Bastler — Sammler — Spurensucher. Zum Verhältnis von Geschichte und Systematik der soziologischen Theorie nach Robert K. Merton

For the history of sociology not to lose its relevance to the discipline, it should not be understood as a biographically oriented parade of recognized and forgotten classics, but rather complement sociological theory. Writing upon these premises, the historian of sociology would cease to act as the discipline's identity engineer who, considering the competitive field of theories and subjects, conservatively serves sociology to find and stabilize its historical identity. Furthermore, s/he would no longer operate as collector of ideas in search in the history of sociology for concepts of sociological analysis that were abandoned at some point, and in doing so, would cease to pursue the objective of critically undermining the dominating paradigms in contemporary sociology. On the contrary, since the ‘historic turn’ in the philosophy of science, the historian of sociology has to take up a trace-tracking role. In contrast to Robert K. Merton's stance, the theory and history of sociology should not be understood as two separate ventures. Rather, the genealogical exploration will lead to a historical epistemology of disciplinary paradigms that emphasizes that theoretical paradigms must be analyzed within the social context of their genesis. Such an approach would enable us to systematically identify the prerequisites and range of contemporary theoretical paradigms. Beyond Merton's former analysis, theory construction in sociology requires that systematic and historical reconstructions go hand-in-hand.     

Gebildet, flexibel und prek?r. Berufseinstieg von Graduierten der Universit?t Salzburg

This article??s aim is to enlighten university graduates?? transition to the labor market, with a focus on atypical forms of work, which have increased strongly in Austria in the past ten years. Especially career entrants, even if highly educated, are affected by these, potentially precarious types of employment. The theoretical part deals with the labor market in general and the specific conditions for academic career-entrants. Using data of the graduate survey conducted by the University of Salzburg in November 2009, this article shows that de facto two thirds of the questioned academic career entrants are employed atypically at the time of the survey. Nevertheless these flexible forms of work seem to decrease the more time has passed since graduation. Therefore a process of normalization of employment forms is assumed.     

Genetische Diskriminierung und soziale Ungleichheit. Hierarchiebildungen am Beispiel der Erkrankung Hereditäre Hämochromatose

This article discusses possible interconnections between the analysis of genetic discrimination and the analysis of social inequalities. Findings from a survey focussing on individuals affected by hemochromatosis are presented; the survey was carried out as part of Germany’s first systematic study of genetic discrimination. The experiences and apprehensions described are discussed with reference to Bourdieu’s forms of capital interlinking with structures of social inequality. In conclusion, the analysis shows that genetic discrimination and the workings of social/symbolic, economic and cultural capital are mutually constitutive for the corresponding hierarchy formation.     

Partizipation als Strategie der Bew?ltigung der Unwahrscheinlichkeit von Kommunikation

The current discussion about participation is taken up by the case of health promotion. So far, sociological approaches have deconstructed participative practices within health promotion as a new form of governance. To antagonize the instrumentalization of participation a theoretical foundation of the concept is needed. By means of sociological systems theory health promotion is reconstructed as a communicative practice whose success relies in its ability to resolve three improbabilities (addressability, understanding, acceptance). Thereby, participation is identified as strategy to ensure that communicative offers are more familiar to the cultural context of the target group (redundancy) and carry a moment of surprise with them (variety) ?? both mechatnisms are central to the success of communication. In reference to systems theory a definition is proposed that distinguishes participation in decision-making processes according to the time, factual and social dimension.     

Transnationale Projektarbeit. Berufsbiografische Strategien der Sicherung von Autonomie, Zugehörigkeit und Identität

The article intends to broaden the discussion about the globalization of management by analyzing an intermediate, operative level of management in the context of transnational project work. In contrast to Kanter’s (1996) thesis of the emergence of a “world class of management” the identity concepts, career strategies and social embeddedness of this level of management clearly show the contradictions and ambivalences peculiar to this kind of work. Drawing on group discussions as well as problem-centred interviews three types of biography politics in the context of transnationalization are discerned. By more or less intentionally unfolding these politics in the course of their biographies, the subjects are struggling for autonomy, affiliation and individual history.     

Der Beitrag der Frauen- und Geschlechterforschung zur Modernisierung der Universität

The paper reflects on the contribution of women’s and gender studies to modernizing the university. By giving an overview of the socio-political and institutional conditions of the contemporary reform processes in higher education and the university system in Europe, the author shows that universities nowadays are influenced by tensions between economization and democratization: In this tension they are forced to change their organization and their scientific “products”, namely research and teaching. Based on these explications, the author analyses the potentials of women’s and gender studies to modernize science and the humanities, teaching, learning and the organization of the university.     

Von der imaginierten zur emotional erlebten Nation: Partizipation und Verschmelzung in der Fußballberichterstattung

Not only in a globalized world, our imagination is a space for the construction of all kinds of identity. This was shown e. g. by Anderson (Erfindung der Nation, Zur Karriere eines folgenreichen Konzepts, Frankfurt a. M., Campus, 1996) in his perspective on the nation as an imagined community. This article intends to add arguments from the sociology of emotion and ritual-theory to this mainly cognitive perspective. I will argue that rituals serve to provide an affective experience of the respective imagined community and to actualize its imagined content. In so doing, the nation gains salience compared to other constructions of collective identity. TV-coverage from the FIFA Football-World Cup in 2006 in Germany serves as an empirical example. Besides the interpretative presentation of included images of we-identity (also in discrimination against the identity of ‘the others’) the analysis focuses on showing how the formal, visual and semantic form of the examined broadcast facilitates the experience of collective effervescence by making it easier for the viewers to perceive themselves as participants in the ritual.     

China Commemorates T.R.Malthus

ＣｈｉｎａＣｏｍｍｅｍｏｒａｔｅｓＴ．Ｒ．ＭａｌｔｈｕｓＴｏｃｏｍｍｅｍｏｒａｔｅｔｈｅ２００ｔｈａｎｎｉｖｅｒｓａｒｙ（１７９８－１９９８）ｏｆｔｈｅｐｕｂｌｉｃａｔｉｏｎｏｆｔｈｅＥＳＳＡＹＯＮＴＨＥＰＲＩＮＣＩＰＬＥＯＦＰＯＰＵＬＡＴＩＯ...     

Modelling Socio-Spatial Change: Istanbul,Kadıköy Case

Social Indicators Research - This study aims to understand the relationship between social structure and morphological character based on a case area...     

What's happening to U.S. family size?

A telephone survey by Zero Population Growth demographers found that birthrates have risen slightly for the 1st quarter of 1977. Average estimated family size is now 1.85 children per women compared with 1.77 for the 1st quarter of 1976. For all of 1976 the total fertility rate was 1.76 children per woman. It is predicted, on the basis of the informal survey, that the total fertility rate will rise to 2.0 or 2.1 children by the early or mid-1980s. In 1976, married women expected an average of 2.4 children each. Wives 18-24 expected 2.1 children each while older women (35-39) expected 3.0. Many women are delaying births. Wives 18-24 have an average of .8 children each, wives 25-29 have 1.6 children each. Campbell Gibson, former chief of the projections branch of the Census Bureau, believes births will not reach levels of expectations becuase of the financial, employment, and social problems the huge Baby Boom age group faces throughout its lifetime. The undecided women in the surveys reduce the predictive value. 18% of single women aged 14-39 and 8% of married women in the same age group said they were uncertain about how many children they would have. Since the personalitites and motivations of this undecided group are similar to those who expect to remain childless, it is possible that this group will have fewer children. Such nondemographic factors as media publicity about low fertility rates may inspire some couples to have children. Conversely, the postponement of births may enable couples to become comfortable with a certain lifestyle and these couples may not have as many children as they expect. Social norms are already changing. The percent of wives expecting to be childless rose from 1.3 to 4.1% between 1967-1975. Those expecting only 1 child rose from 6.1 to 11.2%.     

Comment on ‘The random variation in rates based on total enumeration of events’ by J. R. Udry,C. Teddlie,C. M. Suchindran

This comment builds on the work of Udry et al., developing a model of random variation of vital rates in small geographical areas. The model is based on the division of the variance of vital rates into three parts; that which would occur in a homogenous population; that due to population heterogeneity; and that due to yearly fluctuations in the underlying basis for the mean value of the probability of the vital event in question. Contrary to Udry et al., this model demonstrates that population heterogeneity must decrease the overall vital rate variance. Using birth rates presented in Udry et al., a test of the new model demonstrates the importance of the third factor, yearly fluctuations, in determining year-to-year variation in birth rates.     

Das authentische Selbst in der Popmusik – Zur Rekonstruktion von diskursiven Subjektfiguren sowie ihrer Aneignung und Aushandlung mittels der Dokumentarischen Methode

Up to today, the normative character of collective structures of knowledge was not focused systematically in qualitative-reconstructive research. This article sets out to further develop the Documentary Method in favor of the consideration of such collective knowledge structures being not anchored in shared experiences or shared spaces of experience. Thus, referring to concepts of Governmentality Studies subject positions are conceptualized as dominant imperatives of self-regulation being related to reflexive and pre-reflexive knowledge structures in terms of the Documentary Method. These relations are analyzed at the example of young pop musicians’ occupation with authenticity norms and their appropriation and negotiation of a subject position of an authentic self. The article especially concentrates on the methodological modification of the Documentary Method and discusses according innovations related to the work of interpretation.     

Anti-homosexual prejudice . . . as opposed to what? Queer theory and the social psychology of anti-homosexual attitudes

This article uses Sedgwick's distinction between minoritizing and universalizing theories of sexuality to analyze variability in social psychologists' studies of anti-homosexual prejudice, focusing on studies of attitudes. Anti-homosexual prejudice was initially defined in conversation with gay liberationists and presumed, among other things, that fear of homoerotic potential was present in all persons. Later social psychologists theorized anti-homosexual prejudice in strict minoritizing terms: as prejudice towards a distinct out-group. In the first section of this paper we discuss corresponding shifts in the conceptualization of anti-homosexual attitudes. Next, using a universalizing framework, we re-interpret experiments on behavioral aspects of anti-homosexual attitudes which were originally conceptualized using a minoritizing framework, and suggest avenues for future research. Finally, we examine how queer theory might enrich this area of social psychological inquiry by challenging assumptions about the politics of doing scientific work and the utility of identity-based sexual politics.     

Gerechtigkeit als Politik der Befähigung zu reflexiver Selbstbestimmung

Drawing on Günter Dux’ thesis concerning the co-evolution of social development and cognitive competence, the article argues that the 21st century offers the opportunity to universalize, for the first time, a human potential deemed a general, species-typical capacity, namely the capacity to reason logically and reflexively at the levels of formal operations (Piaget) and post-conventional understandings of social order (Kohlberg). A key prerequisite for realizing this potential are enabling policies aimed at equalizing the freedom of self-determination. Once this is accepted as a central tenet of social policies, a shift in the relative priorities guiding the allocation of public welfare funds is required that broadly follows Scandinavian models. Both considerations of justice and sustainability support such a shift.