Warum die Weltgesellschaft nicht existiert. Kritische Reflexionen zu einigen empirischen und epistemologischen Problemen der Theorie der Weltgesellschaft

Use of the term “World Society” in its present connotations is becoming an accepted part of the vocabulary of globalization in academic thinking. Despite its relatively rapid rise as an analytical tool, the popularity of the term does not appear to be matched by any widespread consensus concerning its precise meaning. This paper therefore sets out to take a recapitulating look at the concept of “World Society” from both a theoretical and systematical standpoint. The aim is to offer a detailed account of the concept of World Society. Current sociological research on World Society focuses on three sets of central assumptions, which are of special relevance for its genesis: 1. Communication technologies; 2. Global diffusion of cultural/ normative patterns; 3. Functional Differentiation. This serves as the backdrop for an analysis of the epistemological limitations and modal epistemological problems of World Society Theory. Epistemic modality deals with the reality or truth-status of propositions. Due to reflections on philosophy of modality, this paper attempts to show that socio-cultural rules as such are merely “virtual”. Structures are not fixed or given. They exist only as they are instantiated in action. On this basis the paper argues that world society does not exist, because World society theory mostly overlooks implementation. It attends almost entirely to law on the books, not law in action. Synonymous with the Western metaphysical tradition world society theory presents a modern version of a Platonic theory of ideas. In a critical discussion of concepts of World Society Theory, the limits of this approach as well as noteworthy challenges for historical-sociological research on contemporary processes of globalization are identified.     

Bridge over Troubled Waters. Die EZB,die Euro-Rettung und die Politisierung der Geldpolitik

On the one hand, the European Central Bank’s (ECB) crisis management has revealed the structural deficits of the monetary union. On the other hand, neither the governments nor the citizens of the Eurozone member states are willing to legalize the ECB’s necessary but extraordinary monetary policies for future scenarios. The paper identifies the unresolved institutional contraction between French and German monetary traditions as one of the main factors underlying this functional as much as legitimatory dilemma.     

Demografischer Wandel,Alterung und Arbeitsmarkt in Deutschland

Debates about the consequences of demographic change for the labor market relate to two distinct levels; both will be addressed in this chapter. First, demographic ageing changes the composition of the workforce. Theories about how labor markets work lead to the conclusion that demographic changes do not affect immediately supply and demand of labor and the structure of the workforce. Rather, consequences of demographic changes are moderated by labor market institutions.Second, demographic ageing has consequences for the organization of work. Permanent topics of sociological research are consequences of ageing workforces in the firm for productivity and innovation, consequences of ageing workforces for human resource policies of firms, extent of and coping with the problem of limited durations to perform strenuous work tasks, and consequences of ageing workforces for industrial relations. One central finding is that firms meet various challenges in their external and internal environments, among them being ageing workforces only one. Moreover, as strategic actors, different firms can choose different strategies even in similar environments. Consequences of demographic changes for work organization on enterprise level are, therefore, far from deterministic.     

Grenzgänge zwischen Wissenschaft und Politik. Geschlechterkonstruktionen in wissenschaftlichen Eliten

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Choice-Experimente und die Messung von Handlungsentscheidungen in der Soziologie

In survey-based choice experiments respondents choose from various alternative options (for actions) the most preferable one. By systematically varying attributes of the options it is possible to determine their influence on the stated choices. This enables a more direct testing of causal relations than it is possible with ??usual?? survey data. In contrast to the similar design of factorial surveys the method corresponds better with action and decision theories and a high external validity is already shown. In the paper on hand, choice experiments are introduced in their main features (theoretical foundation, design, data collection and analysis) and discussed in comparison to factorial surveys. The aim is to deliver practical tips and thereby motivate increased applications in sociology.     

Social Impact Bonds und der Disput um die Wohlfahrt

Social Impact Bonds are novel financial mechanisms for social welfare programs. What’s new about them is that they include professional financial investors into state provision of welfare. Its promise is to help states save public money in times of austerity by becoming more effective and selling their risk of failed social investments to the financial market. Against it, its critics see a further mode of capitalization of the public sphere (Landnahme). This article investigates Social Impact Bond s between the poles of de- and repolitization. On the one hand, the Social Impact Bond prevents public and democratic debates over welfare by means of privatization and methodical rationalization, on the other hand it addresses the welfare state and public expenditures to be important again. This is new, after decades of diminishing welfare states. Which sort of dispute the Social Impact Bond will bring about depends on the institutional context of its implementation.     

Zur Entwicklung der privaten Altersvorsorge in Deutschland

Additional private old age provision is gaining in importance given the limited success of recent reforms attempting to solve the demographic problem of statutory pension insurance. Thus, the willingness of Germans to invest in private old age provision is analyzed. Points of interest are the extent of existing private old age provision and the expected security in old age. The study is based on two representative surveys examining the group between 30 and 60 years of age. The analysis shows that every second member of this age group is willing to pay for private old age provision in order to maintain the given level of social security; that two thirds have taken measures for private provision; and that the percentage of those taking such measures is growing. Since many people cannot afford private old age provision the inequality of private provision is growing. Financial aid by the state according to the law on old age property will not change much since, particularly, high income people benefit from the sponsorship system consisting of allowances and tax savings, whereas subsidies for low income groups are too small. The welfare guidelines will have to be fundamentally revised. Only those should be supported who are not in a position to build up an additional old age provision out of their own.     

Studienabbruch und Studienfachwechsel in der Soziologie: Ein Blick hinter die Zahlen

Analyses of dropout ratios for a subject are predominantly based on data from the university administration or drawn from standardized surveys. A detailed analysis of several years of enrollments for a selected subject shows that such data strongly overestimate the true dropout ratio (at least concerning ?Magister”-students). This is due to the inability of such data to identify virtual enrollments and to identify students waiting for enrollment in their subject of choice. At least half of the dropouts from sociology (the examined subject) come from one of those two groups. An analysis of the motivations for dropping out of the chosen subject indicates fundamental problems in the process of choosing a subject. These problems are a much greater factor for such decisions than the quality of teaching.     

Antisemitische Einstellungen in Deutschland Zwischen 1994 und 1998

The paper deals with the problem whether the transformation process in Germany since 1990, the year of unification of East and West Germany, has influenced the cognitive and affective structure as well as the amount of anti-Semitic attitudes. Data on these aspects come from three representative social surveys, conducted in 1994, 1996 and 1998 by three different research institutes. An attempt to cumulate the three data fileds leads to some severe problems, referring to the (in-)comparability of sampling procedures and data collection methods. Depending on the nearly complete absence of equally measured indicators, and of differing operationalizations of the remaining, it was not possible to construct a time series that would contain data on cognitive and affective aspects of anti-Semitism in the period studied. Nevertheless, the overall sample, which included information on 6671 respondents, was used to construct a summated scale of the amount of anti-Semitic attitudes in Germany. The data analysis yields evidence that the amountof anti-Semitic attitudes seems to increase slightly in East and to decrease slightly in West Germany. Results of a multiple regression analysis show that sociodemographic variables — gender, age, formal education, income — effect the amount of anti-Semitic attitudes in both parts of Germany, but differently.     

Von Realisten und Konformisten — Wider die Theorie der Wertsynthese

Klages’ theory of value synthesis claims that those people whom he calls “active realists” represent the evolutionary potential to generate a general process of value change. Realists combine high esteem for the traditional values of diligence and law and order with an equally high esteem for the ‘newer’ values of participation and self-determination. As a result, Klages’ approach contradicts the basic assumption of value theory in general: According to Parsons, Rokeach and Inglehart, the competent, rational and ‘good’ citizen is seen as an individual who is able to assign clear priorities to the diverse and contradictory range of modern values. Individuals who lack this ability are supposed to act erratic, patternless and anomic. Klages, by contrast, understands the value synthesis as an expression of a mature and competent personality. Based on a representative survey conducted in 1992, this article examines attitudes and action pre-dispositions of individuals who perform value synthesis compared to individuals who give clear priorities to certain values over other values. The empirical analyses clearly confirm the assumptions of general value theories: values function as guidelines for action only if they are organised hierarchically. Therefore, a synthesis of contradictory values leads to helplessness, fear of the future and, in particular, conformism.