Florence Passy
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780199251780
- eISBN:
- 9780191599057
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199251789.003.0002
- Subject:
- Political Science, Comparative Politics
Identifies specific network mechanisms at the individual level and illustrates how different social networks affect recruitment and individual participation in different voluntary organizations and ...
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Identifies specific network mechanisms at the individual level and illustrates how different social networks affect recruitment and individual participation in different voluntary organizations and social movement organizations. Socialization functions of social networks create an initial disposition to participate; structural‐connection functions generate practical opportunities for involvement; decision‐shaping functions affect the ultimate decision to take part. Empirical evidence comes from members of two political organizations active in the solidarity movement and the environmental movement in Switzerland, the Bern Declaration and WWF.Less
Identifies specific network mechanisms at the individual level and illustrates how different social networks affect recruitment and individual participation in different voluntary organizations and social movement organizations. Socialization functions of social networks create an initial disposition to participate; structural‐connection functions generate practical opportunities for involvement; decision‐shaping functions affect the ultimate decision to take part. Empirical evidence comes from members of two political organizations active in the solidarity movement and the environmental movement in Switzerland, the Bern Declaration and WWF.
Luiz Carlos Bresser-Pereira
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- November 2004
- ISBN:
- 9780199261185
- eISBN:
- 9780191601507
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199261180.003.0019
- Subject:
- Political Science, Democratization
Social organizations are the prototype of public non-state service organizations. They are devoted to the public interest, but they are not part of the state apparatus, and do not have civil servants ...
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Social organizations are the prototype of public non-state service organizations. They are devoted to the public interest, but they are not part of the state apparatus, and do not have civil servants in their labour force. Social organizations are just one of the possible forms of public non-state service entities. They are typically service organizations, acting in the education, health care, culture, sport, and social assistance areas. They differ from public non-state social accountability or public advocacy organizations. The state essentially finances them , but they are stimulated to generate revenues and obtain donations. Dealing with a changing social environment, they may be more efficient because they are more autonomous.Less
Social organizations are the prototype of public non-state service organizations. They are devoted to the public interest, but they are not part of the state apparatus, and do not have civil servants in their labour force. Social organizations are just one of the possible forms of public non-state service entities. They are typically service organizations, acting in the education, health care, culture, sport, and social assistance areas. They differ from public non-state social accountability or public advocacy organizations. The state essentially finances them , but they are stimulated to generate revenues and obtain donations. Dealing with a changing social environment, they may be more efficient because they are more autonomous.
Christopher Hood and David Heald (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780197263839
- eISBN:
- 9780191734915
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197263839.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Theory
‘Transparency’ is widely canvassed as a key to better governance, increasing trust in public-office holders. But it is more often preached than practised, more often referred to than defined, and ...
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‘Transparency’ is widely canvassed as a key to better governance, increasing trust in public-office holders. But it is more often preached than practised, more often referred to than defined, and more often advocated than critically analysed. This book exposes this doctrine to critical scrutiny from a range of disciplinary perspectives, including political science, philosophy, and economics. It traces the history of transparency as a doctrine of good governance and social organization, and identifies its different forms; assesses the benefits and drawbacks of measures to enhance various forms of transparency; and examines how institutions respond to measures intended to increase transparency, and with what consequences. Transparency is shown not to be a new doctrine. It can come into conflict with other doctrines of good governance, and there are some important exceptions to Jeremy Bentham's famous dictum that ‘the more closely we are watched, the better we behave’. Instead of heralding a new culture of openness in government, measures to improve transparency tend to lead to tighter and more centralized management of information.Less
‘Transparency’ is widely canvassed as a key to better governance, increasing trust in public-office holders. But it is more often preached than practised, more often referred to than defined, and more often advocated than critically analysed. This book exposes this doctrine to critical scrutiny from a range of disciplinary perspectives, including political science, philosophy, and economics. It traces the history of transparency as a doctrine of good governance and social organization, and identifies its different forms; assesses the benefits and drawbacks of measures to enhance various forms of transparency; and examines how institutions respond to measures intended to increase transparency, and with what consequences. Transparency is shown not to be a new doctrine. It can come into conflict with other doctrines of good governance, and there are some important exceptions to Jeremy Bentham's famous dictum that ‘the more closely we are watched, the better we behave’. Instead of heralding a new culture of openness in government, measures to improve transparency tend to lead to tighter and more centralized management of information.
Neil Fligstein and Doug McAdam
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199859948
- eISBN:
- 9780199951178
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199859948.001.0001
- Subject:
- Sociology, Social Theory
Finding ways to understand the nature of social change and social order—from political movements to market meltdowns—is one of the enduring problems of social science. This book draws together ...
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Finding ways to understand the nature of social change and social order—from political movements to market meltdowns—is one of the enduring problems of social science. This book draws together far-ranging insights from social movement theory, organizational theory, and economic and political sociology to construct a general theory of social organization and strategic action. This book proposes that social change and social order can be understood through what the book calls strategic action fields. It posits that these fields are the general building blocks of political and economic life, civil society, and the state, and the fundamental form of order in our world today. Similar to Russian dolls, they are nested and connected in a broader environment of almost countless proximate and overlapping fields. Fields are mutually dependent; change in one often triggers change in another. At the core of the theory is an account of how social actors fashion and maintain order in a given field. This sociological theory of action, what they call “social skill,” helps explain what individuals do in strategic action fields to gain cooperation or engage in competition. To demonstrate the breadth of the theory, the book makes its abstract principles concrete through extended case studies of the Civil Rights Movement and the rise and fall of the market for mortgages in the U.S. since the 1960s. The book also provides a “how-to” guide to help others implement the approach and discusses methodological issues.Less
Finding ways to understand the nature of social change and social order—from political movements to market meltdowns—is one of the enduring problems of social science. This book draws together far-ranging insights from social movement theory, organizational theory, and economic and political sociology to construct a general theory of social organization and strategic action. This book proposes that social change and social order can be understood through what the book calls strategic action fields. It posits that these fields are the general building blocks of political and economic life, civil society, and the state, and the fundamental form of order in our world today. Similar to Russian dolls, they are nested and connected in a broader environment of almost countless proximate and overlapping fields. Fields are mutually dependent; change in one often triggers change in another. At the core of the theory is an account of how social actors fashion and maintain order in a given field. This sociological theory of action, what they call “social skill,” helps explain what individuals do in strategic action fields to gain cooperation or engage in competition. To demonstrate the breadth of the theory, the book makes its abstract principles concrete through extended case studies of the Civil Rights Movement and the rise and fall of the market for mortgages in the U.S. since the 1960s. The book also provides a “how-to” guide to help others implement the approach and discusses methodological issues.
Dwight Read
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780197264522
- eISBN:
- 9780191734724
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197264522.003.0010
- Subject:
- Psychology, Evolutionary Psychology
The evolutionary trajectory from non-human to human forms of social organization involves change from experiential- to relational-based systems of social interaction. Social organization derived from ...
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The evolutionary trajectory from non-human to human forms of social organization involves change from experiential- to relational-based systems of social interaction. Social organization derived from biologically and experientially grounded social interaction reached a hiatus with the great apes due to an expansion of individualization of behaviour. The hiatus ended with the introduction of relational-based social interaction, culminating in social organization based on cultural kinship. This evolutionary trajectory links biological origins to cultural outcomes and makes evident the centrality of distributed forms of information for both the boundary and internal structure of human societies as these evolved from prior forms of social organization.Less
The evolutionary trajectory from non-human to human forms of social organization involves change from experiential- to relational-based systems of social interaction. Social organization derived from biologically and experientially grounded social interaction reached a hiatus with the great apes due to an expansion of individualization of behaviour. The hiatus ended with the introduction of relational-based social interaction, culminating in social organization based on cultural kinship. This evolutionary trajectory links biological origins to cultural outcomes and makes evident the centrality of distributed forms of information for both the boundary and internal structure of human societies as these evolved from prior forms of social organization.
Gordon White, Jude Howell, and Shang Xiaoyuan
- Published in print:
- 1996
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198289562
- eISBN:
- 9780191684739
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198289562.003.0005
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, South and East Asia
This chapter presents an overview of the emergence and character of the new social organizations. It describes the policies and regulations that have conditioned their emergence at both national and ...
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This chapter presents an overview of the emergence and character of the new social organizations. It describes the policies and regulations that have conditioned their emergence at both national and local levels, distinguishes the various types of association, and explains the differences between national and local-level organizations. The chapter provides detailed case-studies of various types of associations, examines the different functions of these new organizations, and explores how their operation reflects different sets of motives on the part of both state agencies and socio-economic groups. It concludes by identifying their distinctive character as ‘hybrid’ or ‘dualist’ institutions, which are closer to a corporatist notion of associational behaviour than one based on the idea of ‘civil society’.Less
This chapter presents an overview of the emergence and character of the new social organizations. It describes the policies and regulations that have conditioned their emergence at both national and local levels, distinguishes the various types of association, and explains the differences between national and local-level organizations. The chapter provides detailed case-studies of various types of associations, examines the different functions of these new organizations, and explores how their operation reflects different sets of motives on the part of both state agencies and socio-economic groups. It concludes by identifying their distinctive character as ‘hybrid’ or ‘dualist’ institutions, which are closer to a corporatist notion of associational behaviour than one based on the idea of ‘civil society’.
Christopher Candland
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780199241149
- eISBN:
- 9780191598920
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199241147.003.0003
- Subject:
- Political Science, Comparative Politics
In India, an impressive labour movement based on political unionism developed and exercised some influence over economic policy. In Pakistan, an assertive and often militant workers’ movement ...
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In India, an impressive labour movement based on political unionism developed and exercised some influence over economic policy. In Pakistan, an assertive and often militant workers’ movement emerged, was severely repressed, and exercised little influence over economic policy. The paper assesses the ability of trade unions in each country to oppose recent economic reforms, specifically the privatization efforts of each government. The capacity to oppose industrial restructuring is traced to the differing structure of labour institutions, specifically trade union relationships with political parties and workers’ representation in trade unions. In conclusion, the paper draws from a debate within the Indian trade union movement concerning the limitations of political unionism and the need for new union strategies. It suggests that a new unionism, with wider networks among other social organizations and deeper roots in local communities, must also include a new political dimension.Less
In India, an impressive labour movement based on political unionism developed and exercised some influence over economic policy. In Pakistan, an assertive and often militant workers’ movement emerged, was severely repressed, and exercised little influence over economic policy. The paper assesses the ability of trade unions in each country to oppose recent economic reforms, specifically the privatization efforts of each government. The capacity to oppose industrial restructuring is traced to the differing structure of labour institutions, specifically trade union relationships with political parties and workers’ representation in trade unions. In conclusion, the paper draws from a debate within the Indian trade union movement concerning the limitations of political unionism and the need for new union strategies. It suggests that a new unionism, with wider networks among other social organizations and deeper roots in local communities, must also include a new political dimension.
Gordon White, Jude Howell, and Shang Xiaoyuan
- Published in print:
- 1996
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198289562
- eISBN:
- 9780191684739
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198289562.003.0002
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, South and East Asia
This chapter aims to provide an overall context for the detailed case studies of intermediate social organizations. It begins with a brief inquiry into the existence and character of ‘civil society’ ...
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This chapter aims to provide an overall context for the detailed case studies of intermediate social organizations. It begins with a brief inquiry into the existence and character of ‘civil society’ organizations in pre-revolutionary China as a historical benchmark for viewing their emergence in the era of economic reform. Next, the chapter describes the structure of Chinese social organization during the Maoist era and identifies the socio-economic changes that have since taken place under the impact of economic reform, and which have created pressure for changes in associational behaviour and linkages between the party/state and society. It then draws a broad picture of Chinese civil society in the mid-1990s.Less
This chapter aims to provide an overall context for the detailed case studies of intermediate social organizations. It begins with a brief inquiry into the existence and character of ‘civil society’ organizations in pre-revolutionary China as a historical benchmark for viewing their emergence in the era of economic reform. Next, the chapter describes the structure of Chinese social organization during the Maoist era and identifies the socio-economic changes that have since taken place under the impact of economic reform, and which have created pressure for changes in associational behaviour and linkages between the party/state and society. It then draws a broad picture of Chinese civil society in the mid-1990s.
Gordon White, Jude Howell, and Shang Xiaoyuan
- Published in print:
- 1996
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198289562
- eISBN:
- 9780191684739
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198289562.003.0007
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, South and East Asia
This chapter examines the role of social organizations in two rapidly urbanizing rural areas in the economically dynamic coastal regions: the counties/cities of Xiaoshan in Zhejiang province and ...
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This chapter examines the role of social organizations in two rapidly urbanizing rural areas in the economically dynamic coastal regions: the counties/cities of Xiaoshan in Zhejiang province and Nanhai in Guangdong province. It evaluates how changes in the structure and dynamics of the rural economy have changed patterns of associational life in the countryside and small-scale rural cities and towns, particularly the decline of the rural collectives and the spread of ‘responsibility systems’ in agriculture, the diversification of agricultural production, and the burgeoning of small-scale rural industry. The chapter notes that the effects of the economic reform have been even more profound in China's countryside than in its cities. It conducts a preliminary assessment of the relative importance of social organizations in the ‘incorporated sector’ within the overall pattern of changes in rural associational life in rapidly developing areas.Less
This chapter examines the role of social organizations in two rapidly urbanizing rural areas in the economically dynamic coastal regions: the counties/cities of Xiaoshan in Zhejiang province and Nanhai in Guangdong province. It evaluates how changes in the structure and dynamics of the rural economy have changed patterns of associational life in the countryside and small-scale rural cities and towns, particularly the decline of the rural collectives and the spread of ‘responsibility systems’ in agriculture, the diversification of agricultural production, and the burgeoning of small-scale rural industry. The chapter notes that the effects of the economic reform have been even more profound in China's countryside than in its cities. It conducts a preliminary assessment of the relative importance of social organizations in the ‘incorporated sector’ within the overall pattern of changes in rural associational life in rapidly developing areas.
Gordon White, Jude Howell, and Shang Xiaoyuan
- Published in print:
- 1996
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198289562
- eISBN:
- 9780191684739
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198289562.003.0006
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, South and East Asia
This chapter examines the emergence of the new social organizations and their role in the urban context, based on case studies of one large, heavy-industrial city — Shenyang in the north-eastern ...
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This chapter examines the emergence of the new social organizations and their role in the urban context, based on case studies of one large, heavy-industrial city — Shenyang in the north-eastern province of Liaoning — and one medium-sized, light-industrial city: Nantong in the central/coastal province of Jiangsu. It determines whether there are regional variations in the development of social organizations; to what extent the establishment of the new-style social organizations represents local interests and objectives as opposed to being merely a reaction to initiatives from the Centre; and what are the relative roles played by social interests ‘from below’ and local state agencies ‘from above’ in their formation and functioning. The chapter examines whether or not a form of ‘local corporatism’ is being consciously developed in these and other cities as part of a wider strategy of local development.Less
This chapter examines the emergence of the new social organizations and their role in the urban context, based on case studies of one large, heavy-industrial city — Shenyang in the north-eastern province of Liaoning — and one medium-sized, light-industrial city: Nantong in the central/coastal province of Jiangsu. It determines whether there are regional variations in the development of social organizations; to what extent the establishment of the new-style social organizations represents local interests and objectives as opposed to being merely a reaction to initiatives from the Centre; and what are the relative roles played by social interests ‘from below’ and local state agencies ‘from above’ in their formation and functioning. The chapter examines whether or not a form of ‘local corporatism’ is being consciously developed in these and other cities as part of a wider strategy of local development.
Jacek Kochanowicz
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780197263136
- eISBN:
- 9780191734922
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197263136.003.0004
- Subject:
- Psychology, Social Psychology
Sociologists and other social scientists have attempted to explain differences in economic success and in democratic performance by invoking trust and the related concept of social capital. This ...
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Sociologists and other social scientists have attempted to explain differences in economic success and in democratic performance by invoking trust and the related concept of social capital. This chapter examines how historical experience has shaped patterns of trust in Poland in order to see in what ways these patterns affect the process of post-Communist transformation in Poland today. It argues that it is the pre-Communist, indeed even the pre-industrial, past that influences the present situation in Poland, just as much as does the more recent communist experience. In particular, the chapter highlights the extent to which the change from communism to post-communism differs from other types of modernization processes. It also presents a historical interpretation of specific forms of trust and their dependence on social organization, as well as face-to-face relations and the relations between individuals and large-scale abstract systems, and, more specifically, the state. Finally, the chapter discusses the level of trust among family members, friends, and close acquaintances.Less
Sociologists and other social scientists have attempted to explain differences in economic success and in democratic performance by invoking trust and the related concept of social capital. This chapter examines how historical experience has shaped patterns of trust in Poland in order to see in what ways these patterns affect the process of post-Communist transformation in Poland today. It argues that it is the pre-Communist, indeed even the pre-industrial, past that influences the present situation in Poland, just as much as does the more recent communist experience. In particular, the chapter highlights the extent to which the change from communism to post-communism differs from other types of modernization processes. It also presents a historical interpretation of specific forms of trust and their dependence on social organization, as well as face-to-face relations and the relations between individuals and large-scale abstract systems, and, more specifically, the state. Finally, the chapter discusses the level of trust among family members, friends, and close acquaintances.
Keith Hart
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780199204762
- eISBN:
- 9780191603860
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199204764.003.0002
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
This paper is divided into three parts. The first part is a story about fluctuations in the balance of the relationship between impersonal and personal principles of social organization, drawing ...
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This paper is divided into three parts. The first part is a story about fluctuations in the balance of the relationship between impersonal and personal principles of social organization, drawing heavily on Max Weber’s interpretation of western history. The second part reviews the concept of an ‘informal economy/sector’, from its origins in discussions of the Third World urban poor to its present status as a universal feature of economy. The third part asks how the combination of the formal/informal pair may be conceived, with a view to promoting development. The paper concludes with suggestions on how partnerships between bureaucracy and the people can be made more equal.Less
This paper is divided into three parts. The first part is a story about fluctuations in the balance of the relationship between impersonal and personal principles of social organization, drawing heavily on Max Weber’s interpretation of western history. The second part reviews the concept of an ‘informal economy/sector’, from its origins in discussions of the Third World urban poor to its present status as a universal feature of economy. The third part asks how the combination of the formal/informal pair may be conceived, with a view to promoting development. The paper concludes with suggestions on how partnerships between bureaucracy and the people can be made more equal.
Nancy C. Dorian
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195385939
- eISBN:
- 9780199870141
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195385939.001.0001
- Subject:
- Linguistics, Sociolinguistics / Anthropological Linguistics
Linguistic variation has been studied primarily in communities with the dominant social organization of our time: ethnic diversity, socioeconomic stratification, and a population size precluding ...
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Linguistic variation has been studied primarily in communities with the dominant social organization of our time: ethnic diversity, socioeconomic stratification, and a population size precluding community‐wide face‐to‐face interaction. In such communities literacy introduces extra‐community linguistic norms, and variation correlates with ethnicity and class. This study investigates variation in the ancestral language of a population with a very different social structure: small size, dense kinship ties, common occupation, absence of social stratification. Their Gaelic shows a high level of socially neutral individual variation, with variants originating in settlement‐period dialect mixture; a subsequent history of social isolation, endogamy, and regular face‐to‐face interaction eliminated any need for linguistic accommodation, while social homogeneity and absence of extra‐community norms permitted the variants to remain socially neutral. Examination of the theoretical assumptions and established methodologies prevailing in dialectology and descriptive linguistics offers a number of explanations for delayed recognition of linguistic variation unrelated to social class or other social sub‐groupings. Detailed examination of the social structure of one community offers explanations for the strikingly divergent usage of close kin and age‐mates. Reports of similar variation phenomena in locations with similar social‐setting and social‐organization features (minority‐language pockets in Ireland, Russia, Norway, Canada, and Cameroon) permit the recognition of factors that contribute to the emergence and persistence of socially neutral inter‐speaker and intra‐speaker variation. Facets of language use related to social structure remain to be investigated in communities with still other forms of social organization before the few communities that represent them disappear altogether.Less
Linguistic variation has been studied primarily in communities with the dominant social organization of our time: ethnic diversity, socioeconomic stratification, and a population size precluding community‐wide face‐to‐face interaction. In such communities literacy introduces extra‐community linguistic norms, and variation correlates with ethnicity and class. This study investigates variation in the ancestral language of a population with a very different social structure: small size, dense kinship ties, common occupation, absence of social stratification. Their Gaelic shows a high level of socially neutral individual variation, with variants originating in settlement‐period dialect mixture; a subsequent history of social isolation, endogamy, and regular face‐to‐face interaction eliminated any need for linguistic accommodation, while social homogeneity and absence of extra‐community norms permitted the variants to remain socially neutral. Examination of the theoretical assumptions and established methodologies prevailing in dialectology and descriptive linguistics offers a number of explanations for delayed recognition of linguistic variation unrelated to social class or other social sub‐groupings. Detailed examination of the social structure of one community offers explanations for the strikingly divergent usage of close kin and age‐mates. Reports of similar variation phenomena in locations with similar social‐setting and social‐organization features (minority‐language pockets in Ireland, Russia, Norway, Canada, and Cameroon) permit the recognition of factors that contribute to the emergence and persistence of socially neutral inter‐speaker and intra‐speaker variation. Facets of language use related to social structure remain to be investigated in communities with still other forms of social organization before the few communities that represent them disappear altogether.
Andrew Reynolds
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- May 2020
- ISBN:
- 9780197266588
- eISBN:
- 9780191896040
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197266588.003.0020
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Historical Archaeology
The complex social and administrative fabric of Anglo-Saxon England existed largely without urban environments. Based upon patterns of naming, this chapter examines relationships between local ...
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The complex social and administrative fabric of Anglo-Saxon England existed largely without urban environments. Based upon patterns of naming, this chapter examines relationships between local administrative districts (hundreds) and central places, arguing for the long-term persistence of pre-urban modes of social organisation in Anglo-Saxon England. Following a review of urban development in Anglo-Saxon England, neglected material is brought to bear on long-standing notions of urbanism which emphasise the progressive nucleation of social and administrative functions as a linear measure of social complexity. A new perspective is offered here which emphasises the limited extent of urban development in England before the 12th century and the robust nature of non-urban social complexity as a social system. Overall, the applicability of measures of social and administrative complexity drawn from ‘primary’ complex societies is questioned and a plea is made for approaching European post-Roman societies on their own terms rather than by comparison with ancient and classical ones.Less
The complex social and administrative fabric of Anglo-Saxon England existed largely without urban environments. Based upon patterns of naming, this chapter examines relationships between local administrative districts (hundreds) and central places, arguing for the long-term persistence of pre-urban modes of social organisation in Anglo-Saxon England. Following a review of urban development in Anglo-Saxon England, neglected material is brought to bear on long-standing notions of urbanism which emphasise the progressive nucleation of social and administrative functions as a linear measure of social complexity. A new perspective is offered here which emphasises the limited extent of urban development in England before the 12th century and the robust nature of non-urban social complexity as a social system. Overall, the applicability of measures of social and administrative complexity drawn from ‘primary’ complex societies is questioned and a plea is made for approaching European post-Roman societies on their own terms rather than by comparison with ancient and classical ones.
Jayne Carroll, Andrew Reynolds, and Barbara Yorke
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- May 2020
- ISBN:
- 9780197266588
- eISBN:
- 9780191896040
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197266588.003.0001
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Historical Archaeology
This chapter provides an interdisciplinary, scene-setting review of the current state of knowledge in the field of early medieval social complexity and sets out an agenda for future work in this ...
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This chapter provides an interdisciplinary, scene-setting review of the current state of knowledge in the field of early medieval social complexity and sets out an agenda for future work in this topical area. While much previous work in this field tends to focus on comparisons with the classical world, this contribution emphasises the uniqueness of early medieval modes of social organisation. Introductions are provided to the study of geographies of power through archaeological analyses, vocabularies of power drawing on place-name evidence and notions of law and its enactment at assembly sites from written sources. It is argued that places where power was enacted in a period of non-urban social and administrative complexity must be understood on their own terms. The robusticity and flexibility of early medieval networks of power is also emphasised in the context of a comparative discussion ranging across the European area.Less
This chapter provides an interdisciplinary, scene-setting review of the current state of knowledge in the field of early medieval social complexity and sets out an agenda for future work in this topical area. While much previous work in this field tends to focus on comparisons with the classical world, this contribution emphasises the uniqueness of early medieval modes of social organisation. Introductions are provided to the study of geographies of power through archaeological analyses, vocabularies of power drawing on place-name evidence and notions of law and its enactment at assembly sites from written sources. It is argued that places where power was enacted in a period of non-urban social and administrative complexity must be understood on their own terms. The robusticity and flexibility of early medieval networks of power is also emphasised in the context of a comparative discussion ranging across the European area.
James Hinton
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199574667
- eISBN:
- 9780191702167
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199574667.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Modern History, Social History
This book provides a fascinating re-evaluation of the social history of the Second World War and the 20th century making of the modern self. Using the wartime diaries of nine individuals, the book ...
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This book provides a fascinating re-evaluation of the social history of the Second World War and the 20th century making of the modern self. Using the wartime diaries of nine individuals, the book illuminates the impact of war on attitudes to citizenship, the changing relationships between men and women, and the search for meaning in a wartime context of limitless violence. The diaries from which this book is derived were written by some of the unusually self-reflective and public-spirited people who agreed to write intimate journals about their daily activity for the social research organisation, Mass Observation. Each in their way is vivid, interesting and surprising. One of the nine diarists discussed is Nella Last, whose published diaries have been a source of delight and fascination for thousands of readers. A central insight underpins the book: in seeking to make the best of our own lives, each of us makes selective use of the resources of our shared culture in a unique way; in so doing, we contribute, however modestly, to molecular processes of historical change. The book resists nostalgic contrasts between the presumed dutiful citizenship of wartime Britain and contemporary anti-social individualism, pointing instead to longer-run processes of change, rooted as much in struggles for personal autonomy in the private sphere, as in the politics of active citizenship in public life.Less
This book provides a fascinating re-evaluation of the social history of the Second World War and the 20th century making of the modern self. Using the wartime diaries of nine individuals, the book illuminates the impact of war on attitudes to citizenship, the changing relationships between men and women, and the search for meaning in a wartime context of limitless violence. The diaries from which this book is derived were written by some of the unusually self-reflective and public-spirited people who agreed to write intimate journals about their daily activity for the social research organisation, Mass Observation. Each in their way is vivid, interesting and surprising. One of the nine diarists discussed is Nella Last, whose published diaries have been a source of delight and fascination for thousands of readers. A central insight underpins the book: in seeking to make the best of our own lives, each of us makes selective use of the resources of our shared culture in a unique way; in so doing, we contribute, however modestly, to molecular processes of historical change. The book resists nostalgic contrasts between the presumed dutiful citizenship of wartime Britain and contemporary anti-social individualism, pointing instead to longer-run processes of change, rooted as much in struggles for personal autonomy in the private sphere, as in the politics of active citizenship in public life.
Nancy C. Dorian
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195385939
- eISBN:
- 9780199870141
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195385939.003.0001
- Subject:
- Linguistics, Sociolinguistics / Anthropological Linguistics
The unwritten Gaelic of East Sutherland fishing communities offers an example of linguistic variation in which individual speakers' competing variants lack social weighting. Dense face‐to‐face ...
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The unwritten Gaelic of East Sutherland fishing communities offers an example of linguistic variation in which individual speakers' competing variants lack social weighting. Dense face‐to‐face interaction, multiplex social roles, and absence of socioeconomic stratification obviate accommodation and allow variants arising from early population mixture to persist. Similar personally patterned linguistic variation can be seen in other small minority‐language populations with similar social organization. Speech style, gender, family membership, social network, extra‐community language norms, and language contact have relatively little effect. Unlike age‐related variation, personal‐pattern variation is relatively stable over apparent time. Unlike inter‐village variation, it is socially neutral. Reasons for delayed recognition of such variation in the sociolinguistic literature include residual prescriptivism among linguists, data control via source selection, an assumption of linguistic uniformity and accommodation in small, face‐to‐face communities, concentration on the group rather than on the individual, and an expectation of linkage between linguistic variation and social differentiation.Less
The unwritten Gaelic of East Sutherland fishing communities offers an example of linguistic variation in which individual speakers' competing variants lack social weighting. Dense face‐to‐face interaction, multiplex social roles, and absence of socioeconomic stratification obviate accommodation and allow variants arising from early population mixture to persist. Similar personally patterned linguistic variation can be seen in other small minority‐language populations with similar social organization. Speech style, gender, family membership, social network, extra‐community language norms, and language contact have relatively little effect. Unlike age‐related variation, personal‐pattern variation is relatively stable over apparent time. Unlike inter‐village variation, it is socially neutral. Reasons for delayed recognition of such variation in the sociolinguistic literature include residual prescriptivism among linguists, data control via source selection, an assumption of linguistic uniformity and accommodation in small, face‐to‐face communities, concentration on the group rather than on the individual, and an expectation of linkage between linguistic variation and social differentiation.
Nancy C. Dorian
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195385939
- eISBN:
- 9780199870141
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195385939.003.0009
- Subject:
- Linguistics, Sociolinguistics / Anthropological Linguistics
Unexpected aspects of personal‐pattern variation include high frequency despite homogeneous face‐to‐face social structure, maintenance across generations, variants' social neutrality, and low ...
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Unexpected aspects of personal‐pattern variation include high frequency despite homogeneous face‐to‐face social structure, maintenance across generations, variants' social neutrality, and low awareness of even acoustically salient variant differences. The phenomenon of personal‐pattern variation raises questions about the validity of uniform descriptive accounts, the greater regularity of community linguistic systems as compared to individual systems, and the position of the individual in linguistic analysis. Methodologically it points to the importance of multiple sources in dialect‐geography surveys and the potential value of aberrant‐seeming data. Just as striking as the identification of an unrecognized form of linguistic variation correlated with distinctive features of social organization and social setting is the absence in Embo and similar settings of variation strongly linked with class, ethnicity, speakers' sex, and style. Variation in communities with still more distinctive social organization, for example the family‐level societies of some South American Indian groups, remains to be explored.Less
Unexpected aspects of personal‐pattern variation include high frequency despite homogeneous face‐to‐face social structure, maintenance across generations, variants' social neutrality, and low awareness of even acoustically salient variant differences. The phenomenon of personal‐pattern variation raises questions about the validity of uniform descriptive accounts, the greater regularity of community linguistic systems as compared to individual systems, and the position of the individual in linguistic analysis. Methodologically it points to the importance of multiple sources in dialect‐geography surveys and the potential value of aberrant‐seeming data. Just as striking as the identification of an unrecognized form of linguistic variation correlated with distinctive features of social organization and social setting is the absence in Embo and similar settings of variation strongly linked with class, ethnicity, speakers' sex, and style. Variation in communities with still more distinctive social organization, for example the family‐level societies of some South American Indian groups, remains to be explored.
Gordon White, Jude Howell, and Shang Xiaoyuan
- Published in print:
- 1996
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198289562
- eISBN:
- 9780191684739
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198289562.003.0001
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, South and East Asia
This chapter begins by examining the definition of ‘civil society’. It then employs the sociological notion of civil society, focusing on the changes in the organizational structure of Chinese ...
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This chapter begins by examining the definition of ‘civil society’. It then employs the sociological notion of civil society, focusing on the changes in the organizational structure of Chinese society during the era of economic reform. Next, it investigates the impact of the spread of markets on patterns of social organization and state–society relations during the post-revolutionary period since 1949. The chapter then emphasizes the extent to which the market dynamic of civil society was in evidence during the era of post-Mao economic reforms from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s. Moreover, this market hypothesis of civil society is meant to be a hypothesis in the true sense of the word in that one must allow from the outset for the possibility that it may be wholly or partly false or misleading.Less
This chapter begins by examining the definition of ‘civil society’. It then employs the sociological notion of civil society, focusing on the changes in the organizational structure of Chinese society during the era of economic reform. Next, it investigates the impact of the spread of markets on patterns of social organization and state–society relations during the post-revolutionary period since 1949. The chapter then emphasizes the extent to which the market dynamic of civil society was in evidence during the era of post-Mao economic reforms from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s. Moreover, this market hypothesis of civil society is meant to be a hypothesis in the true sense of the word in that one must allow from the outset for the possibility that it may be wholly or partly false or misleading.
Eviatar Zerubavel
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780195187175
- eISBN:
- 9780199943371
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195187175.003.0002
- Subject:
- Sociology, Culture
This chapter addresses the social organization of denial. Focus shifts as social attitudes change. Noticing and ignoring are always performed by members of particular social communities with ...
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This chapter addresses the social organization of denial. Focus shifts as social attitudes change. Noticing and ignoring are always performed by members of particular social communities with particular social conventions of attention and communication. In fact, the way one focuses his attention is often grounded in highly impersonal social traditions of paying attention. The normative underpinnings of the mental acts of noticing and ignoring are most spectacularly evident in the tacit social rules that determine what is considered irrelevant. It is noted that one acts tactfully when one “passes over something…and leaves it unsaid.” The distinction between tact and taboo is not as clear-cut as it may seem. It becomes fairly fuzzy when one considers, for example, the kind of silence produced by “political correctness,” as when people refrain from using race labels to avoid the risk of being considered racist.Less
This chapter addresses the social organization of denial. Focus shifts as social attitudes change. Noticing and ignoring are always performed by members of particular social communities with particular social conventions of attention and communication. In fact, the way one focuses his attention is often grounded in highly impersonal social traditions of paying attention. The normative underpinnings of the mental acts of noticing and ignoring are most spectacularly evident in the tacit social rules that determine what is considered irrelevant. It is noted that one acts tactfully when one “passes over something…and leaves it unsaid.” The distinction between tact and taboo is not as clear-cut as it may seem. It becomes fairly fuzzy when one considers, for example, the kind of silence produced by “political correctness,” as when people refrain from using race labels to avoid the risk of being considered racist.
