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Approach not only rejects methodological individualism and holism, but argues that the debate between them has been replaced by a new one, between elisionary theorising and emergentist theories based on a realist ontology of the social world.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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TL;DR: The authors argue that Foucault's insights on ethical action relate to institutional bases of discourses, and the effects of disciplinary knowledge on subjects, and identify several fruitful seams, particularly in the later works, that contribute to a valuable ethos for postmodern organization theory.
Abstract: Criticisms of postmodernism are examined in the context of social theory and its sub-field, organization theory. Criticisms centre on claims that postmodern organization theorists are preoccupied with indeterminancy of meaning, linguistic relativism and the `minutiae' of everyday life; and further, that Foucault-inspired postmodern organization theorists reject culture, history, and reason, and have little to offer in terms of ethics, action and change. We contest these criticisms as they apply to organizational analyses. The criticisms miss key elements of postmodern contributions to organization theory. We identify several fruitful seams, particularly in Foucault's later works, that contribute to a valuable ethos for postmodern organization theory. This article subjects this ethos to the same level of deconstruction to which it subjects its opponents. We argue that Foucault's insights on ethical action relate to institutional bases of discourses, and the effects of disciplinary knowledge on subjects. We...
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TL;DR: The concept of habit has an established place in the conceptual arsenal of philosophy and social theory as mentioned in this paper, and it has been noticed clearly enough, that there are two different variants of this concept around.
Abstract: The concept of habit has an established place in the conceptual arsenal of philosophy and social theory. However, it has not been noticed clearly enough, that there are two different variants of this concept around. The older notion, which might be called the classic 'Humean' variant, treats habit as a routine-like behavior pattern where the acting subject's consciousness, rationality, and intentionality are not involved. Its alternative stems from the philosophical tradition of pragmatism, and understands 'habit' as open for the acting subject's reflection, during the course of action. Accordingly, as the philosopher Stephen Turner (1994) asserts that various theories of action in modern social theory in fact tacitly rest on the notion of habit, he makes a strong case. However, the prospects of social theory are not necessarily as gloomy as he sees them, because it is possible to reinterpret habit in the above, more advanced pragmatist sense. In that case, human reflection can be in charge of habitual behavior patterns, and this gives us a more advanced action-theoretic conceptual tool to be used in social theory.
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45 citations
TL;DR: A more fruitful approach may lie in a 'theory-driven review' underpinned by an understanding of dynamics of social change in complex organisations, as tested by examining the primary and secondary research on the many interventions designed to tackle a particularly wicked problem, namely the inexorable rise in demand for healthcare.
45 citations
01 Jan 2007
45 citations