Restricted and Elaborated Modes in the Cultural Analysis of Politics1 |
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Authors: | Brian Steensland |
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Affiliation: | 1. Department of Sociology, Indiana University, Ballantine Hall 744, 1020 East Kirkwood Avenue, Bloomington, Indiana 47405;2. e‐mail: . |
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Abstract: | The “cultural turn” that swept across the social sciences a generation ago ushered in renewed attention to the cultural analysis of politics. Yet despite this growing area of research, there remains a lack of integration between cultural and noncultural studies of political phenomena. Should this state of affairs be a source of concern for cultural sociologists? I believe it should be. In this essay, I outline reasons why this is the case and what might be done to address this issue. Drawing loosely on Basil Bernstein’s distinction between “restricted” and “elaborated” codes, I suggest that cultural analyses of politics need to be more “elaborated” in nature and I offer three guidelines that can orient this type of research program. |
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Keywords: | boundaries communication culture discourse politics restricted and elaborated codes |
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