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.
Citations
More filters
TL;DR: A theoretical model is articulate, based on Adaptive Structuration Theory, for TML that explicitly configures elements of the learning process, including team, technology, and learning technique structures, to help explain inconsistencies in previous research and develop specific propositions for future research.
Abstract: Increasing organizational investment in technology for training and learning underscores how important it is for researchers to understand and investigate technology-mediated learning (TML). However, the limited empirical data in this area fails to provide a consistent and comprehensive picture of the TML phenomena. A critical aspect missing from existing research is the focus on the learning process. In this paper, we articulate a theoretical model, based on Adaptive Structuration Theory, for TML that explicitly configures elements of the learning process, including team, technology, and learning technique structures. Existing TML research from the information systems (IS) and education literatures is summarized and research gaps are identified. The paper not only helps to explain inconsistencies in previous research, but also develops specific propositions for future research. The propositions stated in the paper represent the theoretical relationships among the constructs in the TML model. The model provides a vehicle for researchers, both in IS and education, to summarize and integrate existing research and theories and to guide future research in this important area.
145 citations
Cites background from "Locating the 17th Book of Giddens@@..."
...This assumption states that actors and structures interact with each other to generate new system features constantly (Giddens, 1984)....
[...]
...” This assumption states that actors and structures interact with each other to generate new system features constantly (Giddens, 1984)....
[...]
...The approach argues for a focus on the role of the actors or learners (Giddens, 1984)....
[...]
TL;DR: In this article, the conceptual development of the dilemma of disabled masculinity is discussed, tracing how several developments in the fields of disability studies and the critical study of men and masculinities have shaped sociological understandings of disabled men.
Abstract: A much-cited point by those who study the intersection of gender and disability is that masculinity and disability are in conflict with each other because disability is associated with being dependent and helpless whereas masculinity is associated with being powerful and autonomous, thus creating a lived and embodied dilemma for disabled men. This article maps and critically evaluates the conceptual development of this dilemma of disabled masculinity, tracing how several developments in the fields of disability studies and the critical study of men and masculinities have shaped sociological understandings of disabled masculinity. We suggest that, while social science scholarship has increasingly moved beyond a static understanding and toward a dynamic view of the articulation and interaction between masculinity and disability, there are nevertheless several problems that require attention. The most critical issue conceptually is that the focus of study has been more on masculinity and how it intersects wi...
145 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors argue that the importance of local context in constituting social worlds has been overlooked in micro-sociological studies that examine interaction as untethered from local traditions and in research that treats culture as autonomous from action and choice.
Abstract: Sociology requires a robust theory of how local circumstances create social order. When we analyze social structures not recognizing that they depend on groups with collective pasts and futures that are spatially situated and that are based on personal relations, we avoid a core sociological dimension: the importance of local context in constituting social worlds. Too often this has been the sociological stance, both in micro-sociological studies that examine interaction as untethered from local traditions and in research that treats culture as autonomous from action and choice. Building on theories of action, group dynamics, and micro-cultures, I argue that a sociology of the local solves critical theoretical problems. The local is a stage on which social order gets produced and a lens for understanding how particular forms of action are selected. Treating ethnographic studies as readings of ongoing cultures, I examine how the continuing and referential features of group life (spatial arenas, relations, ...
144 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a critical analysis of research that has been done on crisis communication as well as intercultural public relations and develop a different theoretical framework is presented. And the authors propose the use of ethnicity, focusing collective cultural identity as dynamic, relational and situational in crisis theory and practice.
Abstract: Crisis communication is a field dominated by case studies and is lacking of systematic knowledge and theoretical framework analysis. Functionalist and objectivist perspectives have dominated the field even though there are exceptions. This may be one reason why multicultural approaches to crisis communication, increasingly relevant in contemporary society, are very few and undeveloped. The aim in the article is to give a critical analysis of research that has been done on crisis communication as well as intercultural public relations and develop a different theoretical framework. We propose the use of ethnicity, focusing collective cultural identity as dynamic, relational and situational in crisis theory and practice. Ethnic differences seem to escalate during crises. Media use and access are also discussed. A Swedish survey shows, among other things, that people with a foreign background read mainstream newspapers more seldom than average Swedes, but that the access to Internet and mobile phones is very high. Based on a social constructionist epistemology, the article ends with four proposals for future research and practice in multicultural crisis communication: (1) audience-orientation – focusing sense-making, (2) a proactive and interactive approach – focusing dialogue, (3) a community-focused approach – focusing a long-range pre-crisis perspective and, (4) an ethnicity-approach towards intercultural communication.
144 citations
Cites background from "Locating the 17th Book of Giddens@@..."
...Giddens, A. (1984), The Constitution of Society: Outline...
[...]
...First, that we live in an increasing ‘‘environmental complexity’’ (Murphy, 1996), an ‘‘era of crises’’ (Lerbringer, 1997), in a ‘‘risk society’’ (Beck, 1992) as a part of reflexive modernity (Giddens, 1990), where humans and organizations experience a higher degree of uncertainty than in earlier times. Second, that we live in a society that is ethnically diverse and increasingly multicultural. In Sweden, as an example, immigration has led to a radical change in population since the 1960s. In 2004, 16 per cent of the Swedish population consisted of persons with a foreign background, which means that they were either born in another country or that both parents were born abroad, according to Statistics Sweden (2004). These figures are not that different from other European countries even though Sweden has had a higher immigration level than most other countries, in relation to the population of approximately 9 million....
[...]
...A more pragmatic understanding of how ethnicity is constructed may be based upon Anthony Giddens (1984) theory of structuration that focus upon a mediating space beyond but influenced by structure or agency....
[...]
TL;DR: The authors identify six broad themes in the paper from a variety of sources and explore their relationship to communicative planning theory and propose a dialectical engagement with such critiques, which will be strengthened and made more attractive to practitioners.
Abstract: The emerging paradigm of communicative or collaborative planning has dominated theoretical discourse since the early 1980s. Rather than one coherent position, there are a variety of schools that vary in their emphasis on different aspects of social and critical theory and their mixture of analyses and prescription. Critiques of communicative planning have been scarce and have challenged or questioned specific aspects rather than critiquing the paradigm as a whole. We identify six broad themes in the paper from a variety of sources and explore their relationship to communicative planning theory. These critiques do not, in our opinion, threaten to undermine communicative planning but present questions that need to be addressed. In undertaking a dialectical engagement with such critiques, communicative planning theory will be strengthened and made more attractive to practitioners--an audience that so far has been less than willing to take up such ideas.
144 citations
Cites background from "Locating the 17th Book of Giddens@@..."
...Following Giddens (1984) in particular, some forms of collaborative planning theory focus attention on the idea of structural and individual in uences upon outcomes in planning....
[...]
References
More filters