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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01 Jul 2005
TL;DR: With respect to sex as discussed by the authors is an intimate ethnography that offers a provocative account of sexual and social difference in India, focusing on the "hijra" community, individuals who occupy a unique, liminal space between male and female, sacred and profane.
Abstract: "With Respect to Sex" is an intimate ethnography that offers a provocative account of sexual and social difference in India. The subjects of this study are "hijras" or the "third sex" of India-individuals who occupy a unique, liminal space between male and female, sacred and profane. "Hijras" are men who sacrifice their genitalia to a goddess in return for the power to confer fertility on newlyweds and newborn children, a ritual role they are respected for, at the same time as they are stigmatized for their ambiguous sexuality. By focusing on the "hijra" community, Gayatri Reddy sheds new light on Indian society and the intricate negotiations of identity across various domains of everyday life. Further, by reframing "hijra" identity through the local economy of respect, this ethnography highlights the complex relationships among local and global, sexual and moral, economies. This book will be regarded as the definitive work on "hijras," one that will be of enormous interest to anthropologists, students of South Asian culture, and specialists in the study of gender and sexuality.
301 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a case study of Ecomodo, a UK-based online marketplace where people can lend and borrow each other's objects, spaces and skills, is presented.
300 citations
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...Drawing on theories of practice (cf. Bourdieu, 1977; Giddens, 1984; Reckwitz, 2002; Schatzki, 1996; Shove et al., 2012; Warde, 2005), social practice theory shifts the focus from individual behaviour and choice to practices and their emergent dynamics....
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TL;DR: In this paper, the emergence and fall of radical reflexivity within ethnomethodology, the processes contributing to its diminishing role, and the implications of the decline are discussed, and discussed in detail.
Abstract: The growing recognition of ethnomethodology has come at the expense of one of its most original and promising initiatives radical reflexivity. Although prominent in early ethnomethodological work, the recognition that all renderings of reality including those of the social scientist-are contingent accomplishments has diminished in contemporary studies. I describe the emergence andfall of radical reflexivity within ethnomethodology, the processes contributing to its diminishing role, and the implications of the decline. Because radical reflexivity breaches the taken-for-granted practices of disciplines purporting to describe reality, it is a vital resource for ethnomethodology and sociology generally.
300 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors address the questions: how do changes in practices occur, and what are the levers for influencing change towards more sustainable consumption practices, and explore learning through membership in communities of practice, where people are involved in experiments with or exposure to new practices.
Abstract: In recent years, there has been growing interest in applying social practice theory to theorizing consumption, specifically in relation to transforming practices that have problematic environmental impacts. In this paper, we address the questions: how do changes in practices occur, and what are the levers for influencing change towards more sustainable consumption practices? We argue that a view of agency distributed across people, things and social contexts is fruitful. We also explore learning through membership in communities of practice, where people are involved in experiments with or exposure to new practices. We relate three case studies in the arena of food consumption practices then discuss the practicalities and pitfalls involved in translating social practice approaches into practicable recommendations for encouraging more sustainable forms of consumption.
299 citations
Cites background from "Locating the 17th Book of Giddens@@..."
...The contours of social practice theory today build on work by Bourdieu (1979; 1997), Giddens (1984) and Schatzki (1996), among others....
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TL;DR: In this article, a theoretical framework of regional diversification by combining insights from Evolutionary Economic Geography and Transition Studies is proposed. But it does not consider the role of agency in processes of institutional entrepreneurship.
Abstract: Towards a theory of regional diversification: combining insights from Evolutionary Economic Geography and Transition Studies. Regional Studies. This paper develops a theoretical framework of regional diversification by combining insights from Evolutionary Economic Geography and Transition Studies. It argues that a theory of regional diversification should not only build on the current understanding of related diversification but also account for processes of unrelated diversification by looking at the role of agency in processes of institutional entrepreneurship, and at enabling and constraining factors at various spatial scales. This paper proposes a typology of four regional diversification trajectories by cross-tabulating related versus unrelated diversification with niche creation versus regime adoption, and it develops a number of propositions.
298 citations
Cites background from "Locating the 17th Book of Giddens@@..."
...…of technological trajectories and regimes (Dosi, 1982; Nelson &Winter, 1977), as well as sociological insights on agency and structure (Giddens, 1984), the concept of the sociotechnical regime accounts for the persistence and rigidity of structures within a system (Fuenfschilling &…...
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