Outline of a Theory of Practice.
About: This article is published in Contemporary Sociology.The article was published on 1980-03-01. It has received 14683 citations till now. The article focuses on the topics: Practice theory.
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TL;DR: The authors examine points of convergence and crucial differences between a first-person or humanist virtue ethics and a post-structural one inspired largely by Foucault, and argue that despite their many convergences, poststructural and firstperson versions of virtue ethics make not only distinct but in some cases irreconcilable claims.
Abstract: There has been a recent call for an anthropology of morality and a challenge to anthropologists that they have been insufficiently attentive to moral aspects of social life. The new anthropology of morality involves an attempt to modify the legacy associated with Durkheim and the idea of the moral as confined to unreflective norm following. Out of this has emerged a new interest in virtue ethics. In this paper, I examine points of convergence and crucial differences between a ‘first-person’ or ‘humanist’ virtue ethics and a postructural one inspired largely by Foucault. Despite their many convergences, poststructural and first-person versions of virtue ethics make not only distinct but in some cases irreconcilable claims. Instead of rushing to merge these positions, I would urge that we pause to look at how they differ and see why this debate might matter to our own ethnographic enterprises.
121 citations
TL;DR: The authors found that when the judgment of reach was the focal task for perceivers, they overestimated their reach; but when the judgments were made a subsidiary part of a primary task, with perceivers judging how reachable an object was in order to carry out some other task, their estimates of perceived reach were very accurate.
Abstract: Previous research has shown that perceivers tend to overestimate whether an object is within reach. This exploratory study examined the hypothesis that this overestimate is a result of transforming what is typically a perception-action process into an analytical, reflective judgment. It was hypothesized that reaching estimates would be more accurate as analytical processes became less implicated in the judgment. The results indicate that when the judgment of reach was the focal task for perceivers, they overestimated their reach; but when the judgments were made a subsidiary part of aprimary task, with perceivers judging how reachable an object was in order to carry out some other task, their estimates of perceived reach were very accurate. These results support the hypothesis and suggest that perception-action prgcesses should be conceptualized as a complex mode of functioning that can operate independently of analytical processes.
121 citations
TL;DR: The role of agency in evolutionary theory has been examined in this paper, where the authors provide a context to definition of agency as effective, intentional, unconstrained and reflexive action by individual or collective actors.
Abstract: Agency has long been an important topic in sociological theory. Recently, sociologists have devoted attention to new models of cultural evolution drawn from a variety of disciplines. This paper examines the role of agency in evolutionary theory. We begin by distinguishing evolutionary theory from developmental theories that are usually identified with evolution in discussions of social theory. We then offer an approach to agency and to power grounded in social rule systems theory. These discussions provide a context to definition of agency as effective, intentional, unconstrained and reflexive action by individual or collective actors. Using contemporary evolutionary theory, we consider the circumstances under which individual and collective action can meet these requirements and thus be considered agentic.
121 citations
TL;DR: The modern state of Greece is, more than most nations, encouraged or required to share what might be its particular heritage with a wider world as mentioned in this paper, starting with ancient Imperial Rome and running up to the present.
Abstract: The Great Powers — starting with ancient Imperial Rome and running up to the present — have valued Classical Greek culture as embodying the founding spirit of their own, our own western world. So where does the modern state of Greece stand? It is, more than most nations, encouraged or required to share what might be its particular heritage with a wider world.
121 citations
TL;DR: This paper explored types of institutional work through which actors first maintain domination and grant acquiescence to oppression and, second, target oppressive systems through acts of resistance, focusing on key elements that existing studies on institutional work have neglected.
Abstract: In recent years there has been an outburst of studies aiming to advance our understanding of how actors do work to create, maintain and disrupt institutions. Drawing on work on the Holocaust, a largely neglected event in organization theory, we explore types of institutional work through which actors first maintain domination and grant acquiescence to oppression and, second, target oppressive systems through acts of resistance. This approach offers an opportunity to study a familiar set of processes and phenomena on fresh terms and to focus on key elements that existing studies on institutional work have neglected.
121 citations