Realist social theory : the morphogenetic approach
TL;DR: The Morphogenetic Cycle: the basis of the morphogenetic approach 7. Structural and cultural conditioning 8. The morphogenesis of agency 9. Social elaboration.
Abstract: Building on her seminal contribution to social theory in Culture and Agency, in this 1995 book Margaret Archer develops her morphogenetic approach, applying it to the problem of structure and agency. Since structure and agency constitute different levels of stratified social reality, each possesses distinctive emergent properties which are real and causally efficacious but irreducible to one another. The problem, therefore, is shown to be how to link the two rather than conflate them, as has been common theoretical practice. Realist Social Theory: The Morphogenetic Approach not only rejects methodological individualism and holism, but argues that the debate between them has been replaced by a new one, between elisionary theorising and emergentist theories based on a realist ontology of the social world. The morphogenetic approach is the sociological complement of transcendental realism, and together they provide a basis for non-conflationary theorizing which is also of direct utility to the practising social analyst.
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01 Jan 2009
27 citations
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31 Aug 2021TL;DR: The two-volume Cambridge History of Atheism as mentioned in this paper offers an authoritative and up-to-date account of a subject of contemporary interest, from antiquity to the present, examining the phenomenon of unbelief in the context of Christian, Islamic, Buddhist, Hindu, and Jewish societies.
Abstract: The two-volume Cambridge History of Atheism offers an authoritative and up to date account of a subject of contemporary interest. Comprised of sixty essays by an international team of scholars, this History is comprehensive in scope. The essays are written from a variety of disciplinary perspectives, including religious studies, philosophy, sociology, and classics. Offering a global overview of the subject, from antiquity to the present, the volumes examine the phenomenon of unbelief in the context of Christian, Islamic, Buddhist, Hindu, and Jewish societies. They explore atheism and the early modern Scientific Revolution, as well as the development of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution and its continuing implications. The History also includes general survey essays on the impact of scepticism, agnosticism and atheism, as well as contemporary assessments of thinking. Providing essential information on the nature and history of atheism, The Cambridge History of Atheism will be indispensable for both scholarship and teaching, at all levels.
27 citations
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TL;DR: Applying Reflexivity Theory to this context articulates dimensions of reflexive processing not elaborated in current theoretical treatments, including future outlook and comfort with uncertainty, among others.
Abstract: Sociologists are increasingly directing attention toward social responses to climate change. As is true of any new field of inquiry, theoretical frameworks guiding the research to date have room for improvement. One advance could be achieved through closer engagement with Reflexivity Theory, particularly the work of Margaret Archer, who asks just how individuals come to give attention to certain problems, and formulate responses to them. Individuals vary significantly in regard to their understanding of and concern for anthropogenic climate change, and these standpoints in turn influence commitment to mitigation and adaptation. The emergent social interactions among all such agents in turn influence the morphogenetic trajectories through which social structures will evolve, but the role of ‘meta-reflexives’ is particularly crucial. Identifying pathways of individual climate change reflexivity can make a valuable contribution to our understanding of the potential for and nature of collective responses. In this paper, I explore climate change reflexivity, with particular attention to climate change meta-reflexives, through a qualitative analysis of personal interviews with residents of two small communities in Alberta, Canada. Applying Reflexivity Theory to this context articulates dimensions of reflexive processing not elaborated in current theoretical treatments, including future outlook and comfort with uncertainty, among others.
27 citations
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TL;DR: The content and nature of process designs is discussed, as well as the design knowledge to make them, and ideas are presented on research approaches to further develop design knowledge that can support more innovative process design.
Abstract: As complexity and scale of design processes in architecture and in engineering increase, as well as the demands on these processes with respect to costs, throughput time and quality, traditional approaches to organise and plan these processes may no longer suffice. In this conceptual article it is argued that more innovative approaches may be needed. The content and nature of process designs is discussed, as well as the design knowledge to make them, and ideas are presented on research approaches to further develop design knowledge that can support more innovative process design. An important type of such design knowledge is the technological rule, to be based on the principle of minimal specification.
27 citations
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TL;DR: It is argued that it is necessary to restructure the functions and influences of stakeholders in the health system if any such reforms should be successful in improving public health, which requires overall reforms of the general state governance structures as well as a more profound integration of interests and collaboration of all stakeholders.
Abstract: The article at hand aims at contributing to a deeper understanding of problems in China’s urban health system governance by comparing levels of influence and the roles of different stakeholder groups – government bodies, public, private and illegal health care providers, patients and their social networks, paying institutions, social organizations, and the civil society – in the production and reproduction of the layout of the health care system in the city of Guangzhou. Primary data was collected in several fieldwork studies in Guangzhou City between December 2006 and January 2009 and includes 27 in-depth interviews with administrative officials, health care providers and NGO representatives as well as 70 in-depth interviews and a quantitative survey with 450 rural-urban migrants. We use the actor-centred institutionalism approach by MaYnTz and scharpF (1995) and scharpF (2000) which we combine with archer’s (1995) morphogenetic approach in order to develop an analysis tool. The findings show that although hierarchical steering by the municipal administrative units in Guangzhou is officially still in place, new corporate agents have emerged, such as influential hospital managers, social organizations and NGOs that, together with the multiple adaption and circumvention strategies of primary agents, patients and health care providers, are significantly reshaping the health system. Considering China’s current debate on the general type of health system that should be put in place we argue that it is necessary to restructure the functions and influences of stakeholders in the health system if any such reforms should be successful in improving public health. The basis for this should be the establishment of an all-embracing health governance framework, which should include independent third-party supervision and monitoring and which requires overall reforms of the general state governance structures as well as a more profound integration of interests and collaboration of all stakeholders.
27 citations