Culture’s Coherence: How the Trees Compose the Woods

In cultural sociology, the concept of culture refers to processes and products of meaning-making. This concept sustains coherence while also encompassing empirical complexity and theoretical difference. Much of the variety in the way cultural sociologists talk about culture is simply attributable to inconsequential terminological difference, and the remainder is attributable to differences of empirical angle and theoretical emphasis within the field which are encompassed by this core idea. Cultural sociologists understand meaning as transcending biology, irreducible to social structure, and public rather than private. These conceptual boundaries provide a firm foundation for empirical research and guide the development of cultural theory. Further exploration of the concept of “meaning” is better pursued in the analytic philosophy of meaning, but such exploration is unnecessary and potentially counter-productive for cultural sociology.     

Short notices

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Paradoxes, locations and the need for social coherence: a qualitative study of living with a learning difficulty

Policy rhetoric over recent decades has promoted social inclusion of the more vulnerable sectors of society, such as people with learning difficulties. This study aimed to describe the experiences of people who live with learning difficulties in order to inform local service development. Thirty-five people with a learning difficulty and/or a family member were interviewed. A model of social coherence was developed that moves beyond the self-limiting debates about social inclusion and exclusion. It is underpinned by a sense of location for the person with a disability in relation to services and carers, family and community, dependency and risk, temporality and space, events, control and society. Key recommendations are for services to know the individual and his/her family; to be responsive to individual needs; to enhance the capacity of families and communities to support people with difficulty in learning; and to help these people to feel more valued.     

Young People’s Perception Of Being Safe – Globally &; Locally

Giddens explores, in Modernity and Self-Identity, our preoccupation with risks in modern social life and the disparity between perceived risks and actual prevalence of life-threatening dangers [Giddens, A.: 1991, Modern and Self-Identity. Self and Society in Late Modern Age (Polity Press, Cambridge), p. 115]. Modern technologies have made global information accessible around the world; real time news communiqués about unfolding situations are displayed directly into the home environment through television and the internet. Global issues and local events intermix, blurring worldwide issues and threats with local realities. This research explored the everyday life of young people in two Australian rural communities, their community affiliation, sense of belonging and feeling safe in the local rural community. The research was exploratory in nature and based on a survey of 751 young people aged between 14 and 21 years, all being students at local secondary high schools. Feeling safe was of concern for both female and male young people: females indicated a higher tolerance towards strangers and cultural diversity, but at the same time, they felt less safe in the local community. These findings are discussed in relation to a 1989–1990 study of 13- to 21-year-old urban Australian and Swedish young people. The study explored young people’s experiences of scary events in mass media, in their home environment and among themselves. The findings signify the need for a holistic approach to identify social indicators to describe the grounds for young people feeling unsafe and the need to take into consideration local community circumstances, the global milieu and conflicts as portrayed in news, documentary and entertainment mass media.     

"If I'm not allowed to put my family first": challenges experienced by women who are caregiving for family members with dementia

In this study of 26 employed, West Texas women caregivers, we found that women worried that they would not be able to give their family members the care they deserved because of the multiple demands placed on them. Women actively negotiated working conditions to achieve flexibility. Women who did not have access to flexibility often changed jobs until they had working conditions that provided it. Work provided a respite and a chance to feel some measure of control. In spite of the importance of work to them, these women paid costs for balancing both roles.     

Unity and Diversity: Challenges to an Expanding Canadian Autoworkers' Union*

Afin d'enrayer la chute du nombre de leurs adhérents, les syndicats élargissent leur base en procédant à des réorganisations et en fusionnant avec d'autres syndicats. Prenant comme exemple le syndicat des Travailleurs canadiens de l'automobile (TCA), cet article montre que, pour tirer parti de leur base élargie, les syndicats doivent soutenir les demandes diverses et opposées de leurs membres tout en créant une unité interne. Au fur et à mesure que les syndicats recrutent des membres dans de nouveaux groupes de travailleurs, ces défis sont de plus en plus difficiles à relever. L'identité collective et la structure organisationnelle des syndicats sont des facteurs décisifs lorsqu'il s'agit de déterminer les critères d'intégration des nouveaux membres. L'article conclut que le TCA s'est engagé dans une restructuration organisationnelle et culturelle hâtive et hasardeuse, qui, à l'avenir, pourrait l'empêcher de mobiliser le soutien de ses membres en vue d'atteindre ses objectifs. In response to declining memberships, trade unions are expanding their membership base by organizing the unorganized and by merging with existing unions. Through an examination of the Canadian Autoworkers' Union, this paper argues that to reap the benefits of greater size, unions must be able to represent the diverse and competing claims of their expanding membership while at the same time being capable of building internal unity. These tasks become more difficult as unions seek membership among new groups of workers. The paper argues that unions' collective identity and organizational structure are critical factors in determining how new union members are brought into a new union. The paper concludes that the CAW has embarked on a rapid and uneven course of organizational and cultural change, the result of which could be future problems for the CAW in mobilizing collective support for its goals.     

Closing the gap between planning and control

Top management responsible for setting objectives, determining organizational purpose and developing appropriate structures are almost always far removed from the harsh realities of implementing plans and subsequent operational control. This paper explores two traditional responses to the problems of planning and control before explaining ways and means for integrating the functions through using the Expectations Approach which appears to offer a bright future for a career in planning and control, and also a constructive aid to the Board wishing to translate strategy into detailed operational programmes. Furthermore, it must be emphasized that in a rapidly changing social, political and industrial relations environment, the integration of planning and control becomes more critical unless planning is to become merely an expression of pious hope rather than a means of achieving the desired future.     

Attitudes and beliefs about mental health among African American older adults suffering from depression

Depression among older adults is a major public health concern leading to increased disability and mortality. Less than 3% of older adults utilize professional mental health services for the treatment of depression, less than any other adult age group. And despite similar rates of depression, African Americans are significantly less likely to seek, engage and be retained in professional mental health services than their white counterparts. Cultural differences in the way depression symptoms are manifested, defined, interpreted and labeled may in part explain some of these racial differences in help-seeking behaviors. Focus group methodology was utilized to identify and explore attitudes and beliefs about depression and mental health treatment utilization among 42 older African Americans who had recently suffered a major depressive episode. Thematic analysis of identified six overarching themes: (a) perceptions of depression, (b) the African American experience, (c) seeking treatment as a last resort, (d) myths about treatment, (e) stigma associated with seeking treatment and (f) culturally appropriate coping strategies. We discuss implications for practice, education and research.