Showing papers on "Contemporary society published in 1980"

Marx, justice, and history

Abstract: The political and ideological turmoil of the late 1960's stimulated among Anglo-American philosophers a new interest in applying moral philosophy to the problems of contemporary society, and a search for critical perspectives on Marx and Marxist thought. These essays, originally published in Philosophy & Public Affairs, contribute to both these areas in the form of new Marxist scholarship and in illuminating the way in which Marxist criticism and social theory bear on contemporary analytic moral philosophy and current moral problems.Originally published in 1980.The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These paperback editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

A Theory of Rhetoric for Contemporary Society

Abstract: of audience belief s in the eighteenth Century, and an exploration of proof in terms of various views of social knowledge in the twentieth Century.5 This, then, is our conception of what consitutes a rhetorical theory: a coherent invention-judgment systeni, implied by the epistemological and metaphysical assumptions of the âge, which guides the creation of effective expression capable of moving audiences to make appropriate judgments in regard to the solution of practical problems. It is our goal to create a rhetorical theory, grounded in contemporary metaphysics and epistemology, capable of generating discourse adequate to the solution of practical problems which confront contemporary society. Our understanding of what consti

The Study of Culture at a Distance: A Prototype

Abstract: IT IS EXCEEDINGLY DIFFICULT TODAY, more than 30 years later, to recover the elan with which, in 1947, we began work as members of Columbia University Research in Contemporary Cultures. Contrary to the accepted view of how anthropologists should do research, many of us had already worked for several years on cultures we had no way of approaching in person. Now we felt vindicated in making the attempt. The future was openand there was so much to do. The research about which I am writing here has been known by various names, depending in part on the context of the discussion. It has been called the study of culture at a distance (Mead and Metraux 1953), the study of national character (Gorer 1953; Mead 1951c, 195h3b), the study of national culture, and as it was conceived in the initial research design developed by Ruth Benedict, Margaret Mead, and others, research in contemporary cultures. By whatever name, the research has been concerned centrally with the delineation of regularities in culture patterns and in the character structure of members of a culture through work with individual identified informants and with the available resources of a complex contemporary society as these may be analyzed within an anthropological frame of reference. Carried out at a distance from the living society, the research was seen as a first-stage exploration, to be followed where this was possible by fieldwork (Mead 1953a). Columbia University Research in Contemporary Cultures (RCC), which continued for four years, 1947-51, was the prototype. There were successor projects in which members of the original research group took part; the research methods explored in RCC were used, and the idea of uncovering cultural regularities was a principal aim. These were Studies in Soviet Culture (SSC) and Studies in Contemporary Cultures (SCC), which included separate projects on the Soviet Union and on Germany; both were carried out under the auspices of the American Museum of Natural History, although with different sources of funds. The Soviet studies were directed by Margaret Mead; the German study was carried out jointly by Nelly Schargo Hoyt and myself. At further remove was a medically oriented project, Studies in Human Ecology-China, under the direction of Harold Wolff, at Cornell University Medical College. At still further remove was a study of technical change, directed by Margaret Mead, sponsored by the World Federation for Mental Health and funded by UNESCO; its only product was the book, Cultural Patterns and Technical Change (Mead 1953c). Here, however, I shall discuss only the prototype research.

Contemporary Soviet Society: Sociological Perspectives

Abstract: Make more knowledge even in less time every day. You may not always spend your time and money to go abroad and get the experience and knowledge by yourself. Reading is a good alternative to do in getting this desirable knowledge and experience. You may gain many things from experiencing directly, but of course it will spend much money. So here, by reading contemporary soviet society sociological perspectives, you can take more advantages with limited budget.

The Urban Sociology of Manuel Castells: A Critical Examination of the Central Concepts

Abstract: Precis: The writings of Manuel Castells are centrally concerned with the development of a Marxist urban sociology. This article provides a critical examination of the central concepts of these writings. The article begins with some preparatory remarks on Castells's critique of conventional urban sociology and on the Althusserian variant of historical materialism which he adopts. This is followed by an examination of the four central concepts of Castells's work, namely, collective consumption, the urban system, urban planning and urban social movements. It will be argued throughout that, although Castells's writings may act as a catalyst in the future development of a Marxist urban sociology, the conceptual core of his work makes no substantial contribution per se towards this development.

A Systematic Framework for Quality of Working Life Studies

Abstract: If the Quality of Working Life (QWL) is to become a distinct “school” then, it is argued, it should possess all the attributes of a school, in particular, vocabulary, concepts and methodology. The very importance of problems in contemporary society would suggest that the realisation of these attributes is an urgent task. It is argued that what appears to be needed is an integrated theoretical framework, and to this end a socio‐economic systems approach serves as the main focus of this contribution.