Locating the 17th Book of Giddens@@@The Constitution of Society: Outline of the Theory of Structuration.
TL;DR: Giddens as mentioned in this paper has been in the forefront of developments in social theory for the past decade and outlines the distinctive position he has evolved during that period and offers a full statement of a major new perspective in social thought, a synthesis and elaboration of ideas touched on in previous works but described here for the first time in an integrated and comprehensive form.
Abstract: Anthony Giddens has been in the forefront of developments in social theory for the past decade. In "The Constitution of Society" he outlines the distinctive position he has evolved during that period and offers a full statement of a major new perspective in social thought, a synthesis and elaboration of ideas touched on in previous works but described here for the first time in an integrated and comprehensive form. A particular feature is Giddens' concern to connect abstract problems of theory to an interpretation of the nature of empirical method in the social sciences. In presenting his own ideas, Giddens mounts a critical attack on some of the more orthodox sociological views. "The Constitution of Society" is an invaluable reference book for all those concerned with the basic issues in contemporary social theory.
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Journal Article•
TL;DR: In this paper, Flyvbjerg et al. argue that the success of the natural sciences in producing cumulative and predictive theory simply does not work in organization research or any of the social sciences.
Abstract: If we want to empower and re-enchant organization research, we need to do three things. First, we must drop all pretence, however indirect, at emulating the success of the natural sciences in producing cumulative and predictive theory, for their approach simply does not work in organization research or any of the social sciences (for the full argument, see Flyvbjerg 2001). Second, we must address problems that matter to groups in the local, national, and global communities in which we live, and we must do it in ways that matter; we must focus on issues of context, values, and power, as advocated by great social scientists from Aristotle and Machiavelli to Max Weber and Pierre Bourdieu. Finally, we must effectively and dialogically communicate the results of our research to our fellow citizens and carefully listen to their feedback. If we do this – focus on specific values and interests in the context of particular power relations – we may successfully transform organization research into an activity performed in public for organizational publics, sometimes to clarify, sometimes to intervene, sometimes to generate new perspectives, and always to serve as eyes and ears in ongoing efforts to understand the present and to deliberate about the future. We may, in short, arrive at organization research that matters.
171 citations
Cites background from "Locating the 17th Book of Giddens@@..."
...(For more on the actor/structure issue, see Collins 1980; Giddens 1984; Coleman 1985; Bourdieu 1988; Fine 1988; Harrison 1989; Rosen 1989; Levi-Strauss and Eribon 1991: 102–4; Sewell 1992)....
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TL;DR: A 'critical social science perspective' (CSSP) consisting of a set of 'reflexive' questions concerning the implicit assumptions and ideology underlying the research process, and the role of power, contradiction and dialectical relationships in theory and research practice is discussed.
Abstract: As part of our on-going efforts to formulate an alternative paradigm for health promotion research, we discuss an approach that we have called a 'critical social science perspective' (CSSP). This perspective consists of a set of 'reflexive' questions concerning the implicit assumptions and ideology underlying the research process, and the role of power, contradiction and dialectical relationships in theory and research practice. The paper briefly outlines key features of a CSSP and models its applica-
170 citations
Cites background from "Locating the 17th Book of Giddens@@..."
...Much insight is lost by setting up the ideological dichotomy of the macro-level versus the microlevel (Giddens, 1984)....
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...While it is true that the larger economic, political, cultural and organizational forces in any society shape the everyday lives of individuals and groups, it is also true that the everyday practices of individuals and groups produce, reproduce and transform those same larger structural forces (Bhaskar, 1979; Giddens, 1984)....
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TL;DR: Self-management of diabetes is physically, intellectually, emotionally and socially demanding, and success of self-management as a policy solution will be affected by interacting influences at three levels: at micro level by individuals' dispositions and capabilities, at meso level by roles, relationships and material conditions within the family and in the workplace, school and healthcare organisation, and at macro level by prevailing economic conditions, cultural norms and expectations.
Abstract: Self-management is rarely studied 'in the wild'. We sought to produce a richer understanding of how people live with diabetes and why self-management is challenging for some. Ethnographic study supplemented with background documents on social context. We studied a socio-economically and ethnically diverse UK population. We sampled 30 people with diabetes (15 type 1, 15 type 2) by snowballing from patient groups, community contacts and NHS clinics. Participants (aged 5-88, from a range of ethnic and socio-economic groups) were shadowed at home and in the community for 2-4 periods of several hours (total 88 visits, 230 hours); interviewed (sometimes with a family member or carer) about their self-management efforts and support needs; and taken out for a meal. Detailed field notes were made and annotated. Data analysis was informed by structuration theory, which assumes that individuals' actions and choices depend on their dispositions and capabilities, which in turn are shaped and constrained (though not entirely determined) by wider social structures. Self-management comprised both practical and cognitive tasks (e.g. self-monitoring, menu planning, medication adjustment) and socio-emotional ones (e.g. coping with illness, managing relatives' input, negotiating access to services or resources). Self-management was hard work, and was enabled or constrained by economic, material and socio-cultural conditions within the family, workplace and community. Some people managed their diabetes skilfully and flexibly, drawing on personal capabilities, family and social networks and the healthcare system. For others, capacity to self-manage (including overcoming economic and socio-cultural constraints) was limited by co-morbidity, cognitive ability, psychological factors (e.g. under-confidence, denial) and social capital. The consequences of self-management efforts strongly influenced people's capacity and motivation to continue them. Self-management of diabetes is physically, intellectually, emotionally and socially demanding. Non-engagement with self-management may make sense in the context of low personal resources (e.g. health literacy, resilience) and overwhelming personal, family and social circumstances. Success of self-management as a policy solution will be affected by interacting influences at three levels: [a] at micro level by individuals' dispositions and capabilities; [b] at meso level by roles, relationships and material conditions within the family and in the workplace, school and healthcare organisation; and [c] at macro level by prevailing economic conditions, cultural norms and expectations, and the underpinning logic of the healthcare system. We propose that the research agenda on living with diabetes be extended and the political economy of self-management systematically studied.
170 citations
Book•
01 Dec 2016TL;DR: The Transformative Activist Stance as discussed by the authors integrates insights from a vast array of critical and sociocultural theories and pedagogies and moves beyond their impasses to address the crisis of inequality.
Abstract: The book suggests a transition from a relational worldview premised on the socio-political ethos of adaptation towards a transformative worldview premised on the ethos of solidarity and equality. Expansively developing Vygotsky's revolutionary project, the Transformative Activist Stance integrates insights from a vast array of critical and sociocultural theories and pedagogies and moves beyond their impasses to address the crisis of inequality. This captures the dynamics of social transformation and agency in moving beyond theoretical and political canons of the status quo. The focus is on the nexus of people co-creating history and society while being interactively created by their own transformative agency. Revealing development and mind as agentive contributions to the 'world-in-the-making' from an activist stance guided by a sought-after future, this approach culminates in implications for research with transformative agendas and a pedagogy of daring. Along the way, many key theories of mind, development and education are challenged and radically reworked.
170 citations
01 Jan 2010
TL;DR: In this article, Sen's capabilities-based development concept is applied to migration to create analytical room to analyse most forms of migration within a single perspective, by conceptualizing migration as a function of capabilities, aspirations and opportunity rather than income differentials.
Abstract: This paper aims to advance a conceptual framework on the developmental drivers of international migration processes and to provide an empirical test drawing on the global migrant origin database. Conventional ideas that development in origin countries will reduce international migration are ultimately based on “push-pull”, neoclassical and other equilibrium models which assume an inversely proportional relationship between absolute levels and relative differences of wealth and migration. By contrast, another group of theories postulate that development leads to generally increased levels of migration and that societies go through migration transitions characterised by an inverted U-shaped pattern of emigration.
The paper discusses as yet unobserved conceptual parallels and differences between separately evolved ‘transition’ theories. It subsequently amends and synthesises prior theories, based on a criticism of their evolutionary character and sedentary bias, their inclination towards demographic determinism, their limited conceptualisation of structure and agency as well as the causal mechanisms underlying the correlations they describe. Sen’s capabilities-based development concept is applied to migration to create analytical room to analyse most forms of migration within a single perspective. Structure and agency are incorporated by conceptualising migration as a function of (1) capabilities, (2) aspirations and, on a macro-level, (3) opportunity rather than income differentials.
Because of the contested nature of migration transition theory, the paper provides an empirical test. Drawing on the World Bank/University of Sussex global migrant origin database, it estimates the effect of theoretically relevant development indicators on immigrant, emigrant, net immigrant and total migrant stocks. The results largely confirm transition theory. Higher levels of economic and human development are associated to higher overall levels of migration and have the predicted U-curve effect on emigration. The results also suggest that demographic factors do not have a direct effect on migration. Although several empirical puzzles remain, particularly on the effects of political freedoms, the results suggest that take-off development in the least developed countries is likely to lead to take-off emigration. The analysis exemplifies the need to conceptualise migration as an integral part of broader development processes rather than as problem to be “solved”.
170 citations
Cites background from "Locating the 17th Book of Giddens@@..."
...The idea is rather one of bounded rationality – the notion that people’s rationality is limited by access to information, cognitive limitations and the finite amounts of time (Giddens 1984), the recursive nature of social life (Gigerenzer and Selten 2002), as well as the notion that ‘utility’ is shaped by culturally and socially determined preferences and are, hence, not externally given or constant....
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...…bounded rationality – the notion that people’s rationality is limited by access to information, cognitive limitations and the finite amounts of time (Giddens 1984), the recursive nature of social life (Gigerenzer and Selten 2002), as well as the notion that ‘utility’ is shaped by culturally and…...
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...Neo-classical migration theory was pioneered by Todaro (1969) and Harris and Todaro (1970) to explain rural-urban migration in developing countries but has also been applied to international migration (cf....
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