Bosanquet's social theory of the state

Bosanquet's political philosophy was a social theory of the function of the State as ‘hinderer of hindrances to the best life’, where individual development was supported by relationships within a community. This was worked out in the context of considerable knowledge of conditions among the London poor at the turn of the century, and reinforced by his wife's practical work and research. He sympathized with Durkheim's pioneering sociology, and was in contact with him through the Sociological Society. His ‘New Liberal’approach, seeing problems of poverty as to be met by informed charitable activity, was restricted by insufficient recognition of the structural aspects of social problems and conflicts. The bearing of his Idealist Metaphysics is critically considered, and it is claimed that, although a good deal of this may not be acceptable, it gave a background to a kind of social thinking which is of interest to those looking for a communitarian type of political philosophy.     

St. Clair Drake,the Chicago School,and the Emergence of a New Urban Black Perspective

St. Clair Drake was responsible for a major shift in the way urban sociologists studied cities. While educated by Chicago school scholars in sociology and anthropology, such as Robert Park and Ernest Burgess, Drake was one of many Black doctoral students who veered from the dominant perspective of his White teachers on race. His skills in ethnographic research were indebted not only to Park and Burgess, but also to the work of Black scholars who came before him, such as W. E. B. Du Bois and E. Franklin Frazier. His unique personal approach to cities and their racial problems transitioned into a more global focus on the Black diaspora, colonialism and the history of African people, and cultures which connected him to a world of social action.     

Becoming a Social Worker: Chris' Account

Chris Murray, a young African-American male, admitted on a scholarship to a social work masters program, reflexively explores his negotiation of difference in dialogue with an Australian female social work educator twice his age. Standpoint theory and the concept of intersectionality are used to frame Chris' experiences at a private northeast US university after achieving an undergraduate degree in his southern home state. His initial access to university came through military service. Chris was interviewed by the author as part of her international study project examining social work students' experience of diversity in the classroom. The open-ended interview was designed to allow self-identity of difference. Chris ethnographically recounts to a stranger a subjectivity statement of who he is in relation to studying social work. Chris' story works the hyphen between the binary of subjectivity and objectivity through the particulars of his personal history and world-view and his expectation that I as a social work educator share his seeking of social justice. His detailing of what moved him to become a social worker and contextual complexities negotiated along the way connect to wider discourses on how agency and structure play out in lived experience in seeking social justice.     

Learning from sociological practice: The case of applied constructionism

Drawing upon field research in two distinct settings, the authors reflect upon the uses of and problems associated with social constructionism in academic and applied contexts. Miller’s research on brief therapists and Fox’s on an AIDS prevention program, both of which utilize the principles of social constructionism, bring into relief various issues within social constructionism. The authors suggest that academic contructionists’ consideration of applied uses might bear insight into the relationship between theory and sociological practice. As practitioners of everyday life who are responsible to practical concerns, social constructionists' knowledge claims are socially contingent. The mutable claims to expertise and authority in applied settings highlight these contingencies. Moreover, within applied constructionist settings, decisions to priviledge some knowledge forms over others reflect the ontological gerry-mandering problem in academic versions of constructionism. Kathryn Fox areas of specialization are deviant behavior and social control, social problems theory, and qualitative methods. She is co-author of Ethnography Unbound: Power and Resistance in the Modem Metropolis with Michael Burawoy et al. Currently, she is conducting research on a cognitive therapy program for violent offenders in prison. Gale Miller recent research has focused on language use in human service organizations and social problems theory. His recent book, Becoming Miracle Workers: Language and Meaning in Brief Therapy, is an ethnographic history of a postmodern approach to human troubles. He has also recently published a book with Robert Dingwall, Context and Method in Qualitative Research.     

Advancing the Chicago School of Pragmatic Sociology: The Life and Work of Tamotsu Shibutani*

Tamotsu Shibutani is a contemporary proponent of the Chicago School of pragmatic sociology who has devoted his academic efforts to using the Chicago School of pragmatism to analyze problems of contemporary social life and to refine the theoretical tools available to the discipline of sociology. He has evaluated such topics as the Japanese relocation centers, the social construction of rumor, demoralization in Army life, the dynamics of ethnic stratification, and the resolution of ethnic tensions. Shibutani's books on social psychology and general sociology synthesize micro and macro variables, with careful attention to both agency and social control. His work is free of metaphysical puzzles and is true to the scientific method, clearly reflecting the essence of the Chicago School of pragmatic sociology.     

Reading Wacquant: social work and advanced marginality

Professor Loic Wacquant was born in Montpelier in 1960. He was educated in France before completing a Ph.D. in Chicago in 1994. He is currently Professor of Sociology at the University of California at Berkeley. His work is concerned with the impact of neoliberalism in the area of welfare and penal policy. Wacquant has published a number of highly influential books the most notable of which are Les Prisons de la misère (1999, translated in 20 languages; new and expanded English edition, Prisons of Poverty, 2009), Body and Soul: Ethnographic Notebooks of an Apprentice Boxer (2000), Urban Outcasts: A Comparative Sociology of Advanced Marginality (2008) and Punishing the Poor: The Neoliberal Government of Social Insecurity (2009). These works, along with the major papers listed in the bibliography, form the core of Wacquant's analysis of the impact of neoliberal welfare and penal policy. These papers consider three key areas: advanced marginality, race (ethno-racial domination) and the rise of the penal state. His significance as a commentator for social work, specifically, lies in his critical engagement with these three areas that have so shaped the development of modern welfare and penal policy. The article concludes that Wacquant's work provides a clear analytical framework for the study of the organisational and social contexts of contemporary practice. His work also calls for a more politically engaged social work practice—a form of practice that will move away from social work as a narrow bureaucratic activity dominated by risk management and return to core social work values.     

Waiting for the revolution: The use of microcomputers by social scientists

A longitudinal analysis of one academic unit is employed to assess whether the “microcomputer revolution” has affected the work of academic social scientists. In the four years since all social scientists in the multidisciplinary unit received microcomputers, average use has increased steadily to twenty-four hours per week. There is remarkable consistency in the relative distribution of uses over time, with word-processing applications and research uses remaining dominant. The social scientists report that microcomputer use has moderately increased the quantity and especially enhanced the quality of their research and that the impacts of microcomputing on their interpersonal work environments have been very positive. The data in this analysis reveal clearly that, contrary to the rather hyperbolic claims and excited projections from some social scientists, microcomputers have had benign and incremental impacts on existing patterns of work and have not transformed the nature of social scientists’ work. His recent research has emphasized the social impacts of computing and telecommunications technologies. His most recent book (co-authored with Kenneth L. Kraemer) isPeople and Computers: The Impacts of Computing on End Users in Organizations (Columbia University Press, 1986). He currently is involved in an extensive longitudinal analysis of the uses and impacts of computing technologies in American local governments. He was honored in 1987 with UCI’s first Distinguished Faculty Lectureship Award for Teaching. The initial phase of this research was supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation (IST 8317592).     

The political economy of sociology: An interview with William V. D’Antonio,American Sociological Association

The Executive Director of the American Sociological Association discusses the many uses of sociology as a practical and knowledge-producing discipline, as well as a profession with many constituencies. While hailing gains in sociology’s relations with Congress, the media, and other social science disciplines, he laments that too few talented students elect to pursue social science degrees. D’Antonio concludes with thoughts on the certification of sociologists. His research has centered on the social and political dimensions of science and technology, especially research evaluation, public understanding of science, misconduct in research, and career patterns of scientists and engineers. His latest book (co-edited) isInterdisciplinary Analysis and Research (Lomond 1986).     

C. Wright Mills,Pessimistic Radical*

C. Wright Mills was a radical, critical of United States society and of sociology as practiced in this country. His criticisms were especially provocative given the ideological atmosphere of the 1950s and 1960s. His writings on stratification were very influential, with several of them having a mass readership. Mills viewed the United States as a society dominated by irresponsible elites and alienated masses. Sociology, he felt, had abdicated its responsibility for showing how larger social forces shape individual lives. While pessimistic about the possibility of fundamental social changes, Mills nevertheless urged intellectuals to use their skills to bring about a society where reason and democracy would prevail. Though marginalized within the profession during his life, he helped inspire the development of a critical perspective within sociology.     

The role of social policy research in society and in sociology

Changes in the dominant mode of social research since 1900 have mirrored changes in the structure of society. The relation of social research to society has changed, however, with social policy research constituting a feedback mechanism for certain types of social action. The future of social policy research depends upon how it becomes institutionalized in a society characterized increasing by asymmetric social relations. Graduate training in sociology must begin to define itself in relation to the functioning of modern society or it faces the danger of becoming “that in which no one else is interested.” He has engaged in extensive social policy research in education since 1965. His most recent work, with Thomas Hoffer, is reported inPublic and Private High Schools: The Impact of Communities (1987).     

Sociology Hesitant: The Continuing Neglect of W.E.B. Du Bois

W.E.B. Du Bois’ early work as a sociologist from 1896 to 1914 represents a milestone in the development of modern sociology. His empirical studies often employed a triangular methodological approach, and by grounding The Philadelphia Negro in what is the earliest extensive social survey by an American sociologist, Du Bois set the stage for the growth of sociology as a legitimate science. In fact, his approach became the model that the discipline eventually followed. Had Du Bois been white, he would have been recognized as a leading founder of the field. Since Du Bois’ early sociological scholarship was completed during the height of the Jim Crow era, his brilliant landmark work was largely negated by the profession. His scholarly accomplishments clearly focused on establishing a scientific sociology. Based on his exemplary work, can sociology finally negate the sociological negation of W.E.B. Du Bois?     

RECONSIDERING KENNETH BURKE: His Contributions to the Identity Controversy

The social theory of Kenneth Burke is relevant to the contemporary controversy about identity. His theory of identity, developed in the 1930s, addresses several important issues at the heart of contemporary debate. Though not naively, Burke believed that identity can serve as an instrument of social critique. His own defense of this position is, I think, worthy of consideration.     

Amateur craft‐artists: Marginal leisure roles in a marginal art world (1)

Amateurism is an important but marginal leisure role, in which the boundaries between work and leisure are blurred. This phenomenon has been studied by Stebbins as a subjective social reality. His conceptualization of amateurism was used as a model in the examination of survey data on craft‐artists and it was found to apply rather well to the analysis of quantitative data. As a self‐identified category of craft‐artists, amateurs were statistically marginal between professionals and dabblers.     

Social gradients and participant characteristics in child behavior problem interventions

A social gradient has been found in both children's behavior problems and among the users of services that treat such problems. If low-resource families are simultaneously at higher risk of having a child with behavior problems and less inclined to use services to address such problems, healthcare inequality and social inequity could be exacerbated. I focus on social gradients in participant characteristics in two evidence-based parent training interventions that target children who display behavior problems: Parent Management Training—Oregon Model (PMTO) and Brief Parent Training. This study extends the literature on social gradients in participant characteristics by focusing on family social and economic resources independently and in an additive cumulative risk index. I investigated potential social gradients overall in a pooled sample and in separate analyses relating social gradients to more intensive treatment. The results revealed inverse social gradients among the intervention participants compared with the Norwegian general population of families with children; intervention participants had fewer social and economic resources. The inverse social gradient was partially replicated through analyses that focused on treatment intensity. Families with fewer resources were more likely to receive high-intensity treatment; however, these associations disappeared for families with > 3 cumulative risks. These results indicate that these PMTO interventions do not exacerbate social inequality by serving a high-resource population.     

MODERN TIMES: RELIGION,CONSECRATION AND THE STATE IN BOURDIEU

Bourdieu held that the state in modernity has become the primary agent of consecration, ‘the legitimation and naturalization of social difference’, a function formerly performed largely by religion. After clarifying the role of ‘religion’ in Bourdieu's work, this paper brings two empirical issues into dialogue with his ideas: social fragmentation in late-modernity, and the relation between temporalization and social structures in medieval and early-modern charity. His view that religion is anachronistic, that it was left behind by modernization misses its continuing, even increasing, importance. He overemphasized the centrality and authority of the state in modernity and distinguished too sharply between pre-modern gifting and modern market relations. Once these limitations are mitigated, Bourdieu's analysis can be redirected to account for the importance of religion as an agent of consecration globally today.     

A Critique of Max Horkheimer’s <Emphasis Type="Italic">Critique of Instrumental Reason</Emphasis>

I produce a critique of Marx Horkheimer’s book Critique of Instrumental Reason as a way to introduce the concept of pragmatic critical theory. I start by mentioning that C. Wright Mills’s concept of “The Sociological Imagination” has many of the qualities of critical theory while emphasizing its potential for pragmatic solutions to social problems. I discuss some of the qualities of German social theory including its tendency toward over-philosophizing, before going on to discussing this book as well as the work of such scholars as W. I. Thomas and Emile Durkheim who produced morally-relevant social analysis, and especially the work of Max Weber whose exposition on the nature of rationality is used to provide background information that puts the work of Max Horkheimer in broader sociological context. I discuss how fantasies and substitute satisfactions are substitutes for a well-balanced life. I emphasize why Horkheimer and the Frankfurt School in general did not appreciate the American concern for pragmatism, but I nevertheless show the importance of a pragmatic approach to social reform. His critique of nationalism that runs as a theme throughout this book as offering a poor substitute for a sense of community is also pertinent. I end by emphasizing that Horkheimer’s emphasis on authoritarianism as a reaction to modernization, and Christopher Lasch’s emphasis on narcissism as a reaction to modernization, both emphasize negative aspects of their own societies, and learning how to avoid both extremes is a useful lesson to take away from both of their writings.     

Structural explanation in sociology: The egalitarian imperative

The concept of opportunity is widely used in sociology to explain unequal attainments. In this approach the actor is seen as controlled by structures of opportunity, rather than by culture or personality. This model is nearly identical withhomo economicus. However, social order is conceived more sociologically. Opportunity is portrayed as controlled by competing groups. But the problem of collective action makes these concepts incompatible because rational maximizers are not ordinarily able to achieve cooperation. This contradiction is resolved by modelingthe dominated as economically rational whilethe dominant are seen as driven by extra-economic motives. The main motive for adopting these contradictory models is a program of egalitarian social engineering. His main interests are the philosophy of social science and political philosophy.     

Dual-careerism and the conjoint-career couple

This article introduces and defines the concept of conjoint-career couples, marital partners that work in the same field or profession. Drawing on the narratives of three couples with structurally varied experiences (older man/younger woman, older woman/younger man, peers), we describe and analyze some of the problems and issues confronting a growing number of academics in the current labor pool. We conclude by discussing some of the overarching patterns common to this situation and the advantages and disadvantages associated with it. Finally, we propose a variety of social policies which academic institutions may want to consider to help meet the challenge of these changing market demographics. Currently she is writing and teaching in the areas of deviance, social theory, and the sociology of children. She is the author ofWheeling and Dealing (Columbia University Press, 1985) and coeditor (with Peter Adler) ofThe Social Dynamics of Financial Markets (JAI Press, 1984). He is the author ofMomentum (Sage, 1981),Membership Roles in Field Research (co-authored with Patricia A. Adler, Sage, 1987), and the editor, along with Patricia A. Adler, ofJournal of Contemporary Ethnography andSociological Studies of Child Development. Her special interests are divorce and remarriage and she is the author (with R.H. Rodgers) ofDivorced Families (W.W. Norton, 1987). His areas of interest are family dynamics with a focus on myth and ritual formation in families. His interests are in social control and political economy. He is the author ofCastles of Our Conscience: Social Control and the American State, 1800–1985, Polity Press, forthcoming. She is the author of books and articles on deviance and social control, qualitative methods, and gender, includingGender Issues in Field Research (Sage, 1988),Madwives: Schizophrenic Women in the 1950s (Rutgers University Press, 1987),The Court of Last Resort: Mental Illness and the Law (University of Chicago Press, 1982).     

The social order of markets

In this article I develop a proposal for the theoretical vantage point of the sociology of markets, focusing on the problem of the social order of markets. The initial premise is that markets are highly demanding arenas of social interaction, which can only operate if three inevitable coordination problems are resolved. I define these coordination problems as the value problem, the problem of competition and the cooperation problem. I argue that these problems can only be resolved based on stable reciprocal expectations on the part of market actors, which have their basis in the socio-structural, institutional and cultural embedding of markets. The sociology of markets aims to investigate how market action is structured by these macrostructures and to examine their dynamic processes of change. While the focus of economic sociology has been primarily on the stability of markets and the reproduction of firms, the conceptualization developed here brings change and profit motives more forcefully into the analysis. It also differs from the focus of the new economic sociology on the supply side of markets, by emphasizing the role of demand for the order of markets, especially in the discussion of the problems of valuation and cooperation.

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Sociologists and american prohibition: A study of early works in the american journal of sociology1895–1935

Sociology, since its inception, has regarded itself as an agency for investigating social change. Alcohol reform during American Prohibition has been studied from status-politics and politico-economic perspectives. This work delineates what sociologists of the early twentieth-century observed and wrote about the American experiment with Prohibition in the early American Journal of Sociology. Overall, these sociologist gave limited attention to Prohibition. Why AJS sociologists had so little to contribute can be understood by situating the answer in the early sociohistorical context of the social pathology perspective and the Chicago School of sociology. We live as did the ancients when their world was not yet disenchanted of its gods and demons, only we live in a different sense. —Weber¹ His interests are social deviance and social theory and include the role of the media in the American prohibition. The quote is from Max Weber’s essay “Science as Vocation” fromMax Weber: Essays in Sociology, edited and translated by H. H. Gerth and C. Wright Mills (1946, 148.) London: Oxford.