Contributions of American Pragmatism to the Sociology of Knowledge

The authors identify and develop the contribution of pragmatic thought to the sociology of knowledge. The argument presented here elucidates the pragmatist position on several controversial issues currently confronting the sociology of knowledge, namely; the issues of rationality, relativism, subjectivism, objectivity, language, truth, and the nature of theory and explanation. The paper concludes that the corpus of pragmatic thought resolves these issues in a timely, relevant, and significant way.     

Sociology and the study of non-western societies

This paper attacks parochialism, ethnocentrism, and universalism in Western sociology. Conceptual limitations of the discipline are discussed in light of the emergent transnational scene. The author argues that new or revised analytical and theoretical concepts in the discipline are essential for sociological studies in non-Western societies. The professional role of the sociologist undertaking research in a non-Western society is discussed from the standpoint of international competency, language facility, and constraints and challenges. The fledgling movement toward cross-national and world sociology in the United States is indicated in developments such as dependency studies, world system theory, and the activities of the American Sociological Association. The author ofHistorical and Cultural Dictionary of Thailand. His research publications have focused on the Thai rural family, medical professions, and socioeconomic change in Southeast Asia.     

What can child care do for human capital?

This study reviews the evidence on the possible contribution that a publicly supported child care program could make to the stock of human capital that future generations will bring into the nation's labor force, focusing on the development of children most at risk of future poverty and dependency.The analysis first discusses the potential benefits to individuals, and to society at large, of increased human capital investment. Next, evidence is reviewed on how pre-school programs have affected educational attainment. The link between educational attainment and earning capacity is then examined using evidence drawn from census surveys as well as a limited amount from longitudinal studies of pre-school alumni. In conclusion the evidence supports the claim that investment in child care, incorporating tested developmental components, can yield net benefits to society by enhancing the human capital of upcoming generations.     

Community dissatisfaction and depressed mood in Suburbia

Because of contradicting theoretical statements and empirical data, there is a need to specify the exact part that neighborhood and individual characteristics represent in determining mental health related behavior and the livabiiity of residential neighborhoods. This article adds to the understanding of the general problem by exploring the contributions that economic and social status of neighborhoods and individuals make towards depressed mood and community dissatisfaction. The study was limited to men residing in “classic suburbia” in the early 1960s. Seven hypotheses were proposed — the expectancy congruence, the additive, the big reward, and big failure, the atypical person, the reward visibility, and the economic status maintenance hypotheses. Support for the big reward and pan of the additive hypothesis was observed. The relationships presented in the paper clearly demonstrate that to gain an understanding of community dissatisfaction and depressed mood we must examine an individual's social and economic status and that of his neighborhood.     

Corporate strategies for political action

Discussions of the firm's relationships with its environment have usually concluded that the firm should make adaptive decisions to non-market areas, and proactive or strategic decisions in market areas. Predicating strategic responses upon the differences between market and non-market relationships is inappropriate and misleading, reduces the capacity of the firm to respond effectively to its environment, and distorts the process of environmental scanning. When the firm's relationships with its environment are examined as inter-organizational relationships, market and non-market relationships are structurally similar, and the same types of strategic responses can be selected for both areas. The strategic responses available to the firm in inter-organizational terms are: adaptation; pre-emption, co-optation; interpenetration; conflict and withdrawal. These processes and choices are structurally similar to traditional market related strategic options and can be used to respond to market and non-market factors. The manager scans the environment not only to identify opportunities for adaptation, but to identify groups which affect the integrity of the firm, the processes for interaction, the character of relationships, and occasions for strategic choice. The strategic decision process under a framework of inter-organizational transactions is illustrated by the cases of Sun Life Insurance Co., and the pulp and paper industry in Quebec.