Structure, Agency and the Internal Conversation

Structure, Agency and the Internal Conversation

Author: Margaret Scotford Archer

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2003-08-28

Total Pages: 384

ISBN-13: 9780521535977

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Explores the relationship between structure and agency through human reflexivity and the internal conversation.


Book Synopsis Structure, Agency and the Internal Conversation by : Margaret Scotford Archer

Download or read book Structure, Agency and the Internal Conversation written by Margaret Scotford Archer and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2003-08-28 with total page 384 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Explores the relationship between structure and agency through human reflexivity and the internal conversation.


Culture and Agency

Culture and Agency

Author: Margaret Scotford Archer

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 1996-09-26

Total Pages: 390

ISBN-13: 9780521564410

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Margaret Archer's Culture and Agency was first published in 1988, and proved a seminal contribution to social theory and the case for the role of culture in sociological thought. Described in Sociological Review as 'a timely and sophisticated treatment', the book showed that the 'problems' of culture and agency, on the one hand, and structure and agency, on the other, could be solved using the same analytical framework. In this revised edition of Culture and Agency, Margaret Archer contextualises her argument in 1990s cultural sociology and links it explicitly to her latest book, Realist Social Theory: The Morphogenetic Approach (Cambridge University Press, 1995).


Book Synopsis Culture and Agency by : Margaret Scotford Archer

Download or read book Culture and Agency written by Margaret Scotford Archer and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1996-09-26 with total page 390 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Margaret Archer's Culture and Agency was first published in 1988, and proved a seminal contribution to social theory and the case for the role of culture in sociological thought. Described in Sociological Review as 'a timely and sophisticated treatment', the book showed that the 'problems' of culture and agency, on the one hand, and structure and agency, on the other, could be solved using the same analytical framework. In this revised edition of Culture and Agency, Margaret Archer contextualises her argument in 1990s cultural sociology and links it explicitly to her latest book, Realist Social Theory: The Morphogenetic Approach (Cambridge University Press, 1995).


Structure, Culture and Agency

Structure, Culture and Agency

Author: Tom Brock

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Published: 2016-11-10

Total Pages: 320

ISBN-13: 1317392493

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Professor Margaret Archer is a leading critical realist and major contemporary social theorist. This edited collection seeks to celebrate the scope and accomplishments of her work, distilling her theoretical and empirical contributions into four sections which capture the essence and trajectory of her research over almost four decades. Long fascinated with the problem of structure and agency, Archer’s work has constituted a decade-long engagement with this perennial issue of social thought. However, in spite of the deep interconnections that unify her body of work, it is rarely treated as a coherent whole. This is doubtless in part due to the unforgiving rigour of her arguments and prose, but also a byproduct of sociology’s ongoing compartmentalisation. This edited collection seeks to address this relative neglect by collating a selection of papers, spanning Archer’s career, which collectively elucidate both the development of her thought and the value that can be found in it as a systematic whole. This book illustrates the empirical origins of her social ontology in her early work on the sociology of education, as well as foregrounding the diverse range of influences that have conditioned her intellectual trajectory: the systems theory of Walter Buckley, the neo-Weberian analysis of Lockwood, the critical realist philosophy of Roy Bhaskar and, more recently, her engagement with American pragmatism and the Italian school of relational sociology. What emerges is a series of important contributions to our understanding of the relationship between structure, culture and agency. Acting to introduce and guide readers through these contributions, this book carries the potential to inform exciting and innovative sociological research.


Book Synopsis Structure, Culture and Agency by : Tom Brock

Download or read book Structure, Culture and Agency written by Tom Brock and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2016-11-10 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Professor Margaret Archer is a leading critical realist and major contemporary social theorist. This edited collection seeks to celebrate the scope and accomplishments of her work, distilling her theoretical and empirical contributions into four sections which capture the essence and trajectory of her research over almost four decades. Long fascinated with the problem of structure and agency, Archer’s work has constituted a decade-long engagement with this perennial issue of social thought. However, in spite of the deep interconnections that unify her body of work, it is rarely treated as a coherent whole. This is doubtless in part due to the unforgiving rigour of her arguments and prose, but also a byproduct of sociology’s ongoing compartmentalisation. This edited collection seeks to address this relative neglect by collating a selection of papers, spanning Archer’s career, which collectively elucidate both the development of her thought and the value that can be found in it as a systematic whole. This book illustrates the empirical origins of her social ontology in her early work on the sociology of education, as well as foregrounding the diverse range of influences that have conditioned her intellectual trajectory: the systems theory of Walter Buckley, the neo-Weberian analysis of Lockwood, the critical realist philosophy of Roy Bhaskar and, more recently, her engagement with American pragmatism and the Italian school of relational sociology. What emerges is a series of important contributions to our understanding of the relationship between structure, culture and agency. Acting to introduce and guide readers through these contributions, this book carries the potential to inform exciting and innovative sociological research.


Reflexions in the Flesh

Reflexions in the Flesh

Author: Nick Crossley

Publisher: McGraw-Hill Education (UK)

Published: 2006-09-16

Total Pages: 173

ISBN-13: 033522962X

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In this book, Nick Crossley explores the concept of reflexive embodiment – how we, as embodied beings, reflect upon our own embodiment. He considers the ways in which we modify and maintain our bodies, from brushing our teeth and washing our faces through to tattooing and bodybuilding. Some forms of ‘body work’ are demanded by social conventions; others represent legitimate choices, and others still deviate from or resist the norm. He argues that a proper understanding of reflexive embodiment must be alert to these differences, and that we must appreciate that our bodies are not passive or inert substances that we can mould as we like. They change in ways that we do not intend and of which we are not aware, and they may prove difficult to change in the ways we do intend. Many theorists in sociology offer perspectives on the link between society and body modification, mostly focused in one way or another upon ‘modernity’. Reflexive Embodiment in Contemporary Society reviews this literature, evaluates competing claims and suggests an alternative approach. Nick Crossley contends that existing perspectives are very selective in the range of modification practices they focus upon and in their conception of both modernity and its effects upon the body. While various theories identify clusters of modification practices and link them to aspects of modernity, there has been no systematic attempt to combine these partial accounts into a coherent vision. This book provides such a vision and offers a major contribution to the sociology of the body.


Book Synopsis Reflexions in the Flesh by : Nick Crossley

Download or read book Reflexions in the Flesh written by Nick Crossley and published by McGraw-Hill Education (UK). This book was released on 2006-09-16 with total page 173 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this book, Nick Crossley explores the concept of reflexive embodiment – how we, as embodied beings, reflect upon our own embodiment. He considers the ways in which we modify and maintain our bodies, from brushing our teeth and washing our faces through to tattooing and bodybuilding. Some forms of ‘body work’ are demanded by social conventions; others represent legitimate choices, and others still deviate from or resist the norm. He argues that a proper understanding of reflexive embodiment must be alert to these differences, and that we must appreciate that our bodies are not passive or inert substances that we can mould as we like. They change in ways that we do not intend and of which we are not aware, and they may prove difficult to change in the ways we do intend. Many theorists in sociology offer perspectives on the link between society and body modification, mostly focused in one way or another upon ‘modernity’. Reflexive Embodiment in Contemporary Society reviews this literature, evaluates competing claims and suggests an alternative approach. Nick Crossley contends that existing perspectives are very selective in the range of modification practices they focus upon and in their conception of both modernity and its effects upon the body. While various theories identify clusters of modification practices and link them to aspects of modernity, there has been no systematic attempt to combine these partial accounts into a coherent vision. This book provides such a vision and offers a major contribution to the sociology of the body.


The Reflexive Imperative in Late Modernity

The Reflexive Imperative in Late Modernity

Author: Margaret S. Archer

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2012-05-03

Total Pages: 353

ISBN-13: 1107020956

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What do young people want from life? This book shows how the 'internal conversation' guides individual choices.


Book Synopsis The Reflexive Imperative in Late Modernity by : Margaret S. Archer

Download or read book The Reflexive Imperative in Late Modernity written by Margaret S. Archer and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2012-05-03 with total page 353 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What do young people want from life? This book shows how the 'internal conversation' guides individual choices.


Realist Social Theory

Realist Social Theory

Author: Margaret Scotford Archer

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 1995-10-19

Total Pages: 370

ISBN-13: 9780521484428

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Building on her seminal contribution to social theory in Culture and agency, Margaret Archer develops here her morphogenetic approach, applying it to the problem of structure and agency. Since structure and agency constitute different levels of stratified social reality, each possesses distinctive emergent properties which are real and causally efficacious but irreducible to one another. The problem, therefore, is shown to be how to link the two rather than conflate them, as has been common practice - whether in upwards conflation (by the aggregation of individual acts) downwards conflation (through the structural orchestration of agents), or, more recently, in central conflation which holds the two to be mutually constitutive and thus precludes any examination of their interplay by eliding them. Realist social theory: the morphogenetic approach thus not only rejects methodological individualism and collectivism, but argues that the debate between them has been replaced by a new one between elisionary theorizing (such as Giddens' structuration theory) and the emergentist theories based on a realist ontology of the social world. The morphogenetic approach is the sociological complement of transcendental realism, and together they provide a basis for non-conflationary theorizing which is also of direct utility to the practising social analyst.


Book Synopsis Realist Social Theory by : Margaret Scotford Archer

Download or read book Realist Social Theory written by Margaret Scotford Archer and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1995-10-19 with total page 370 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Building on her seminal contribution to social theory in Culture and agency, Margaret Archer develops here her morphogenetic approach, applying it to the problem of structure and agency. Since structure and agency constitute different levels of stratified social reality, each possesses distinctive emergent properties which are real and causally efficacious but irreducible to one another. The problem, therefore, is shown to be how to link the two rather than conflate them, as has been common practice - whether in upwards conflation (by the aggregation of individual acts) downwards conflation (through the structural orchestration of agents), or, more recently, in central conflation which holds the two to be mutually constitutive and thus precludes any examination of their interplay by eliding them. Realist social theory: the morphogenetic approach thus not only rejects methodological individualism and collectivism, but argues that the debate between them has been replaced by a new one between elisionary theorizing (such as Giddens' structuration theory) and the emergentist theories based on a realist ontology of the social world. The morphogenetic approach is the sociological complement of transcendental realism, and together they provide a basis for non-conflationary theorizing which is also of direct utility to the practising social analyst.


Making our Way through the World

Making our Way through the World

Author: Margaret S. Archer

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2007-06-14

Total Pages:

ISBN-13: 9781139464963

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How do we reflect upon ourselves and our concerns in relation to society, and vice versa? Human reflexivity works through 'internal conversations' using language, but also emotions, sensations and images. Most people acknowledge this 'inner-dialogue' and can report upon it. However, little research has been conducted on 'internal conversations' and how they mediate between our ultimate concerns and the social contexts we confront. In this book, Margaret Archer argues that reflexivity is progressively replacing routine action in late modernity, shaping how ordinary people make their way through the world. Using interviewees' life and work histories, she shows how 'internal conversations' guide the occupations people seek, keep or quit; their stances towards structural constraints and enablements; and their resulting patterns of social mobility.


Book Synopsis Making our Way through the World by : Margaret S. Archer

Download or read book Making our Way through the World written by Margaret S. Archer and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2007-06-14 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How do we reflect upon ourselves and our concerns in relation to society, and vice versa? Human reflexivity works through 'internal conversations' using language, but also emotions, sensations and images. Most people acknowledge this 'inner-dialogue' and can report upon it. However, little research has been conducted on 'internal conversations' and how they mediate between our ultimate concerns and the social contexts we confront. In this book, Margaret Archer argues that reflexivity is progressively replacing routine action in late modernity, shaping how ordinary people make their way through the world. Using interviewees' life and work histories, she shows how 'internal conversations' guide the occupations people seek, keep or quit; their stances towards structural constraints and enablements; and their resulting patterns of social mobility.


Going to University

Going to University

Author: Case, Jennifer

Publisher: African Minds

Published: 2018-02-09

Total Pages: 178

ISBN-13: 1928331696

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Around the world, more young people than ever before are attending university. Student numbers in South Africa have doubled since democracy and for many families, higher education is a route to a better future for their children. But alongside the overwhelming demand for higher education, questions about its purposes have intensified. Deliberations about the curriculum, culture and costing of public higher education abound from student activists, academics, parents, civil society and policy-makers. We know, from macro research, that South African graduates generally have good employment prospects. But little is known at a detailed level about how young people actually make use of their university experiences to craft their life courses. And even less is known about what happens to those who drop out. This accessible book brings together the rich life stories of 73 young people, six years after they began their university studies. It traces how going to university influences not only their employment options, but also nurtures the agency needed to chart their own way and to engage critically with the world around them. The book offers deep insights into the ways in which public higher education is both a private and public good, and it provides significant conclusions pertinent to anyone who works in – and cares about – universities.


Book Synopsis Going to University by : Case, Jennifer

Download or read book Going to University written by Case, Jennifer and published by African Minds. This book was released on 2018-02-09 with total page 178 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Around the world, more young people than ever before are attending university. Student numbers in South Africa have doubled since democracy and for many families, higher education is a route to a better future for their children. But alongside the overwhelming demand for higher education, questions about its purposes have intensified. Deliberations about the curriculum, culture and costing of public higher education abound from student activists, academics, parents, civil society and policy-makers. We know, from macro research, that South African graduates generally have good employment prospects. But little is known at a detailed level about how young people actually make use of their university experiences to craft their life courses. And even less is known about what happens to those who drop out. This accessible book brings together the rich life stories of 73 young people, six years after they began their university studies. It traces how going to university influences not only their employment options, but also nurtures the agency needed to chart their own way and to engage critically with the world around them. The book offers deep insights into the ways in which public higher education is both a private and public good, and it provides significant conclusions pertinent to anyone who works in – and cares about – universities.


Strategy as Practice

Strategy as Practice

Author: Gerry Johnson

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2007-08-02

Total Pages: 245

ISBN-13: 0521862930

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This is an analysis of what managers actually do in relation to the development of strategy in organisations.


Book Synopsis Strategy as Practice by : Gerry Johnson

Download or read book Strategy as Practice written by Gerry Johnson and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2007-08-02 with total page 245 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is an analysis of what managers actually do in relation to the development of strategy in organisations.


Being Human

Being Human

Author: Margaret S. Archer

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2000-12-28

Total Pages: 334

ISBN-13: 9780521795647

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A revindication of the concept of humanity and the primacy of practice over language.


Book Synopsis Being Human by : Margaret S. Archer

Download or read book Being Human written by Margaret S. Archer and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2000-12-28 with total page 334 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A revindication of the concept of humanity and the primacy of practice over language.