Jeffrey C. Alexander
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780195162509
- eISBN:
- 9780199943364
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195162509.001.0001
- Subject:
- Sociology, Culture
How do real individuals live together in real societies in the real world? What binds societies together and how can these social orders be structured in a fair way? This book addresses this central ...
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How do real individuals live together in real societies in the real world? What binds societies together and how can these social orders be structured in a fair way? This book addresses this central paradox of modern life. Feelings for others—the solidarity that is ignored or underplayed by theories of power or self-interest—are at the heart of this novel inquiry into the meeting place between normative theories of what we think we should do and empirical studies of who we actually are. The book demonstrates that solidarity creates inclusive and exclusive social structures, and shows how they can be repaired. It is not perfect, it is not absolute, and the horrors which occur in its lapses have been seen all too frequently in the forms of discrimination, genocide, and war. Despite its worldly flaws and contradictions, however, solidarity and the project of civil society remain our best hope—the antidote to every divisive institution, every unfair distribution, and every abusive and dominating hierarchy. A grand and sweeping statement, the book is a major contribution to our thinking about the real but ideal world in which we all reside.Less
How do real individuals live together in real societies in the real world? What binds societies together and how can these social orders be structured in a fair way? This book addresses this central paradox of modern life. Feelings for others—the solidarity that is ignored or underplayed by theories of power or self-interest—are at the heart of this novel inquiry into the meeting place between normative theories of what we think we should do and empirical studies of who we actually are. The book demonstrates that solidarity creates inclusive and exclusive social structures, and shows how they can be repaired. It is not perfect, it is not absolute, and the horrors which occur in its lapses have been seen all too frequently in the forms of discrimination, genocide, and war. Despite its worldly flaws and contradictions, however, solidarity and the project of civil society remain our best hope—the antidote to every divisive institution, every unfair distribution, and every abusive and dominating hierarchy. A grand and sweeping statement, the book is a major contribution to our thinking about the real but ideal world in which we all reside.
Alec Stone Sweet
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780199256488
- eISBN:
- 9780191600234
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199256489.003.0002
- Subject:
- Political Science, Comparative Politics
This paper, which was originally published in the journal Comparative Political Studies in 1999, is the second of two that elaborate a relatively general approach to judicial politics, which ...
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This paper, which was originally published in the journal Comparative Political Studies in 1999, is the second of two that elaborate a relatively general approach to judicial politics, which emphasizes the underlying social logics not just of law and courts but also of politics and government. The triad – two contracting parties and a dispute resolver – constitutes a primal social institution, a microcosm of governance, so in uncovering the institutional dynamics of the triad an essential logic of government itself is also uncovered; the objectives of this paper are to defend the validity of these contentions and to demonstrate their centrality to the discipline. After introducing the key concepts of dyad, triad, and normative structure, a model is presented of a particular mode of governance, i.e. the social mechanism by which the rules in place in any given community are adapted to the experiences and exigencies of those who live under them. The theory integrates, as interdependent factors, the evolution of strategic (utility-maximizing) behaviour and normative (cultural or rule-based) structure, and captures dynamics of change observable at both the micro level (the behaviour of individual actors), and the macro level (the institutional environment, or social structure, in which this behaviour takes place); the mechanisms of change that are endogenous to the model are specified, and the conditions under which these mechanisms would be expected to operate, and fail to operate, are identified. The model is then used to explain two hard cases of systemic change: the international trade regime, established by the 1947 General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT); and the French Fifth Republic, founded in 1958; the conclusion draws out some of the implications of the analysis for understanding of the complex relationship between strategic behaviour and social structure.Less
This paper, which was originally published in the journal Comparative Political Studies in 1999, is the second of two that elaborate a relatively general approach to judicial politics, which emphasizes the underlying social logics not just of law and courts but also of politics and government. The triad – two contracting parties and a dispute resolver – constitutes a primal social institution, a microcosm of governance, so in uncovering the institutional dynamics of the triad an essential logic of government itself is also uncovered; the objectives of this paper are to defend the validity of these contentions and to demonstrate their centrality to the discipline. After introducing the key concepts of dyad, triad, and normative structure, a model is presented of a particular mode of governance, i.e. the social mechanism by which the rules in place in any given community are adapted to the experiences and exigencies of those who live under them. The theory integrates, as interdependent factors, the evolution of strategic (utility-maximizing) behaviour and normative (cultural or rule-based) structure, and captures dynamics of change observable at both the micro level (the behaviour of individual actors), and the macro level (the institutional environment, or social structure, in which this behaviour takes place); the mechanisms of change that are endogenous to the model are specified, and the conditions under which these mechanisms would be expected to operate, and fail to operate, are identified. The model is then used to explain two hard cases of systemic change: the international trade regime, established by the 1947 General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT); and the French Fifth Republic, founded in 1958; the conclusion draws out some of the implications of the analysis for understanding of the complex relationship between strategic behaviour and social structure.
Iris Marion Young
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- September 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780195161922
- eISBN:
- 9780199786664
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195161920.003.0002
- Subject:
- Philosophy, General
This essay evaluates Toril Moi’s arguments for abandoning the concept of gender for feminist theory and replacing it with the concept of lived body derived from existential phenomenology. It agrees ...
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This essay evaluates Toril Moi’s arguments for abandoning the concept of gender for feminist theory and replacing it with the concept of lived body derived from existential phenomenology. It agrees with Moi that lived body is a better concept than gender as a category theorizing subjectivity. However, it argues that we need to retain and reposition a concept of gender for theorizing social structure. This essay serves as a theoretical introduction to some of the concepts applied in the succeeding essays.Less
This essay evaluates Toril Moi’s arguments for abandoning the concept of gender for feminist theory and replacing it with the concept of lived body derived from existential phenomenology. It agrees with Moi that lived body is a better concept than gender as a category theorizing subjectivity. However, it argues that we need to retain and reposition a concept of gender for theorizing social structure. This essay serves as a theoretical introduction to some of the concepts applied in the succeeding essays.
Yannis M. Ioannides
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691126852
- eISBN:
- 9781400845385
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691126852.003.0002
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
This chapter discusses the theory and empirics of social interactions, with particular emphasis on the role of social context in individual decisions. It begins by introducing a sequence of models ...
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This chapter discusses the theory and empirics of social interactions, with particular emphasis on the role of social context in individual decisions. It begins by introducing a sequence of models that highlight applications in different empirical social interaction settings, including a simple static model that is used to link social interactions theory with social networks theory, notably random graph theory. A dynamic model, where the social structure accommodates a variety of social interaction motives, is then described and solved as a dynamic system of evolving individual actions. The solution links social interactions theory with spatial econometrics. The chapter examines the econometrics of social interactions in social networks and social learning in urban settings before concluding with a review of the literature on social interactions in economics.Less
This chapter discusses the theory and empirics of social interactions, with particular emphasis on the role of social context in individual decisions. It begins by introducing a sequence of models that highlight applications in different empirical social interaction settings, including a simple static model that is used to link social interactions theory with social networks theory, notably random graph theory. A dynamic model, where the social structure accommodates a variety of social interaction motives, is then described and solved as a dynamic system of evolving individual actions. The solution links social interactions theory with spatial econometrics. The chapter examines the econometrics of social interactions in social networks and social learning in urban settings before concluding with a review of the literature on social interactions in economics.
Péter Róbert and Erzsébet Bukodi
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- November 2004
- ISBN:
- 9780199258451
- eISBN:
- 9780191601491
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199258457.003.0012
- Subject:
- Political Science, European Union
Investigates temporal changes in Hungarian mobility patterns. Large-scale data sets of the Hungarian Central Statistical Office, collected between 1973 and 2000 are used for this purpose. In addition ...
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Investigates temporal changes in Hungarian mobility patterns. Large-scale data sets of the Hungarian Central Statistical Office, collected between 1973 and 2000 are used for this purpose. In addition to descriptive statistics, log-linear and log-multiplicative models are fitted to the data in order to investigate trends of temporal changes. Descriptive results indicate that the restructuring of the class distribution slowed down in the 1980s in comparison to the 1970s but it increased again in the 1990s. Observed mobility rates turned out to be relatively high but data does not indicate an increase in the openness of the Hungarian society. For relative mobility rates, the hypothesis of constant social fluidity cannot be rejected for Hungary. Though an increase in social fluidity did occur between 1973 and 1983, it levelled off between 1983 and 1992, and it reversed between 1992 and 2000.Less
Investigates temporal changes in Hungarian mobility patterns. Large-scale data sets of the Hungarian Central Statistical Office, collected between 1973 and 2000 are used for this purpose. In addition to descriptive statistics, log-linear and log-multiplicative models are fitted to the data in order to investigate trends of temporal changes. Descriptive results indicate that the restructuring of the class distribution slowed down in the 1980s in comparison to the 1970s but it increased again in the 1990s. Observed mobility rates turned out to be relatively high but data does not indicate an increase in the openness of the Hungarian society. For relative mobility rates, the hypothesis of constant social fluidity cannot be rejected for Hungary. Though an increase in social fluidity did occur between 1973 and 1983, it levelled off between 1983 and 1992, and it reversed between 1992 and 2000.
Dieter Fuchs
- Published in print:
- 1999
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198295686
- eISBN:
- 9780191600043
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198295685.003.0006
- Subject:
- Political Science, Comparative Politics
Taking the example of unified Germany, this chapter examines how a democratic culture can develop among people who have lived for decades in an autocratic state. The first section outlines the ...
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Taking the example of unified Germany, this chapter examines how a democratic culture can develop among people who have lived for decades in an autocratic state. The first section outlines the theoretical framework, starting with the concept of political support, and going on to consider various normative models of democracy in order to understand what type of democracy people in West and East Germany ultimately prefer. Discusses the formation of democratic attitudes within state‐socialist systems, comparing demonstration and socialization hypotheses on the influence of the social structure on political attitudes. On this basis, expectations about attitudes towards democracy among the East German population are formulated. Develops the empirical analysis further by examining trends in democratic attitudes among West and East Germans—including the commitment to democratic values and principles, support for democratic institutions, and satisfaction with democratic performance. The conclusion summarizes the most important findings and considers their consequences for the prospects of democracy in a unified Germany.Less
Taking the example of unified Germany, this chapter examines how a democratic culture can develop among people who have lived for decades in an autocratic state. The first section outlines the theoretical framework, starting with the concept of political support, and going on to consider various normative models of democracy in order to understand what type of democracy people in West and East Germany ultimately prefer. Discusses the formation of democratic attitudes within state‐socialist systems, comparing demonstration and socialization hypotheses on the influence of the social structure on political attitudes. On this basis, expectations about attitudes towards democracy among the East German population are formulated. Develops the empirical analysis further by examining trends in democratic attitudes among West and East Germans—including the commitment to democratic values and principles, support for democratic institutions, and satisfaction with democratic performance. The conclusion summarizes the most important findings and considers their consequences for the prospects of democracy in a unified Germany.
Kathleen R. Mcnamara
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- April 2004
- ISBN:
- 9780199247967
- eISBN:
- 9780191601088
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/019924796X.003.0008
- Subject:
- Political Science, European Union
An analysis is presented of the creation and development of rules governing the organizational form and the policy content of the European Central Bank (ECB). The establishment of the ECB and the ...
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An analysis is presented of the creation and development of rules governing the organizational form and the policy content of the European Central Bank (ECB). The establishment of the ECB and the launching of the Euro constitute an extraordinary innovation, one that opens and organizes a new institutional space in Europe. The ECB system is assessed in the light of three broad theoretical approaches emphasizing, respectively, power politics, institutions as rational solutions to collective problems, and pre-existing normative (social) structures. Power politics and functional rationality approaches are found to fail to account for important aspects of the ECB’s rules and policy mandates, while, in contrast, a sociological emphasis on institutional context is useful in explaining the continuities linking the ECB to the normative structure that had previously developed – largely within the network of central-bank governors – and diffused throughout the organizational field in which monetary policy-making was embedded. It was the need to legitimize the new ECB in terms of these broader norms that shaped the ECB’s organizational structure and governing rules: in particular, pre-existing norms influenced three key aspects of the ECB – its political independence, its criteria for membership, and its rules for price stability.Less
An analysis is presented of the creation and development of rules governing the organizational form and the policy content of the European Central Bank (ECB). The establishment of the ECB and the launching of the Euro constitute an extraordinary innovation, one that opens and organizes a new institutional space in Europe. The ECB system is assessed in the light of three broad theoretical approaches emphasizing, respectively, power politics, institutions as rational solutions to collective problems, and pre-existing normative (social) structures. Power politics and functional rationality approaches are found to fail to account for important aspects of the ECB’s rules and policy mandates, while, in contrast, a sociological emphasis on institutional context is useful in explaining the continuities linking the ECB to the normative structure that had previously developed – largely within the network of central-bank governors – and diffused throughout the organizational field in which monetary policy-making was embedded. It was the need to legitimize the new ECB in terms of these broader norms that shaped the ECB’s organizational structure and governing rules: in particular, pre-existing norms influenced three key aspects of the ECB – its political independence, its criteria for membership, and its rules for price stability.
Sarah Harper
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- July 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780199251162
- eISBN:
- 9780191602740
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199251169.003.0011
- Subject:
- Political Science, Comparative Politics
This chapter examines the impact of contemporary American family structure on the ageing process. It is shown that mature Americans will have increasingly heterogeneous family histories and statues. ...
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This chapter examines the impact of contemporary American family structure on the ageing process. It is shown that mature Americans will have increasingly heterogeneous family histories and statues. Thus, the importance of family to the ageing experience will increase.Less
This chapter examines the impact of contemporary American family structure on the ageing process. It is shown that mature Americans will have increasingly heterogeneous family histories and statues. Thus, the importance of family to the ageing experience will increase.
Peter J. Burke and Jan E. Stets
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780195388275
- eISBN:
- 9780199943937
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195388275.003.0011
- Subject:
- Sociology, Social Psychology and Interaction
This chapter introduces the concepts of identity and identity theory. It studies the nature of individuals and the basis of their actions and action choices or motivations. It considers some ...
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This chapter introduces the concepts of identity and identity theory. It studies the nature of individuals and the basis of their actions and action choices or motivations. It considers some important thoughts on social structure and reviews some ideas on the nature of the agents or actors that produce the behavior. It also discusses the concept of structural symbolic interaction, which serves as the basis of identity theory. The chapter also outlines the other chapters in this book.Less
This chapter introduces the concepts of identity and identity theory. It studies the nature of individuals and the basis of their actions and action choices or motivations. It considers some important thoughts on social structure and reviews some ideas on the nature of the agents or actors that produce the behavior. It also discusses the concept of structural symbolic interaction, which serves as the basis of identity theory. The chapter also outlines the other chapters in this book.
Richard Little
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- January 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780199265206
- eISBN:
- 9780191601866
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199265208.003.0003
- Subject:
- Political Science, International Relations and Politics
In contrast to Hidemi Suganami in the first chapter, the author argues that the English School of International Relations has made, and can continue to make, an important contribution to the study of ...
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In contrast to Hidemi Suganami in the first chapter, the author argues that the English School of International Relations has made, and can continue to make, an important contribution to the study of world history. In particular, he suggests that the three traditions of world politics – international system, international society, and world society – provide a useful way of thinking about the many different types of international societies and systems that have permeated world history. Adopts a world historical focus on the more familiar distinction drawn by the founding fathers of the English School between the political structures that define an international system and the social structures that define an international society, the aim being to demonstrate that a range of different international societies and systems have, across the course of world history, given way to a single worldwide international society/system. Begins by examining the debate about the validity of distinguishing between international systems and societies, and then looks at the interaction between international systems and societies in the premodern world. Goes on to outline the establishment of the European international system/society and its contact with other international systems/societies, and concludes by assessing the utility of adopting a world historical perspective and drawing a pluralistic distinction between international systems and societies.Less
In contrast to Hidemi Suganami in the first chapter, the author argues that the English School of International Relations has made, and can continue to make, an important contribution to the study of world history. In particular, he suggests that the three traditions of world politics – international system, international society, and world society – provide a useful way of thinking about the many different types of international societies and systems that have permeated world history. Adopts a world historical focus on the more familiar distinction drawn by the founding fathers of the English School between the political structures that define an international system and the social structures that define an international society, the aim being to demonstrate that a range of different international societies and systems have, across the course of world history, given way to a single worldwide international society/system. Begins by examining the debate about the validity of distinguishing between international systems and societies, and then looks at the interaction between international systems and societies in the premodern world. Goes on to outline the establishment of the European international system/society and its contact with other international systems/societies, and concludes by assessing the utility of adopting a world historical perspective and drawing a pluralistic distinction between international systems and societies.
André Béteille
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780198077435
- eISBN:
- 9780199081080
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198077435.001.0001
- Subject:
- Sociology, Social Stratification, Inequality, and Mobility
André Béteille’s Caste, Class and Power has grown out of his fieldwork in Sripuram in Thanjavur District, Tamil Nadu. The book’s main strengths are the clarity of its descriptive analysis of the ...
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André Béteille’s Caste, Class and Power has grown out of his fieldwork in Sripuram in Thanjavur District, Tamil Nadu. The book’s main strengths are the clarity of its descriptive analysis of the three caste groups and agrarian classes, as well as the interactions between them; and the force of its theoretical argument about the relationship between the caste structure, the class system and the distribution of political power. Its thesis about correspondence among the caste, class and political systems is considerably less convincing for the middling majority than for either the Brahmins or Adi-Dravidas. It is also an important historical source about the social structure of Indian villages in the early decades following Independence. Additionally, it is a model of ethnographic and theoretical analysis.Less
André Béteille’s Caste, Class and Power has grown out of his fieldwork in Sripuram in Thanjavur District, Tamil Nadu. The book’s main strengths are the clarity of its descriptive analysis of the three caste groups and agrarian classes, as well as the interactions between them; and the force of its theoretical argument about the relationship between the caste structure, the class system and the distribution of political power. Its thesis about correspondence among the caste, class and political systems is considerably less convincing for the middling majority than for either the Brahmins or Adi-Dravidas. It is also an important historical source about the social structure of Indian villages in the early decades following Independence. Additionally, it is a model of ethnographic and theoretical analysis.
D. K. Fieldhouse
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199540839
- eISBN:
- 9780191713507
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199540839.003.0003
- Subject:
- History, Political History, Middle East History
This chapter examines British rule in Mesopotamia/Iraq during the years 1918-1958. There were two dominant features of the British position in Mesopotamia (now known as Iraq) that were largely to ...
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This chapter examines British rule in Mesopotamia/Iraq during the years 1918-1958. There were two dominant features of the British position in Mesopotamia (now known as Iraq) that were largely to influence its history until, and in fact after, the end of the mandate in 1932. First, as in the other mandates, Britain’s position there was ambiguous as the very concept of a mandate was new and undefined. The second fundamental feature of post-1918 Iraq was that it had no historical, religious, or ethnic homogeneity. In this chapter, the British experience in Iraq will be examined under four heads: first, the indigenous social structure; second, the early British response to 1932; third, Iraqi politics and society from 1920 to 1941; and finally, the revival, decline, and fall of British influence, 1941 to 1958.Less
This chapter examines British rule in Mesopotamia/Iraq during the years 1918-1958. There were two dominant features of the British position in Mesopotamia (now known as Iraq) that were largely to influence its history until, and in fact after, the end of the mandate in 1932. First, as in the other mandates, Britain’s position there was ambiguous as the very concept of a mandate was new and undefined. The second fundamental feature of post-1918 Iraq was that it had no historical, religious, or ethnic homogeneity. In this chapter, the British experience in Iraq will be examined under four heads: first, the indigenous social structure; second, the early British response to 1932; third, Iraqi politics and society from 1920 to 1941; and finally, the revival, decline, and fall of British influence, 1941 to 1958.
Richard Dunphy
- Published in print:
- 1995
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198204749
- eISBN:
- 9780191676383
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198204749.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Modern History
This book studies the origins, development, and strategies of Fianna Fáil, showing how the party achieved its central role in Irish politics. The book explores its historical development, looking at ...
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This book studies the origins, development, and strategies of Fianna Fáil, showing how the party achieved its central role in Irish politics. The book explores its historical development, looking at its organizational structure, the evolution of party ideology, and the interactions between party and state. It analyses how the changing social structure of Ireland affected Fianna Fáil policies, and demonstrates how the inadequacies of rival political parties' responses to crises benefited Fianna Fáil. The book locates the historical experience of Fianna Fáil rule in Ireland within the broader dimensions of European politics. The result is a mixture of detailed empirical research and broader theoretical analysis which reconstructs Fianna Fáil's rise to power and explains how it retained its position of dominance.Less
This book studies the origins, development, and strategies of Fianna Fáil, showing how the party achieved its central role in Irish politics. The book explores its historical development, looking at its organizational structure, the evolution of party ideology, and the interactions between party and state. It analyses how the changing social structure of Ireland affected Fianna Fáil policies, and demonstrates how the inadequacies of rival political parties' responses to crises benefited Fianna Fáil. The book locates the historical experience of Fianna Fáil rule in Ireland within the broader dimensions of European politics. The result is a mixture of detailed empirical research and broader theoretical analysis which reconstructs Fianna Fáil's rise to power and explains how it retained its position of dominance.
Scott Smith-Bannister
- Published in print:
- 1997
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198206637
- eISBN:
- 9780191677250
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198206637.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Early Modern History, Social History
This book contains the results of the first large-scale quantitative investigation of naming practices in early modern England. It traces the history of the fundamentally ...
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This book contains the results of the first large-scale quantitative investigation of naming practices in early modern England. It traces the history of the fundamentally significant human act of naming one's children during a period of great economic, social, and religious upheaval. Using in part the huge pool of names accumulated by the Cambridge Group for the History of Population and Social Structure, the book sets out to show which names were most commonly used, how children came to be given these names, why they were named after godparents, parents, siblings, or saints, and how social status affected naming patterns. The chief historical significance of this research lies in the discovery of a substantial shift in naming practices in this period: away from medieval patterns of naming a child after a godparent and towards naming them after a parent. In establishing the chronology of how parents came to exercise greater choice in naming their children and over the nature of naming practices, it successfully supersedes previous scholarship on this subject. Resolutely statistical and rich in anecdote, this exploration of this deeply revealing subject will have far-reaching implications for the history of the English family and culture.Less
This book contains the results of the first large-scale quantitative investigation of naming practices in early modern England. It traces the history of the fundamentally significant human act of naming one's children during a period of great economic, social, and religious upheaval. Using in part the huge pool of names accumulated by the Cambridge Group for the History of Population and Social Structure, the book sets out to show which names were most commonly used, how children came to be given these names, why they were named after godparents, parents, siblings, or saints, and how social status affected naming patterns. The chief historical significance of this research lies in the discovery of a substantial shift in naming practices in this period: away from medieval patterns of naming a child after a godparent and towards naming them after a parent. In establishing the chronology of how parents came to exercise greater choice in naming their children and over the nature of naming practices, it successfully supersedes previous scholarship on this subject. Resolutely statistical and rich in anecdote, this exploration of this deeply revealing subject will have far-reaching implications for the history of the English family and culture.
Keith Wrightson and David Levine
- Published in print:
- 1995
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198203216
- eISBN:
- 9780191675799
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198203216.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Early Modern History, Social History
This book studies the single community in Terling in early modern England and offers an interpretation of the social dynamics of the period. It opens with a chapter establishing this small Essex ...
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This book studies the single community in Terling in early modern England and offers an interpretation of the social dynamics of the period. It opens with a chapter establishing this small Essex parish in the national context of economic and social change in the years between 1525 and 1700. Thereafter the chapters examine the economy of Terling; its demographic history; its social structure; the relationships of the villagers with the courts of the church and state; the growth of popular literacy; the impact of the reformation, and the rise in puritanism. The overall process of change is then characterized in a powerful interpretive chapter on the changing pattern of social relationships in the parish. An additional chapter addresses debate occasioned by the book in its previous edition, notably over kinship relations in early modern England, and the impact of puritanism on local society.Less
This book studies the single community in Terling in early modern England and offers an interpretation of the social dynamics of the period. It opens with a chapter establishing this small Essex parish in the national context of economic and social change in the years between 1525 and 1700. Thereafter the chapters examine the economy of Terling; its demographic history; its social structure; the relationships of the villagers with the courts of the church and state; the growth of popular literacy; the impact of the reformation, and the rise in puritanism. The overall process of change is then characterized in a powerful interpretive chapter on the changing pattern of social relationships in the parish. An additional chapter addresses debate occasioned by the book in its previous edition, notably over kinship relations in early modern England, and the impact of puritanism on local society.
Ádám Miklósi
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199295852
- eISBN:
- 9780191711688
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199295852.003.0004
- Subject:
- Biology, Animal Biology
This chapter provides a comparative background for the study of dog behaviour by introducing the main behavioural features of dog-like species of Canis. The main aim here is to give an understanding ...
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This chapter provides a comparative background for the study of dog behaviour by introducing the main behavioural features of dog-like species of Canis. The main aim here is to give an understanding of evolutionary and ecological constraints that might have played an important role in shaping the behaviour of this group of predators. Most emphasis is given to the behaviour of the wolf, which is considered to be the ancestor of all dogs living today. A detailed review of the social aspects of wolf behaviour offers also a comparison to the similar traits in feral dogs.Less
This chapter provides a comparative background for the study of dog behaviour by introducing the main behavioural features of dog-like species of Canis. The main aim here is to give an understanding of evolutionary and ecological constraints that might have played an important role in shaping the behaviour of this group of predators. Most emphasis is given to the behaviour of the wolf, which is considered to be the ancestor of all dogs living today. A detailed review of the social aspects of wolf behaviour offers also a comparison to the similar traits in feral dogs.
Robert Eric Frykenberg
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- September 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780198263777
- eISBN:
- 9780191714191
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198263777.003.0007
- Subject:
- Religion, Church History
The reasons why, prior to modern times, no single system of political power ever succeeded in bringing all of the Indian continent and its peoples under the rule of a single imperium can be found ...
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The reasons why, prior to modern times, no single system of political power ever succeeded in bringing all of the Indian continent and its peoples under the rule of a single imperium can be found within cultural, social, religious, and political complexities and dynamics of the continent itself. Between hundreds, if not thousands, of ethnically distinct respectable castes, intermarriage or interdining had not been acceptable. Intricate mosaics and networks of segmented and tightly stratified social structure and political power made the task of bringing all of India under one umbrella so difficult to achieve that processes of disintegration and fragmentation tended to undermine processes of political integration and unification. This chapter focuses on how and why such obstacles to political integration were overcome. It explains how fissiparous forces, tendencies, and traditions were gradually reversed, and how this was done by means and methods, manpower and money, that were a hybrid of indigenous and foreign influences.Less
The reasons why, prior to modern times, no single system of political power ever succeeded in bringing all of the Indian continent and its peoples under the rule of a single imperium can be found within cultural, social, religious, and political complexities and dynamics of the continent itself. Between hundreds, if not thousands, of ethnically distinct respectable castes, intermarriage or interdining had not been acceptable. Intricate mosaics and networks of segmented and tightly stratified social structure and political power made the task of bringing all of India under one umbrella so difficult to achieve that processes of disintegration and fragmentation tended to undermine processes of political integration and unification. This chapter focuses on how and why such obstacles to political integration were overcome. It explains how fissiparous forces, tendencies, and traditions were gradually reversed, and how this was done by means and methods, manpower and money, that were a hybrid of indigenous and foreign influences.
Peter Mair
- Published in print:
- 1998
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198295495
- eISBN:
- 9780191599804
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198295499.003.0005
- Subject:
- Political Science, Comparative Politics
This is the first of two chapters on political party organizations and party systems, and discusses party organization, party democracy, and the emergence of the cartel party. It notes that a common ...
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This is the first of two chapters on political party organizations and party systems, and discusses party organization, party democracy, and the emergence of the cartel party. It notes that a common thread running through the literature on political parties has been the view that they are to be classified and understood on the basis of their relationship with civil society, and that this has had two implications: a tendency to set up the mass party model as the standard against which everything should be judged, and an undervaluation of the extent to which differences between parties may also be understood by reference to their relations with the state. The chapter contends that both these implications are ill-founded, arguing that the mass party model is tied to a conception of democracy and to a particular, and now dated, ideal of social structure, neither of which is characteristic of postindustrial societies. Moreover, the mass party model implies a linear process of party development that suggests a suspect end-point from which the only options are stability or decay, while it can in fact be argued that the development of parties in western democracies has been reflective of a dialectical process in which each new party type generates a reaction which stimulates further development, thus leading to yet another new party type, and so on. The factors that facilitate this dialectic are not derived solely from changes in civil society, but also from changes in the relations between parties and the state. In particular, it can be argued that there has been a tendency in recent years towards an ever closer symbiosis between parties and the state, and that this then sets the stage for the emergence of a new party type, ‘the cartel party’, which, like previous party types, implies a particular conception of democracy, stimulates further reactions and sows the seeds for yet further development. The discussion is presented in seven sections: (1) The Mass Party and the Catch-All Party; (2) Stages of Party Development; (3) Parties and the State; (4) The Emergence of the Cartel Party; (5) The Characteristics of the Cartel Party; (6) Democracy and the Cartel Party; and (7) Challenges to the Cartel Party.Less
This is the first of two chapters on political party organizations and party systems, and discusses party organization, party democracy, and the emergence of the cartel party. It notes that a common thread running through the literature on political parties has been the view that they are to be classified and understood on the basis of their relationship with civil society, and that this has had two implications: a tendency to set up the mass party model as the standard against which everything should be judged, and an undervaluation of the extent to which differences between parties may also be understood by reference to their relations with the state. The chapter contends that both these implications are ill-founded, arguing that the mass party model is tied to a conception of democracy and to a particular, and now dated, ideal of social structure, neither of which is characteristic of postindustrial societies. Moreover, the mass party model implies a linear process of party development that suggests a suspect end-point from which the only options are stability or decay, while it can in fact be argued that the development of parties in western democracies has been reflective of a dialectical process in which each new party type generates a reaction which stimulates further development, thus leading to yet another new party type, and so on. The factors that facilitate this dialectic are not derived solely from changes in civil society, but also from changes in the relations between parties and the state. In particular, it can be argued that there has been a tendency in recent years towards an ever closer symbiosis between parties and the state, and that this then sets the stage for the emergence of a new party type, ‘the cartel party’, which, like previous party types, implies a particular conception of democracy, stimulates further reactions and sows the seeds for yet further development. The discussion is presented in seven sections: (1) The Mass Party and the Catch-All Party; (2) Stages of Party Development; (3) Parties and the State; (4) The Emergence of the Cartel Party; (5) The Characteristics of the Cartel Party; (6) Democracy and the Cartel Party; and (7) Challenges to the Cartel Party.
Patrick Le Galès
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199243570
- eISBN:
- 9780191697265
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199243570.003.0004
- Subject:
- Political Science, Comparative Politics
Over many centuries, societies in Europe have come to be structured as national societies, within which the cities were mostly organized in relation to the national social structure. Classes and ...
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Over many centuries, societies in Europe have come to be structured as national societies, within which the cities were mostly organized in relation to the national social structure. Classes and social relations were less specifically urban, and the European city lost its social originality. The category of ‘European city’ did not make sense any more, as, despite some similarities, each of the nation-states followed its own path. This process, although never fully completed, reached its peak during the decades following World War II. Classically, the concept of society is taken to refer to three ideas: of intensity of relations between individuals and groups, of capacity and autonomy, and finally, of territory. European cities are not unchanging. However, the relative stability of their situation combines with their internal diversity and social consumption groups, protected by the welfare state, to give them a relative robustness. This chapter also discusses poverty, social segregation, and social and cultural diversity within European cities.Less
Over many centuries, societies in Europe have come to be structured as national societies, within which the cities were mostly organized in relation to the national social structure. Classes and social relations were less specifically urban, and the European city lost its social originality. The category of ‘European city’ did not make sense any more, as, despite some similarities, each of the nation-states followed its own path. This process, although never fully completed, reached its peak during the decades following World War II. Classically, the concept of society is taken to refer to three ideas: of intensity of relations between individuals and groups, of capacity and autonomy, and finally, of territory. European cities are not unchanging. However, the relative stability of their situation combines with their internal diversity and social consumption groups, protected by the welfare state, to give them a relative robustness. This chapter also discusses poverty, social segregation, and social and cultural diversity within European cities.
OLIVER HEATH and YOGENDRA YADAV
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780197264515
- eISBN:
- 9780191734403
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197264515.003.0008
- Subject:
- Sociology, Politics, Social Movements and Social Change
This chapter explores the relationship formed between the social structure of India and its contemporary patterns. It tries to show how this relates to the theories of social cleavage alignment, and ...
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This chapter explores the relationship formed between the social structure of India and its contemporary patterns. It tries to show how this relates to the theories of social cleavage alignment, and examines change in the cleavage structure of party competition. The chapter also discusses how different contemporary patterns of political conflict in India are from those of the past.Less
This chapter explores the relationship formed between the social structure of India and its contemporary patterns. It tries to show how this relates to the theories of social cleavage alignment, and examines change in the cleavage structure of party competition. The chapter also discusses how different contemporary patterns of political conflict in India are from those of the past.
