since the 11 September attacks, there is very little about the Bush administration's claims that would be out of place in the age of empire—an age in which trusteeship was the most obvious outward manifestation of a similarly righteous mission to propagate the virtue of civilization and to eradicate its enemies. The remaining three sections of the chapter discuss the idiom of Oakeshottian conversation in which the book is written, the international society/English School theoretical tradition in which the book is situated, and the character of trusteeship, which is intelligible in a particular relation of virtue, inequality, and tutelage.
George Klosko
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199270200
- eISBN:
- 9780191699467
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199270200.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Theory
Liberal theory seeks agreement on political principles in spite of the moral, religious, and philosophical diversity of contemporary societies. This book breaks new ground in developing principles ...
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Liberal theory seeks agreement on political principles in spite of the moral, religious, and philosophical diversity of contemporary societies. This book breaks new ground in developing principles from research on liberal citizens' attitudes towards rights and liberties, distributive justice, and religious beliefs. Because liberal citizens do not generally accept strong individual rights or strongly egalitarian principles of distributive justice, the principles of liberal consensus must be based on almost universal support for democratic political systems and democracy as a value. The details of central liberal principles, including those bearing on democracy itself, must be worked out by appropriate democratic procedures.Less
Liberal theory seeks agreement on political principles in spite of the moral, religious, and philosophical diversity of contemporary societies. This book breaks new ground in developing principles from research on liberal citizens' attitudes towards rights and liberties, distributive justice, and religious beliefs. Because liberal citizens do not generally accept strong individual rights or strongly egalitarian principles of distributive justice, the principles of liberal consensus must be based on almost universal support for democratic political systems and democracy as a value. The details of central liberal principles, including those bearing on democracy itself, must be worked out by appropriate democratic procedures.
Jeffrey C. Alexander
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780195160840
- eISBN:
- 9780199944156
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195160840.003.0010
- Subject:
- Sociology, Culture
This introductory chapter discusses the theme of this volume, which is about social life and cultural sociology. The chapters in this volume can be considered as adventures in the dialectics of ...
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This introductory chapter discusses the theme of this volume, which is about social life and cultural sociology. The chapters in this volume can be considered as adventures in the dialectics of cultural thought as they move back and forth between theorizing and researching, between interpretations and explanations, between cultural logics and cultural pragmatics. This volume presents a new approach for understanding how culture works in contemporary societies and shows how some unseen cultural structures translate into concrete actions and institutions.Less
This introductory chapter discusses the theme of this volume, which is about social life and cultural sociology. The chapters in this volume can be considered as adventures in the dialectics of cultural thought as they move back and forth between theorizing and researching, between interpretations and explanations, between cultural logics and cultural pragmatics. This volume presents a new approach for understanding how culture works in contemporary societies and shows how some unseen cultural structures translate into concrete actions and institutions.
Misa Izuhara (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9781847422057
- eISBN:
- 9781447301424
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Policy Press
- DOI:
- 10.1332/policypress/9781847422057.001.0001
- Subject:
- Sociology, Gerontology and Ageing
With socio-economic and demographic changes taking place in contemporary societies, new patterns of family relations are forming partly due to significant family changes, value shifts, precariousness ...
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With socio-economic and demographic changes taking place in contemporary societies, new patterns of family relations are forming partly due to significant family changes, value shifts, precariousness in the labour market, and increasing mobility within and beyond national boundaries. This book explores the exchange of support between generations and examines variations in contemporary practices and rationales in different regions and societies around the world. It draws on theoretical perspectives and empirical analyses to discuss both newly emerging patterns of family reciprocity and more established ones which are affected by changing opportunities and pressures in contemporary societies. The book is split into two parts: the first reviews key theoretical and conceptual debates in this field, while the second offers new insights and an understanding of exchange practices based on case studies from different regions and different relationships.Less
With socio-economic and demographic changes taking place in contemporary societies, new patterns of family relations are forming partly due to significant family changes, value shifts, precariousness in the labour market, and increasing mobility within and beyond national boundaries. This book explores the exchange of support between generations and examines variations in contemporary practices and rationales in different regions and societies around the world. It draws on theoretical perspectives and empirical analyses to discuss both newly emerging patterns of family reciprocity and more established ones which are affected by changing opportunities and pressures in contemporary societies. The book is split into two parts: the first reviews key theoretical and conceptual debates in this field, while the second offers new insights and an understanding of exchange practices based on case studies from different regions and different relationships.
Steve Swayne
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- May 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195388527
- eISBN:
- 9780199894345
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195388527.003.0020
- Subject:
- Music, History, American, History, Western
This chapter considers Schuman's various attempts to use his position and influence to extend his ideas of music education, musical diplomacy, and American contemporary music. It looks at the ...
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This chapter considers Schuman's various attempts to use his position and influence to extend his ideas of music education, musical diplomacy, and American contemporary music. It looks at the establishment of the BMI Student Composer Awards and Schuman's pressure upon the managers of the Metropolitan Opera Association and the New York Philharmonic to perform American music. Also striking is Schuman's role in brokering a number of mergers: 1) the National Institute of Arts and Letters with the American Academy of Arts and Letters; 2) the High School of Music and Art and the High School of Performing Arts; and 3) the International Society of Contemporary Music (U.S. Section) and the League of Composers. The chapter ends by looking at Schuman's Credendum, commissioned by the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO.Less
This chapter considers Schuman's various attempts to use his position and influence to extend his ideas of music education, musical diplomacy, and American contemporary music. It looks at the establishment of the BMI Student Composer Awards and Schuman's pressure upon the managers of the Metropolitan Opera Association and the New York Philharmonic to perform American music. Also striking is Schuman's role in brokering a number of mergers: 1) the National Institute of Arts and Letters with the American Academy of Arts and Letters; 2) the High School of Music and Art and the High School of Performing Arts; and 3) the International Society of Contemporary Music (U.S. Section) and the League of Composers. The chapter ends by looking at Schuman's Credendum, commissioned by the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO.
Christopher Bjork
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- May 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780226309385
- eISBN:
- 9780226309552
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226309552.003.0005
- Subject:
- Education, Educational Policy and Politics
Chapter five looks closely at the specific challenges relaxed education presented to Japanese elementary schools, and documents their impact on the learning opportunities provided to children. ...
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Chapter five looks closely at the specific challenges relaxed education presented to Japanese elementary schools, and documents their impact on the learning opportunities provided to children. Evidence presented in this chapter indicates that elementary school teachers cultivated the academic abilities and mental dispositions identified by both conservative and progressive critics as those required for success in contemporary society. The analysis provided indicates that elementary teachers managed to meet the goals for yutori kyoiku precisely because they were not subject to the examination pressures pervasive in secondary schools.Less
Chapter five looks closely at the specific challenges relaxed education presented to Japanese elementary schools, and documents their impact on the learning opportunities provided to children. Evidence presented in this chapter indicates that elementary school teachers cultivated the academic abilities and mental dispositions identified by both conservative and progressive critics as those required for success in contemporary society. The analysis provided indicates that elementary teachers managed to meet the goals for yutori kyoiku precisely because they were not subject to the examination pressures pervasive in secondary schools.
Julian Johnson
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195146813
- eISBN:
- 9780199849246
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195146813.003.0001
- Subject:
- Music, Philosophy of Music
Classical music is currently undergoing apparent devaluation and this has consequences as a legitimation crisis. Assessing the relevance in the postmodern, plural, and multicultural world is merely ...
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Classical music is currently undergoing apparent devaluation and this has consequences as a legitimation crisis. Assessing the relevance in the postmodern, plural, and multicultural world is merely the starting point for examining classical music's claim to a distinctive value. This book's questions are not just all about music but they are about the nature of contemporary culture because change in perception to music is not that huge, at least compared to changes in cultural practices, values, and attitudes. Central to this argument is the attitude about classical music that makes it appear marginal to contemporary society. Also included in this book is how different people find different styles of music articulate in different values that correlates or contradicts other areas affecting both individually and collectively.Less
Classical music is currently undergoing apparent devaluation and this has consequences as a legitimation crisis. Assessing the relevance in the postmodern, plural, and multicultural world is merely the starting point for examining classical music's claim to a distinctive value. This book's questions are not just all about music but they are about the nature of contemporary culture because change in perception to music is not that huge, at least compared to changes in cultural practices, values, and attitudes. Central to this argument is the attitude about classical music that makes it appear marginal to contemporary society. Also included in this book is how different people find different styles of music articulate in different values that correlates or contradicts other areas affecting both individually and collectively.
Gabriel Rockhill and Alfredo Gomez-Muller (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- November 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780231151870
- eISBN:
- 9780231526364
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Columbia University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7312/columbia/9780231151870.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Political Philosophy
This book of tightly woven dialogues engages prominent thinkers in a discussion about the role of culture-broadly construed-in contemporary society and politics. Faced with the conceptual inflation ...
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This book of tightly woven dialogues engages prominent thinkers in a discussion about the role of culture-broadly construed-in contemporary society and politics. Faced with the conceptual inflation of the notion of ‘culture,’ which now imposes itself as an indispensable issue in contemporary moral and political debates, these dynamic exchanges seek to rethink culture and critique beyond the schematic models that have often predominated, such as the opposition between “mainstream multiculturalism” and the “clash of civilizations.” This book examines the politics of culture and the spirit of critique from three different vantage points. To begin, it provides a stage-setting dialogue, followed by discussions with two major representatives of contemporary critical theory. Working at the horizons of this tradition, the text then moves on to provide important critical perspectives on cultural politics. The book's concluding section engages on the Rawlsian tradition yet it is uniquely concerned with the issue of culture, broadly understood. The epilogue returns to the core issue of critical theory in cultural politics. Ranging from recent developments and progressive interventions in critical theory to dialogues that incorporate its insights into larger discussions of social and political philosophy, this book sharpens old critical tools while developing new strategies for rethinking the role of ‘culture’ in contemporary society.Less
This book of tightly woven dialogues engages prominent thinkers in a discussion about the role of culture-broadly construed-in contemporary society and politics. Faced with the conceptual inflation of the notion of ‘culture,’ which now imposes itself as an indispensable issue in contemporary moral and political debates, these dynamic exchanges seek to rethink culture and critique beyond the schematic models that have often predominated, such as the opposition between “mainstream multiculturalism” and the “clash of civilizations.” This book examines the politics of culture and the spirit of critique from three different vantage points. To begin, it provides a stage-setting dialogue, followed by discussions with two major representatives of contemporary critical theory. Working at the horizons of this tradition, the text then moves on to provide important critical perspectives on cultural politics. The book's concluding section engages on the Rawlsian tradition yet it is uniquely concerned with the issue of culture, broadly understood. The epilogue returns to the core issue of critical theory in cultural politics. Ranging from recent developments and progressive interventions in critical theory to dialogues that incorporate its insights into larger discussions of social and political philosophy, this book sharpens old critical tools while developing new strategies for rethinking the role of ‘culture’ in contemporary society.
Husband Charles and Alam Yunis
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9781847428011
- eISBN:
- 9781447303381
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Policy Press
- DOI:
- 10.1332/policypress/9781847428011.003.0004
- Subject:
- Sociology, Urban and Rural Studies
This chapter describes the emergence of the term Islamophobia in the British context, and deconstructs this term in order to better understand the elements that may be interacting in shaping people's ...
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This chapter describes the emergence of the term Islamophobia in the British context, and deconstructs this term in order to better understand the elements that may be interacting in shaping people's perception of contemporary events, and possibly driving feelings of antipathy and even hatred. Next, it explores the internal dynamics of Islamophobia. The populist anti-Muslimism can clearly draw on social imaginaries that have their roots in centuries of stereotype formation and in concrete relations of dominance and subjugation. Anti-Muslimism serves contemporary personal and political needs, and its power lies not in the internal coherence of its discourses, but rather in the eclectic possibilities for co-option to different agendas that this semi-ideology provides contemporary British society with. The fusion of the sociopolitical and the social-psychological dynamics provides a qualitatively different understanding of the resilience and potential political potency of anti-Muslimism.Less
This chapter describes the emergence of the term Islamophobia in the British context, and deconstructs this term in order to better understand the elements that may be interacting in shaping people's perception of contemporary events, and possibly driving feelings of antipathy and even hatred. Next, it explores the internal dynamics of Islamophobia. The populist anti-Muslimism can clearly draw on social imaginaries that have their roots in centuries of stereotype formation and in concrete relations of dominance and subjugation. Anti-Muslimism serves contemporary personal and political needs, and its power lies not in the internal coherence of its discourses, but rather in the eclectic possibilities for co-option to different agendas that this semi-ideology provides contemporary British society with. The fusion of the sociopolitical and the social-psychological dynamics provides a qualitatively different understanding of the resilience and potential political potency of anti-Muslimism.
Amos N. Guiora
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- January 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780199331826
- eISBN:
- 9780199347254
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199331826.003.0006
- Subject:
- Law, Human Rights and Immigration, Public International Law
This chapter examines contemporary social tensions, based on interviews with a broad range of both subject matter and country-specific experts conducted in Holland, Norway, the UK, and Israel. It ...
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This chapter examines contemporary social tensions, based on interviews with a broad range of both subject matter and country-specific experts conducted in Holland, Norway, the UK, and Israel. It considers the very nature of society in order to provide a snapshot of the tensions between society and extremist groups and individuals. Interview responses and dialogue varied depending on the tensions within each country, its history, and the particular perspective of the interlocutor. There was disagreement over whether extremism posed a danger; among those who viewed extremism as posing a danger, opinions varied widely on how and when to minimize its impact.Less
This chapter examines contemporary social tensions, based on interviews with a broad range of both subject matter and country-specific experts conducted in Holland, Norway, the UK, and Israel. It considers the very nature of society in order to provide a snapshot of the tensions between society and extremist groups and individuals. Interview responses and dialogue varied depending on the tensions within each country, its history, and the particular perspective of the interlocutor. There was disagreement over whether extremism posed a danger; among those who viewed extremism as posing a danger, opinions varied widely on how and when to minimize its impact.
Marek Korczynski
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- August 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780801451546
- eISBN:
- 9780801454813
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Cornell University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7591/cornell/9780801451546.003.0001
- Subject:
- Sociology, Occupations, Professions, and Work
This introductory chapter briefly examines the nature of popular music in contemporary society and music's link to workplace cultures and workplace resistance. It uses Christopher Small's “musicking” ...
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This introductory chapter briefly examines the nature of popular music in contemporary society and music's link to workplace cultures and workplace resistance. It uses Christopher Small's “musicking” to denote social practices that involve music. Understanding the meaning of popular music in the factory can help develop knowledge about the nature of the use and role of popular music in contemporary advanced capitalism. In studying social practices of hearing and using contemporary popular music in monotonous social structures, the chapter also uses concept of multitonous musicking, which involves a way of using music to be both with and against a monotonous social structure. It is a dialectical form of musical practice that is rooted in the context of the monotonous social structure. It is also a form of musicking that allows the enactment of the social order within the monotonous while also allowing the expression of a spirit of resistance to that social order.Less
This introductory chapter briefly examines the nature of popular music in contemporary society and music's link to workplace cultures and workplace resistance. It uses Christopher Small's “musicking” to denote social practices that involve music. Understanding the meaning of popular music in the factory can help develop knowledge about the nature of the use and role of popular music in contemporary advanced capitalism. In studying social practices of hearing and using contemporary popular music in monotonous social structures, the chapter also uses concept of multitonous musicking, which involves a way of using music to be both with and against a monotonous social structure. It is a dialectical form of musical practice that is rooted in the context of the monotonous social structure. It is also a form of musicking that allows the enactment of the social order within the monotonous while also allowing the expression of a spirit of resistance to that social order.
John Baxendale
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- July 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780719072864
- eISBN:
- 9781781700662
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Manchester University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7228/manchester/9780719072864.003.0002
- Subject:
- History, Cultural History
This chapter discusses Priestley as a serious writer with a message. Situating Priestley in the literary culture of his time, it argues that far from being an old-fashioned writer he was in many ways ...
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This chapter discusses Priestley as a serious writer with a message. Situating Priestley in the literary culture of his time, it argues that far from being an old-fashioned writer he was in many ways a very modern one. It was in his fame and popularity, his omnipresence in the developing mass media, that much of this modernity lay. It also investigates the idea of the ‘middlebrow’, its origins in the cultural warfare of the 1920s and 1930s, and its implications for literary and cultural values. It argues that Priestley, like other so-called middlebrows, was pursuing one of the writer's time-honoured duties: to provide a critical commentary on contemporary society for a wide audience. This multifaceted democratic debate is the underlying theme of Priestley's long writing career.Less
This chapter discusses Priestley as a serious writer with a message. Situating Priestley in the literary culture of his time, it argues that far from being an old-fashioned writer he was in many ways a very modern one. It was in his fame and popularity, his omnipresence in the developing mass media, that much of this modernity lay. It also investigates the idea of the ‘middlebrow’, its origins in the cultural warfare of the 1920s and 1930s, and its implications for literary and cultural values. It argues that Priestley, like other so-called middlebrows, was pursuing one of the writer's time-honoured duties: to provide a critical commentary on contemporary society for a wide audience. This multifaceted democratic debate is the underlying theme of Priestley's long writing career.
Jeffrey Williams and Heather Steffen (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- November 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780231161152
- eISBN:
- 9780231530736
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Columbia University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7312/columbia/9780231161152.001.0001
- Subject:
- Literature, Criticism/Theory
This anthology asks thirty-six leading literary and cultural critics to elaborate on the nature of their profession. These credos boldly defend the function of criticism in contemporary society and ...
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This anthology asks thirty-six leading literary and cultural critics to elaborate on the nature of their profession. These credos boldly defend the function of criticism in contemporary society and showcase its vitality in the era after theory. Chapters address literature and politics, with some focusing on the sorry state of higher education and others concentrating on teaching and the fate of the humanities. All reflect the critics' personal, particular experiences. Deeply personal and engaging, these stories move, amuse, and inspire, ultimately encouraging the reader to develop his or her own critical credo with which to approach the world. Reflecting on the past, looking forward to the future, and committed to the power of productive critical thought, this book proves the value of criticism for today's skeptical audiences.Less
This anthology asks thirty-six leading literary and cultural critics to elaborate on the nature of their profession. These credos boldly defend the function of criticism in contemporary society and showcase its vitality in the era after theory. Chapters address literature and politics, with some focusing on the sorry state of higher education and others concentrating on teaching and the fate of the humanities. All reflect the critics' personal, particular experiences. Deeply personal and engaging, these stories move, amuse, and inspire, ultimately encouraging the reader to develop his or her own critical credo with which to approach the world. Reflecting on the past, looking forward to the future, and committed to the power of productive critical thought, this book proves the value of criticism for today's skeptical audiences.
Didier Fassin
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780520244672
- eISBN:
- 9780520940451
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520244672.003.0006
- Subject:
- Anthropology, Medical Anthropology
The number of AIDS patients has been increasing in South Africa over the years. The Center for Actuarial Research of the University of Cape Town published a series of projections that were to become ...
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The number of AIDS patients has been increasing in South Africa over the years. The Center for Actuarial Research of the University of Cape Town published a series of projections that were to become the main reference for the entire scientific community in the years following the first efforts to combat this rise. The Demographic and Health Survey of Kenya undertaken by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control had established the prevalence rate for the population of that country at 6.7 percent, considerably lower than the 9.4 percent that UNAIDS had officially validated. These results were also challenged because 14 percent of the women and 13 percent of the men had refused to be tested and may have done so precisely because they thought they were infected. Contemporary societies in South Africa are risk societies as they produce both the danger that threatens them and the awareness of a peril. The South African government ordered a study on mortality in the year 2002 from Statistics South Africa, the national demographic institution.Less
The number of AIDS patients has been increasing in South Africa over the years. The Center for Actuarial Research of the University of Cape Town published a series of projections that were to become the main reference for the entire scientific community in the years following the first efforts to combat this rise. The Demographic and Health Survey of Kenya undertaken by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control had established the prevalence rate for the population of that country at 6.7 percent, considerably lower than the 9.4 percent that UNAIDS had officially validated. These results were also challenged because 14 percent of the women and 13 percent of the men had refused to be tested and may have done so precisely because they thought they were infected. Contemporary societies in South Africa are risk societies as they produce both the danger that threatens them and the awareness of a peril. The South African government ordered a study on mortality in the year 2002 from Statistics South Africa, the national demographic institution.
Mikhail K. Gorshkov
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- March 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780814785003
- eISBN:
- 9780814785010
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- NYU Press
- DOI:
- 10.18574/nyu/9780814785003.003.0006
- Subject:
- Sociology, Politics, Social Movements and Social Change
This chapter seeks to paint a portrait of contemporary Russian society, as the real social processes and attitudes of post-reform Russia suggest an open-ended state of “permanent transition” for ...
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This chapter seeks to paint a portrait of contemporary Russian society, as the real social processes and attitudes of post-reform Russia suggest an open-ended state of “permanent transition” for Russia, in which the future of democratic institutions remains uncertain. It uses quantitative sociological research to provide a series of indicators for determining contemporary Russian views on a number of salient questions about the profound social, political, and economic transformations associated with post-reform Russia, thus contributing a more nuanced understanding to the more general qualitative questions of Russian identity, norms, and attitudes. The chapter also offers an annotated list of “Russian realities” that should debunk the myths about the motives of Russian people's behavior.Less
This chapter seeks to paint a portrait of contemporary Russian society, as the real social processes and attitudes of post-reform Russia suggest an open-ended state of “permanent transition” for Russia, in which the future of democratic institutions remains uncertain. It uses quantitative sociological research to provide a series of indicators for determining contemporary Russian views on a number of salient questions about the profound social, political, and economic transformations associated with post-reform Russia, thus contributing a more nuanced understanding to the more general qualitative questions of Russian identity, norms, and attitudes. The chapter also offers an annotated list of “Russian realities” that should debunk the myths about the motives of Russian people's behavior.
Sasha Roseneil
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9781861346438
- eISBN:
- 9781447302292
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Policy Press
- DOI:
- 10.1332/policypress/9781861346438.003.0014
- Subject:
- Sociology, Marriage and the Family
This chapter argues that it is the way in which the sociologies of families and relationships have continued to centre the family in their theorising that has led to limited understandings of the ...
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This chapter argues that it is the way in which the sociologies of families and relationships have continued to centre the family in their theorising that has led to limited understandings of the diversity of personal life in contemporary society. It pushes the boundaries of existing ways of thinking about personal relationships by focusing on those at the ‘cutting edge’ of social change, namely those living ‘beyond the heteronorm’. The research demonstrates the extent of friendship, ways in which family and partner are not necessarily central to people's lives and how a sense of permanence and obligation pertains to personal relationships. Boundaries are blurred between friendships and sexual relationships and the binary between homo- and heterosexual is itself being fractured at cultural and individual levels.Less
This chapter argues that it is the way in which the sociologies of families and relationships have continued to centre the family in their theorising that has led to limited understandings of the diversity of personal life in contemporary society. It pushes the boundaries of existing ways of thinking about personal relationships by focusing on those at the ‘cutting edge’ of social change, namely those living ‘beyond the heteronorm’. The research demonstrates the extent of friendship, ways in which family and partner are not necessarily central to people's lives and how a sense of permanence and obligation pertains to personal relationships. Boundaries are blurred between friendships and sexual relationships and the binary between homo- and heterosexual is itself being fractured at cultural and individual levels.
Gabriel Rockhill and Alfredo Gomez-Muller (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- November 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780231151870
- eISBN:
- 9780231526364
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Columbia University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7312/columbia/9780231151870.003.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Political Philosophy
This book is comprised of a series of discourses providing critical perspectives on cultural issues involving the politics of culture. The rising importance of culture in politics and morality is ...
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This book is comprised of a series of discourses providing critical perspectives on cultural issues involving the politics of culture. The rising importance of culture in politics and morality is evident in the fact that several authors have accepted the concept of culture as a useful approach for discussing contemporary politics and society. Generally, there have been two dominant positions: the “clash of civilizations” and “mainstream multiculturalism,” both of which are subject to critiques concerning the expanded notion of culture. The book aims to evaluate the contribution of critical theory to current debates on the idea of culture and other related progressive works, as well as engage political theorists through critical questions inspired by the Frankfurt School.Less
This book is comprised of a series of discourses providing critical perspectives on cultural issues involving the politics of culture. The rising importance of culture in politics and morality is evident in the fact that several authors have accepted the concept of culture as a useful approach for discussing contemporary politics and society. Generally, there have been two dominant positions: the “clash of civilizations” and “mainstream multiculturalism,” both of which are subject to critiques concerning the expanded notion of culture. The book aims to evaluate the contribution of critical theory to current debates on the idea of culture and other related progressive works, as well as engage political theorists through critical questions inspired by the Frankfurt School.
Marek Korczynski
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- August 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780801451546
- eISBN:
- 9780801454813
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Cornell University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7591/cornell/9780801451546.003.0009
- Subject:
- Sociology, Occupations, Professions, and Work
This concluding chapter returns to the main themes identified in the previous chapters and reflects on what has been learned from the ethnography of working and musicking. It shows key patterns of ...
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This concluding chapter returns to the main themes identified in the previous chapters and reflects on what has been learned from the ethnography of working and musicking. It shows key patterns of the “Stayin' Alive” culture that can be drawn out into the concept of multitonous musicking, and it points to the resonance of this concept for understanding musicking in other settings experienced as monotonous. The chapter also suggests that some of the important dotted lines between shop floor culture and acts of resistance found at McTells are likely to have significance for other workplaces. In the story of shop floor culture, pop music, and resistance in a blinds factory in the middle of England, there are also important stories about the meaning and role of pop music in contemporary society and about cultural practices and resistance in contemporary workplaces.Less
This concluding chapter returns to the main themes identified in the previous chapters and reflects on what has been learned from the ethnography of working and musicking. It shows key patterns of the “Stayin' Alive” culture that can be drawn out into the concept of multitonous musicking, and it points to the resonance of this concept for understanding musicking in other settings experienced as monotonous. The chapter also suggests that some of the important dotted lines between shop floor culture and acts of resistance found at McTells are likely to have significance for other workplaces. In the story of shop floor culture, pop music, and resistance in a blinds factory in the middle of England, there are also important stories about the meaning and role of pop music in contemporary society and about cultural practices and resistance in contemporary workplaces.
Carolus van Nijnatten
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9781847424891
- eISBN:
- 9781447301837
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Policy Press
- DOI:
- 10.1332/policypress/9781847424891.003.0004
- Subject:
- Social Work, Children and Families
This chapter describes agency as an element of human interaction. It also shows that social interactions have a dynamic of their own. The dialogical character of the developmental context is ...
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This chapter describes agency as an element of human interaction. It also shows that social interactions have a dynamic of their own. The dialogical character of the developmental context is discussed. Interactive agency has a narrative and a performative nature. The development of interactive agency is a two-way process between individual and society. This development is inevitably influenced by societal changes. The chapter also presents the worst-case scenario in the development of interactive agency: developmental processes that have been deeply disturbed and have resulted in loss of a sense of reality and serious psychiatric syndromes. Children's interactive agency depends on their interpretation of the social context in which they communicate with others rather than merely the objective characteristics of such a communicative situation. Different cultures demand different interactive skills and in contemporary western societies these demands are changing at an unprecedented rate.Less
This chapter describes agency as an element of human interaction. It also shows that social interactions have a dynamic of their own. The dialogical character of the developmental context is discussed. Interactive agency has a narrative and a performative nature. The development of interactive agency is a two-way process between individual and society. This development is inevitably influenced by societal changes. The chapter also presents the worst-case scenario in the development of interactive agency: developmental processes that have been deeply disturbed and have resulted in loss of a sense of reality and serious psychiatric syndromes. Children's interactive agency depends on their interpretation of the social context in which they communicate with others rather than merely the objective characteristics of such a communicative situation. Different cultures demand different interactive skills and in contemporary western societies these demands are changing at an unprecedented rate.
