Paul Pierson (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198297567
- eISBN:
- 9780191600104
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198297564.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, Comparative Politics
The welfare states of the affluent democracies now stand at the centre of political discussion and social conflict. In this book, which grew out of two conferences held at the Center for European ...
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The welfare states of the affluent democracies now stand at the centre of political discussion and social conflict. In this book, which grew out of two conferences held at the Center for European Studies, Harvard University, in November 1997 and October 1998, an international team of leading analysts reject simplistic claims about the impact of economic ‘globalization’. Whilst accepting that economic, demographic, and social pressures on the welfare state are very real, they argue that many of the most fundamental challenges have little to do with globalization. In contrast to many popular accounts, the authors detect few signs of a convergence of national social policies towards an American‐style lowest common denominator. The contemporary politics of the welfare state takes shape against a backdrop of both intense pressures for austerity and enduring popularity. Thus, in most of the affluent democracies, the politics of social policy centre on the renegotiation, restructuring, and modernization of the post‐war social contract rather than its dismantling. The authors examine a wide range of countries and public policy arenas, including health care, pensions, and labour markets. They demonstrate how different national settings affect whether, and on what terms, centrist efforts to restructure the welfare state can succeed. The 13 chapters of the book are arranged in four main sections, each with three chapters, and a concluding section: I. Sources of Pressure on the Contemporary Welfare State; II. Adjustment Dynamics: Economic Actors and Systems of Interest Intermediation; III. Adjustment Dynamics: Parties, Elections, and Political Institutions; IV. Comparing Policy Domains; and V. Conclusions.Less
The welfare states of the affluent democracies now stand at the centre of political discussion and social conflict. In this book, which grew out of two conferences held at the Center for European Studies, Harvard University, in November 1997 and October 1998, an international team of leading analysts reject simplistic claims about the impact of economic ‘globalization’. Whilst accepting that economic, demographic, and social pressures on the welfare state are very real, they argue that many of the most fundamental challenges have little to do with globalization. In contrast to many popular accounts, the authors detect few signs of a convergence of national social policies towards an American‐style lowest common denominator. The contemporary politics of the welfare state takes shape against a backdrop of both intense pressures for austerity and enduring popularity. Thus, in most of the affluent democracies, the politics of social policy centre on the renegotiation, restructuring, and modernization of the post‐war social contract rather than its dismantling. The authors examine a wide range of countries and public policy arenas, including health care, pensions, and labour markets. They demonstrate how different national settings affect whether, and on what terms, centrist efforts to restructure the welfare state can succeed. The 13 chapters of the book are arranged in four main sections, each with three chapters, and a concluding section: I. Sources of Pressure on the Contemporary Welfare State; II. Adjustment Dynamics: Economic Actors and Systems of Interest Intermediation; III. Adjustment Dynamics: Parties, Elections, and Political Institutions; IV. Comparing Policy Domains; and V. Conclusions.
Ignacio Palacios-Huerta
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691144023
- eISBN:
- 9781400850310
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691144023.003.0008
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, History of Economic Thought
This chapter examines the effect of social forces as determinants of behavior, in particular the role of social pressure as a determinant of corruption, through the lens of professional soccer. ...
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This chapter examines the effect of social forces as determinants of behavior, in particular the role of social pressure as a determinant of corruption, through the lens of professional soccer. First, it shows and quantifies the referee's bias. The premise is that the amount of extra time should not systematically depend on the identity of the team that is leading at the end of a game. Second, the hypothesis that referees show a bias for the home team because of social pressure means that the bias should be stronger when the crowd's rewards from winning are higher. Third, what is the specific mechanism that could plausibly underlie this behavior? The hypothesis underlying this chapter is that it is the actual crowd in the stadium that puts pressure on referees.Less
This chapter examines the effect of social forces as determinants of behavior, in particular the role of social pressure as a determinant of corruption, through the lens of professional soccer. First, it shows and quantifies the referee's bias. The premise is that the amount of extra time should not systematically depend on the identity of the team that is leading at the end of a game. Second, the hypothesis that referees show a bias for the home team because of social pressure means that the bias should be stronger when the crowd's rewards from winning are higher. Third, what is the specific mechanism that could plausibly underlie this behavior? The hypothesis underlying this chapter is that it is the actual crowd in the stadium that puts pressure on referees.
Eviatar Zerubavel
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780195187175
- eISBN:
- 9780199943371
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195187175.001.0001
- Subject:
- Sociology, Culture
The fable of the Emperor's New Clothes is a classic example of a conspiracy of silence, a situation where everyone refuses to acknowledge an obvious truth. But the denial of social realities—whether ...
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The fable of the Emperor's New Clothes is a classic example of a conspiracy of silence, a situation where everyone refuses to acknowledge an obvious truth. But the denial of social realities—whether incest, alcoholism, corruption, or even genocide—is no fairy tale. This book sheds light on the social and political underpinnings of silence and denial—the keeping of “open secrets.” The author shows that conspiracies of silence exist at every level of society, ranging from small groups to large corporations, from personal friendships to politics. He also shows how such conspiracies evolve, illuminating the social pressures that cause people to deny what is right before their eyes. We see how each conspirator's denial is symbiotically complemented by the others', and learn that silence is usually more intense when there are more people conspiring—and especially when there are significant power differences among them. The author concludes by showing that the longer we ignore “elephants,” the larger they loom in our minds, as each avoidance triggers an even greater spiral of denial. Drawing on examples from newspapers and comedy shows to novels, children's stories, and film, the book travels back and forth across different levels of social life, and from everyday moments to large-scale historical events. At its core, it helps us understand why we ignore truths that are known to all of us.Less
The fable of the Emperor's New Clothes is a classic example of a conspiracy of silence, a situation where everyone refuses to acknowledge an obvious truth. But the denial of social realities—whether incest, alcoholism, corruption, or even genocide—is no fairy tale. This book sheds light on the social and political underpinnings of silence and denial—the keeping of “open secrets.” The author shows that conspiracies of silence exist at every level of society, ranging from small groups to large corporations, from personal friendships to politics. He also shows how such conspiracies evolve, illuminating the social pressures that cause people to deny what is right before their eyes. We see how each conspirator's denial is symbiotically complemented by the others', and learn that silence is usually more intense when there are more people conspiring—and especially when there are significant power differences among them. The author concludes by showing that the longer we ignore “elephants,” the larger they loom in our minds, as each avoidance triggers an even greater spiral of denial. Drawing on examples from newspapers and comedy shows to novels, children's stories, and film, the book travels back and forth across different levels of social life, and from everyday moments to large-scale historical events. At its core, it helps us understand why we ignore truths that are known to all of us.
Lieve Van Hoof
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199583263
- eISBN:
- 9780191723131
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199583263.003.0002
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Ancient Greek, Roman, and Early Christian Philosophy
This chapter starts by demonstrating that Plutarch's practical ethics—by contrast with what might be suggested by Ziegler's label ‘popular-philosophical’—cannot be termed popular on account of their ...
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This chapter starts by demonstrating that Plutarch's practical ethics—by contrast with what might be suggested by Ziegler's label ‘popular-philosophical’—cannot be termed popular on account of their target readership. Plutarch's choice of topics in these writings is tailored to the highly educated, powerful elite of the Roman Empire: he discusses problems that arise because of society's expectations of its elite and because of the elite's ambitions within society. By contrast with other philosophers, Plutarch does not aim to resolve these problems by downplaying social pressure, rejecting ambitions, or defying expectations. Instead, he presents philosophy as a resource to meet these more effectively and thus to function better within society. Plutarch's practical ethics are not about teaching the reader Platonic philosophy systematically, but about helping him to adopt a broadly philosophical attitude, a more philosophical way of perceiving, evaluating, and acting in society, in which self-love gives way to self-knowledge.Less
This chapter starts by demonstrating that Plutarch's practical ethics—by contrast with what might be suggested by Ziegler's label ‘popular-philosophical’—cannot be termed popular on account of their target readership. Plutarch's choice of topics in these writings is tailored to the highly educated, powerful elite of the Roman Empire: he discusses problems that arise because of society's expectations of its elite and because of the elite's ambitions within society. By contrast with other philosophers, Plutarch does not aim to resolve these problems by downplaying social pressure, rejecting ambitions, or defying expectations. Instead, he presents philosophy as a resource to meet these more effectively and thus to function better within society. Plutarch's practical ethics are not about teaching the reader Platonic philosophy systematically, but about helping him to adopt a broadly philosophical attitude, a more philosophical way of perceiving, evaluating, and acting in society, in which self-love gives way to self-knowledge.
Nick Zangwill
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199261871
- eISBN:
- 9780191718670
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199261871.003.0008
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Aesthetics
This chapter argues against all theories of art that make essential reference to an audience. It argues that there should be no reference to an audience in a theory of art. The initial problem for ...
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This chapter argues against all theories of art that make essential reference to an audience. It argues that there should be no reference to an audience in a theory of art. The initial problem for audience theories arises from the fact that there seem to be counterexamples. But there are more fundamental objections. It is argued that when we consider the content of the audience's experiences, audience theories are crucially incomplete; and that when they are completed, they are either false or else the reference to the audience drops out. The chapter refines the argument to cope with complex dispositional theories. It argues that we do not always create for the eyes and ears of others, nor do we create so that we can experience our own work. It insists on some measure of artistic autonomy from social pressures, and to give some account of the rational aspect of creative activity. In an appendix, Dickie's institutional approach is discussed.Less
This chapter argues against all theories of art that make essential reference to an audience. It argues that there should be no reference to an audience in a theory of art. The initial problem for audience theories arises from the fact that there seem to be counterexamples. But there are more fundamental objections. It is argued that when we consider the content of the audience's experiences, audience theories are crucially incomplete; and that when they are completed, they are either false or else the reference to the audience drops out. The chapter refines the argument to cope with complex dispositional theories. It argues that we do not always create for the eyes and ears of others, nor do we create so that we can experience our own work. It insists on some measure of artistic autonomy from social pressures, and to give some account of the rational aspect of creative activity. In an appendix, Dickie's institutional approach is discussed.
MEHDI RAHBAR
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780197263846
- eISBN:
- 9780191734113
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197263846.003.0023
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Asian and Middle Eastern History: BCE to 500CE
This chapter discusses some observations about dakhmas in Zoroastrianism during the Sasanian period in Bandiyan based on 1994 archaeological excavations. On the basis of the evidence gathered, it can ...
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This chapter discusses some observations about dakhmas in Zoroastrianism during the Sasanian period in Bandiyan based on 1994 archaeological excavations. On the basis of the evidence gathered, it can be concluded that every religion, including Zoroastrianism, has undergone changes due to social and political pressures. The chapter argues that the unusual and unexpected range of buildings discovered at Bandiyan are of exceptional importance and have opened a new chapter in the religious architecture of the Sasanian period.Less
This chapter discusses some observations about dakhmas in Zoroastrianism during the Sasanian period in Bandiyan based on 1994 archaeological excavations. On the basis of the evidence gathered, it can be concluded that every religion, including Zoroastrianism, has undergone changes due to social and political pressures. The chapter argues that the unusual and unexpected range of buildings discovered at Bandiyan are of exceptional importance and have opened a new chapter in the religious architecture of the Sasanian period.
Simona Giordano
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- February 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780199269747
- eISBN:
- 9780191603129
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199269742.003.0009
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Moral Philosophy
Eating disorders are found nearly exclusively in Western countries, and mainly affect women. This chapter explores the social issues around eating disorders. It attempts to explain why the majority ...
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Eating disorders are found nearly exclusively in Western countries, and mainly affect women. This chapter explores the social issues around eating disorders. It attempts to explain why the majority of sufferers is represented by women, and explores the social changes that seem to have contributed to the appearance of the syndrome. It reviews clinical literature, which shows that the unrealistic aesthetic expectations of women, combined with the change in the role of the woman in contemporary society, have contributed to the genesis of eating disorders.Less
Eating disorders are found nearly exclusively in Western countries, and mainly affect women. This chapter explores the social issues around eating disorders. It attempts to explain why the majority of sufferers is represented by women, and explores the social changes that seem to have contributed to the appearance of the syndrome. It reviews clinical literature, which shows that the unrealistic aesthetic expectations of women, combined with the change in the role of the woman in contemporary society, have contributed to the genesis of eating disorders.
Kenneth Einar Himma
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- May 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780199675517
- eISBN:
- 9780191757280
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199675517.003.0008
- Subject:
- Law, Philosophy of Law
This chapter attempts to broaden the scope of the Hartian theory of social obligation by including two kinds of social norms that can create social obligations: firstly, norms that govern a group ...
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This chapter attempts to broaden the scope of the Hartian theory of social obligation by including two kinds of social norms that can create social obligations: firstly, norms that govern a group because the members of the group accept and practice those rules; and, secondly, norms that are imposed on a set of subjects who acquiesce and conform to the requirements of the norm. The theory of social obligation sketched here retains the Hartian idea that it is the authorization of social pressure for violations of the norm that partly constitutes the norm as obligatory. In particular, the theory explains and identifies the particular binding mechanism for social obligations: a distinctive reason for action that explains the sense in which a social norm, including a valid law, has a special binding force and is necessarily, if not conclusively, normative. The authorization of coercive enforcement mechanisms, as Hart observes, for non-compliance is a form of social pressure.Less
This chapter attempts to broaden the scope of the Hartian theory of social obligation by including two kinds of social norms that can create social obligations: firstly, norms that govern a group because the members of the group accept and practice those rules; and, secondly, norms that are imposed on a set of subjects who acquiesce and conform to the requirements of the norm. The theory of social obligation sketched here retains the Hartian idea that it is the authorization of social pressure for violations of the norm that partly constitutes the norm as obligatory. In particular, the theory explains and identifies the particular binding mechanism for social obligations: a distinctive reason for action that explains the sense in which a social norm, including a valid law, has a special binding force and is necessarily, if not conclusively, normative. The authorization of coercive enforcement mechanisms, as Hart observes, for non-compliance is a form of social pressure.
Luis H. Zayas
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- May 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199734726
- eISBN:
- 9780199894826
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199734726.003.0007
- Subject:
- Social Work, Health and Mental Health
Chapter Seven describes in the girls’ own words, and in the words of their parents, the backdrop for the suicide attempts. The chapter traces family dysfunctions and trauma in the girls’ lives that ...
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Chapter Seven describes in the girls’ own words, and in the words of their parents, the backdrop for the suicide attempts. The chapter traces family dysfunctions and trauma in the girls’ lives that added to their vulnerability to a suicide attempt. Case studies, quotes, and other descriptions tell of the physical, cognitive, and emotional experience that make up the suicide attempt phenomenon.Less
Chapter Seven describes in the girls’ own words, and in the words of their parents, the backdrop for the suicide attempts. The chapter traces family dysfunctions and trauma in the girls’ lives that added to their vulnerability to a suicide attempt. Case studies, quotes, and other descriptions tell of the physical, cognitive, and emotional experience that make up the suicide attempt phenomenon.
Ismail K. White and Chryl N. Laird
- Published in print:
- 2020
- Published Online:
- September 2020
- ISBN:
- 9780691199511
- eISBN:
- 9780691201962
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691199511.003.0006
- Subject:
- Political Science, American Politics
This chapter focuses on racialized social constraint's ability to increase political action in support of the Democratic Party and its candidates. To demonstrate the existence of an in-group norm of ...
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This chapter focuses on racialized social constraint's ability to increase political action in support of the Democratic Party and its candidates. To demonstrate the existence of an in-group norm of active support, the chapter turns once again to data about the race of the interviewer. It then pushes deeper into the causal process of racialized social constraint using a lab-in-the-field experiment that can directly test the effect of racialized social pressure on blacks' willingness to engage in political action. Using the behavior of contributions to the Obama campaign as a black group-norm-consistent behavior, and using personal monetary incentives to defect from this norm to induce a self-interest conflict, the chapter varies whether black study participants must make their choice in front of another person who has made their own political choice clear, as well as whether that person is a racial in-group member. As a result, social pressure from other blacks uniquely reduces self-interested behavior and results in greater group-norm-consistent political behavior. Importantly, the chapter also shows that social pressure from other blacks only works to increase group-norm-consistent behavior. It does not encourage defection.Less
This chapter focuses on racialized social constraint's ability to increase political action in support of the Democratic Party and its candidates. To demonstrate the existence of an in-group norm of active support, the chapter turns once again to data about the race of the interviewer. It then pushes deeper into the causal process of racialized social constraint using a lab-in-the-field experiment that can directly test the effect of racialized social pressure on blacks' willingness to engage in political action. Using the behavior of contributions to the Obama campaign as a black group-norm-consistent behavior, and using personal monetary incentives to defect from this norm to induce a self-interest conflict, the chapter varies whether black study participants must make their choice in front of another person who has made their own political choice clear, as well as whether that person is a racial in-group member. As a result, social pressure from other blacks uniquely reduces self-interested behavior and results in greater group-norm-consistent political behavior. Importantly, the chapter also shows that social pressure from other blacks only works to increase group-norm-consistent behavior. It does not encourage defection.
Patricia Spacks
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- February 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780226768601
- eISBN:
- 9780226768618
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226768618.001.0001
- Subject:
- Literature, 18th-century Literature
Today we consider privacy a right to be protected. But in eighteenth-century England, privacy was seen as a problem, even a threat. Women reading alone and people hiding their true thoughts from one ...
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Today we consider privacy a right to be protected. But in eighteenth-century England, privacy was seen as a problem, even a threat. Women reading alone and people hiding their true thoughts from one another in conversation generated fears of uncontrollable fantasies and profound anxieties about insincerity. This book explores eighteenth-century concerns about privacy and the strategies people developed to avoid public scrutiny and social pressure. The book examines, for instance, the way people hid behind common rules of etiquette to mask their innermost feelings and how, in fact, people were taught to employ such devices. It considers the erotic overtones that privacy aroused in its suppression of deeper desires. And perhaps most important, the book explores the idea of privacy as a societal threat—one that bred pretense and hypocrisy in its practitioners. Through readings of novels by Defoe, Richardson, Fielding, and Sterne, along with a glimpse into diaries, autobiographies, poems, and works of pornography written during the period, the book shows how writers charted the imaginative possibilities of privacy and its social repercussions.Less
Today we consider privacy a right to be protected. But in eighteenth-century England, privacy was seen as a problem, even a threat. Women reading alone and people hiding their true thoughts from one another in conversation generated fears of uncontrollable fantasies and profound anxieties about insincerity. This book explores eighteenth-century concerns about privacy and the strategies people developed to avoid public scrutiny and social pressure. The book examines, for instance, the way people hid behind common rules of etiquette to mask their innermost feelings and how, in fact, people were taught to employ such devices. It considers the erotic overtones that privacy aroused in its suppression of deeper desires. And perhaps most important, the book explores the idea of privacy as a societal threat—one that bred pretense and hypocrisy in its practitioners. Through readings of novels by Defoe, Richardson, Fielding, and Sterne, along with a glimpse into diaries, autobiographies, poems, and works of pornography written during the period, the book shows how writers charted the imaginative possibilities of privacy and its social repercussions.
Justine Siegemund
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- May 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780226757087
- eISBN:
- 9780226757100
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226757100.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, European Early Modern History
First published in 1690, this book made its author the spokesperson for the art of midwifery at a time when most obstetrical texts were written by men. More than a technical manual, it contains ...
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First published in 1690, this book made its author the spokesperson for the art of midwifery at a time when most obstetrical texts were written by men. More than a technical manual, it contains descriptions of obstetric techniques of midwifery and its attendant social pressures. The author's visibility as a writer, midwife, and proponent of an incipient professionalism accorded her a status virtually unknown to German women in the seventeenth century. Translated here into English, the book contains birthing scenes, sworn testimonials by former patients, and a brief autobiography.Less
First published in 1690, this book made its author the spokesperson for the art of midwifery at a time when most obstetrical texts were written by men. More than a technical manual, it contains descriptions of obstetric techniques of midwifery and its attendant social pressures. The author's visibility as a writer, midwife, and proponent of an incipient professionalism accorded her a status virtually unknown to German women in the seventeenth century. Translated here into English, the book contains birthing scenes, sworn testimonials by former patients, and a brief autobiography.
David P. Baron
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- August 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780262162500
- eISBN:
- 9780262259132
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- The MIT Press
- DOI:
- 10.7551/mitpress/9780262162500.003.0003
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Theory
This chapter is a presentation of a theory of industry collective action despite the arousal of change in practice and policies created by social pressure from “private politics,” which is often used ...
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This chapter is a presentation of a theory of industry collective action despite the arousal of change in practice and policies created by social pressure from “private politics,” which is often used to attempt a change in the behaviour of economic agents. More often than not, nongovernmental organizations and social activists are these agents. The chapter focuses on how these clubs, or voluntary organizations, were formed, their choice of a standard for their products, and how that choice is affected by social pressure. Here we see certain models and examples of which firms would be inclined to join an industry-sponsored club and which would not. The chapter formulates a complex model of industry behaviour and a model of social pressure by combining two particular models. In conclusion, it discusses a number of aspects of the collective choice of credence standards and why they require additional research.Less
This chapter is a presentation of a theory of industry collective action despite the arousal of change in practice and policies created by social pressure from “private politics,” which is often used to attempt a change in the behaviour of economic agents. More often than not, nongovernmental organizations and social activists are these agents. The chapter focuses on how these clubs, or voluntary organizations, were formed, their choice of a standard for their products, and how that choice is affected by social pressure. Here we see certain models and examples of which firms would be inclined to join an industry-sponsored club and which would not. The chapter formulates a complex model of industry behaviour and a model of social pressure by combining two particular models. In conclusion, it discusses a number of aspects of the collective choice of credence standards and why they require additional research.
DAVID MILLER
- Published in print:
- 1984
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198246589
- eISBN:
- 9780191681028
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198246589.003.0006
- Subject:
- Philosophy, History of Philosophy, Political Philosophy
This chapter examines Hume's conception of human nature. He sees men less as selfish than as partial in their benevolence, serving the interests of those connected to them at the expense of mankind ...
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This chapter examines Hume's conception of human nature. He sees men less as selfish than as partial in their benevolence, serving the interests of those connected to them at the expense of mankind in general; as intensely social creatures, delighting in company and conversation, but at the same time jealous in their reputation and anxious to stand well with their associates; as driven by this quest for status and also by an innate love of activity to pursue material gain; and as held within the bounds of justice by custom and social pressure. It is a mildly pessimistic picture, both in the obvious sense that men are not seen as potentially angelic, and in the sense that the restraints on anti-social behaviour depend upon an elaborate web of convention which, although strong, is not indestructible.Less
This chapter examines Hume's conception of human nature. He sees men less as selfish than as partial in their benevolence, serving the interests of those connected to them at the expense of mankind in general; as intensely social creatures, delighting in company and conversation, but at the same time jealous in their reputation and anxious to stand well with their associates; as driven by this quest for status and also by an innate love of activity to pursue material gain; and as held within the bounds of justice by custom and social pressure. It is a mildly pessimistic picture, both in the obvious sense that men are not seen as potentially angelic, and in the sense that the restraints on anti-social behaviour depend upon an elaborate web of convention which, although strong, is not indestructible.
Julien A. Deonna, Raffaele Rodogno, and Fabrice Teroni
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199793532
- eISBN:
- 9780199928569
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199793532.003.0009
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Moral Philosophy, General
We consider the role of shame in explaining and/or justifying the regulation of certain practices by means of both legal and social pressure. We begin by focusing on the nature of the connection ...
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We consider the role of shame in explaining and/or justifying the regulation of certain practices by means of both legal and social pressure. We begin by focusing on the nature of the connection between shame, and legislation aimed at keeping certain social practices, such as marriage, out of the legal reach of sexually deviant minorities. We then examine the arguments for and against a role for shame in the public debate about issues concerning subordinated groups. We argue that many of the criticisms of shame and its role in the public domain miss their target. As part of a more positive defense of shame, we show that exhorting fellow citizens to moral or civic behavior through shame may, if cautiously done, be desirable.Less
We consider the role of shame in explaining and/or justifying the regulation of certain practices by means of both legal and social pressure. We begin by focusing on the nature of the connection between shame, and legislation aimed at keeping certain social practices, such as marriage, out of the legal reach of sexually deviant minorities. We then examine the arguments for and against a role for shame in the public debate about issues concerning subordinated groups. We argue that many of the criticisms of shame and its role in the public domain miss their target. As part of a more positive defense of shame, we show that exhorting fellow citizens to moral or civic behavior through shame may, if cautiously done, be desirable.
Felicity Aulino
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- May 2020
- ISBN:
- 9781501739729
- eISBN:
- 9781501739743
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Cornell University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7591/cornell/9781501739729.003.0001
- Subject:
- Anthropology, Social and Cultural Anthropology
This introductory chapter provides an overview of care in Thailand. Thailand, this relatively small nation of sixty-six million people in mainland Southeast Asia, faces struggles similar to many ...
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This introductory chapter provides an overview of care in Thailand. Thailand, this relatively small nation of sixty-six million people in mainland Southeast Asia, faces struggles similar to many other places in the world, including a rapidly aging population, the exploitation of the working and middle classes, and economic and authoritarian roadblocks to political participation. People care for the sick and provide for their communities amid such conditions, and much of what they do can be described—using familiar analytic concepts—as reflecting and resisting a variety of social pressures. However, Thailand is also predominantly Buddhist, one of many indications of the powerful influence of centuries-old practice and philosophical lineages, distinct from European traditions. Close attention to mundane affairs—from home-care routines to friendly social interactions, from volunteer home visits to professional conference presentations—invites an appreciation of the subtle logics of engagement from which lived experience here stems. This book thus highlights the habituated ways people provide for one another. This focus illustrates that care is not universally parsed as a matter of concern and assistance, but rather is a function of the ways people's attention is trained by the social world to perceive and prioritize what needs to be done, and for whom, and in what ways.Less
This introductory chapter provides an overview of care in Thailand. Thailand, this relatively small nation of sixty-six million people in mainland Southeast Asia, faces struggles similar to many other places in the world, including a rapidly aging population, the exploitation of the working and middle classes, and economic and authoritarian roadblocks to political participation. People care for the sick and provide for their communities amid such conditions, and much of what they do can be described—using familiar analytic concepts—as reflecting and resisting a variety of social pressures. However, Thailand is also predominantly Buddhist, one of many indications of the powerful influence of centuries-old practice and philosophical lineages, distinct from European traditions. Close attention to mundane affairs—from home-care routines to friendly social interactions, from volunteer home visits to professional conference presentations—invites an appreciation of the subtle logics of engagement from which lived experience here stems. This book thus highlights the habituated ways people provide for one another. This focus illustrates that care is not universally parsed as a matter of concern and assistance, but rather is a function of the ways people's attention is trained by the social world to perceive and prioritize what needs to be done, and for whom, and in what ways.
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- June 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780804756785
- eISBN:
- 9780804779562
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Stanford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.11126/stanford/9780804756785.003.0006
- Subject:
- Law, Philosophy of Law
According to H. L. A. Hart, the distinguishing feature of morality and of law is their obligatory character. By giving rise to obligations, morality and law make conduct non-optional. Hart's theory ...
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According to H. L. A. Hart, the distinguishing feature of morality and of law is their obligatory character. By giving rise to obligations, morality and law make conduct non-optional. Hart's theory of social rules offers an explanation for this use of the concept “obligation” as a concept common to, and special to, law and morality. He argues that there is a special class of rules whose special characteristics make them distinct from other rules as “rules of obligation” or “obligation imposing rules.” Hart proposes three distinctive features of the rules of obligation: seriousness of social pressure behind the rule, importance of the values promoted by its observance, and possible conflict between an agent's wishes and what the rule prescribes. This chapter comments on Hart's arguments about obligation, duty, and wrongdoing.Less
According to H. L. A. Hart, the distinguishing feature of morality and of law is their obligatory character. By giving rise to obligations, morality and law make conduct non-optional. Hart's theory of social rules offers an explanation for this use of the concept “obligation” as a concept common to, and special to, law and morality. He argues that there is a special class of rules whose special characteristics make them distinct from other rules as “rules of obligation” or “obligation imposing rules.” Hart proposes three distinctive features of the rules of obligation: seriousness of social pressure behind the rule, importance of the values promoted by its observance, and possible conflict between an agent's wishes and what the rule prescribes. This chapter comments on Hart's arguments about obligation, duty, and wrongdoing.
Louis Rawlings
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- July 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780719056574
- eISBN:
- 9781781700839
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Manchester University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7228/manchester/9780719056574.003.0011
- Subject:
- History, Ancient History / Archaeology
This chapter analyzes the impact of war on the individual and the community in ancient Greece. It suggests that for those who survived the personal brutality and trauma of combat, the social pressure ...
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This chapter analyzes the impact of war on the individual and the community in ancient Greece. It suggests that for those who survived the personal brutality and trauma of combat, the social pressure could be intense but for those who succumbed to defeat, there was the real possibility of humiliation, enslavement or death. It suggests that war created and confirmed gender roles. It explains that though women may not usually have risked their lives on the battlefield, the consequences of the defeat of their men could fall upon them nonetheless.Less
This chapter analyzes the impact of war on the individual and the community in ancient Greece. It suggests that for those who survived the personal brutality and trauma of combat, the social pressure could be intense but for those who succumbed to defeat, there was the real possibility of humiliation, enslavement or death. It suggests that war created and confirmed gender roles. It explains that though women may not usually have risked their lives on the battlefield, the consequences of the defeat of their men could fall upon them nonetheless.
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- June 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780853235484
- eISBN:
- 9781846313967
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Liverpool University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5949/liverpool/9780853235484.003.0003
- Subject:
- Literature, Drama
This chapter examines two Golden Age comedies to explore the concept of escapist role-play: Tirso de Molina's Marta la piadosa and Lope de Vega's Los locos de Valencia. It explains that the ...
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This chapter examines two Golden Age comedies to explore the concept of escapist role-play: Tirso de Molina's Marta la piadosa and Lope de Vega's Los locos de Valencia. It explains that the protagonists in both comedies elect to fake a fundamental change to their usual social role because of social pressures, a change which alters all of their subsequent behaviour and the expectations other characters have of them. The chapter also traces the mechanics of this antisocial role-play to understand the comic movement of many a comedia de capa y espada.Less
This chapter examines two Golden Age comedies to explore the concept of escapist role-play: Tirso de Molina's Marta la piadosa and Lope de Vega's Los locos de Valencia. It explains that the protagonists in both comedies elect to fake a fundamental change to their usual social role because of social pressures, a change which alters all of their subsequent behaviour and the expectations other characters have of them. The chapter also traces the mechanics of this antisocial role-play to understand the comic movement of many a comedia de capa y espada.
Euan M. Macphail
- Published in print:
- 1998
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780198503248
- eISBN:
- 9780191686481
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198503248.003.0007
- Subject:
- Psychology, Cognitive Psychology
Any animal having a theory of mind will necessarily possess a concept of self. One central function of a theory of mind is to enable an animal to predict what another animal will do, and so be able ...
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Any animal having a theory of mind will necessarily possess a concept of self. One central function of a theory of mind is to enable an animal to predict what another animal will do, and so be able to manipulate the behaviour of other animals. This is, then, one specific version of the general idea that self-consciousness developed in response to social pressures. This chapter discusses two quite different types of evidence that have been cited in support of the claim that apes have a theory of mind. The first concerns the idea that apes are self-conscious in the sense that they recognize themselves as individuals, and are aware of the difference between themselves and other organisms. The second explores the idea that apes manipulate the behaviour of others by intentionally deceiving them.Less
Any animal having a theory of mind will necessarily possess a concept of self. One central function of a theory of mind is to enable an animal to predict what another animal will do, and so be able to manipulate the behaviour of other animals. This is, then, one specific version of the general idea that self-consciousness developed in response to social pressures. This chapter discusses two quite different types of evidence that have been cited in support of the claim that apes have a theory of mind. The first concerns the idea that apes are self-conscious in the sense that they recognize themselves as individuals, and are aware of the difference between themselves and other organisms. The second explores the idea that apes manipulate the behaviour of others by intentionally deceiving them.
