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The advance of increasingly sophisticated technology, in the industrial revolution 4.0 era, led to the patterns of digital economy, artificial intelligence, big data, and robotic, referred as the phenomenon of disruptive innovation. This change was addressed by the University in how the learning process was carried out and how students learned. This study aims to develop a mobile learning application "Sosiopedia", which tries to offer a fundamental change in the process of learning paper to the screen, smart phones. The heutagogy approach was chosen to provide easy access to various information indirectly (asynchronous). This approach offers freedom for learners to determine by themselves the way how they learn. Meanwhile, for the development method, the research and development (R&D) was used along with the Define, Design, Develop, and Disseminate model or 4D. Furthermore, sociological theory was chosen as the material in this development. Media and material validation in this research showed that product development was excellent and worth proving. In addition, Sosiopedia developed encourage student to motivate in learning sociology rather than in conventional approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction to the papers presented at the August 2012 conference "Ethical imagination and social theory" held at Brandbjerg Højskole in Denmark.

In his book "Collected Papers," sociologist Alfred Schutz offers a thorough going critique of the discipline of sociology as it is usually conceived, and attempts to re-found sociology on the basis of a theory of consciousness. Schutz begins his reasoning with a brief examination of what sociology is and does. Sociology, in contrast to philosophy, is ordinarily conceived to have as its subject how men act. Sociology, then, must examine the empirical rather than the logical, possibilities open to men. Instead of asking how well a certain sociological theory relates to other theories in the field and instead of trying to gauge how well statements of theory relate to the data, Schutz focuses on the relation of both theory and data to the phenomenon itself, the phenomenon of man in a social world. In this way, Schutz challenges both the theory of sociology and its supportive data. But, there is an ironic turn in Schutz's argument. The problem of sociology is not that its empirical methods are incorrect, but rather that its theorizing is faulty. In other words, sociological data are inadequate not because sociologists are unable to "get at" the data of everyday life with scientific methods, but because they do not think properly.

Critiques the paper "Decentering Sociology: Synthetic Dyes and Social Theory" by Andrew Pickering, published in this same issue of "Perspectives on Science." Exploration of what readers learn about technoscience from Pickering's account; Extent to which a decentered sociology differs from others in science studies; Reason why historians are likely to have problems in using this approach to write history.

Purpose: This paper aims to outline the role that serendipity can play in providing a complementary and previously unrepresented vector in deliberate and emergent strategies within organizations. Design/methodology/approach: The paper is conceptual in nature and draws upon the serendipity pattern in sociological theory and serendipitous relations in developmental sciences to provide a framework for executives to consider when examining the process of strategy formation. Two case vignettes are used to illustrate the difference between luck and serendipity and the paper also traces key micro foundations of serendipity by returning to the original serendipity fable and a famed science experiment producing "floppy-eared" rabbits. Findings: The notion of chance favoring the "prepared firm" is espoused where the prepared organizational mind is positioned as an antecedent of serendipitous strategy formation. This is based on Louis Pasteur's famous aphorism, "chance favors the prepared mind." Components of the prepared firm include deep domain knowledge, anticipatory mindset, noticing, abductive reasoning, elaboration and relations development. Research limitations/implications: The paper is a conceptual articulation of a novel concept that now requires deeper empirical case development and ultimately statistical validation. The paper suggests linkages between serendipity and theories of absorptive capacity and the attention-based view of the firm. Practical implications: Several mindsets, capabilities and relations for architecting organizational serendipity are suggested for executives using a stylized framework. Originality/value: From a strategy process perspective, the Mintzberg and Waters seminal article "Of strategies deliberate and emergent" is complemented by considering "floppy-eared" strategy characterized by unexpected, anomalous and strategic datum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article analyzes the Amherst papers in relation to development of Parsons' theory. A careful analysis of the Amherst papers reveals that the basic ideas and philosophical principles that Parsons followed throughout his life were already in place, some more fully developed than others, yet forming an integrally coherent pattern to a surprising degree. The clear existence in Parsons's Amherst papers of a metatheoretical framework predating his later professional writing calls into question some still existing myths about radical breaks in the development of Parsons's theory. In one version of this mythology, Parsons began his theory as a voluntarist, then became a structural-functionalist, later moved on to become a systems-theorist and ended up as a social evolutionist. Despite such claims, Parsons always was a voluntarist, even during his so-called structural-functionalist middle period. The Amherst papers reveal an amazingly complex and logically coherent theoretical system-in the mind of a twenty-year-young man-and testify to an extraordinary scope of philosophical depth, and intellectual maturity.

The notion of the mechanism is one of the most popular and widely used concepts in science and sociology is no exception. This paper problematizes the widespread and often uncritical use of the term "mechanism" in contemporary sociology. Drawing on the mechanistic worldview associated with leading figures of the scientific revolution, the paper emphasizes the impact of mechanistic thinking on the societal rationalization process identified by Max Weber and the Frankfurt School. The analysis suggests that mechanisms, when applied to sociological theories, may uncritically reproduce a cultural fetish of the rational society with potentially dehumanizing consequences. The author advocates for a critical reflection on the cultural and historical context of mechanisms, urging sociologists to view them not merely as analytical tools but as active contributors to the creation and shaping of social worlds erected on a belief in instrumental reason. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article titled "Recommendations for Further Reading" provides a list of articles that may be useful for teachers of undergraduate economics and also covers topics of broader cultural interest. The recommended readings include surveys on the first 25 years of the euro, housing affordability crisis policies, the limitations of randomized controlled trials in criminal legal interventions, the economic impact of engaging in world markets, stylized facts about inflation shocks, trends in central bank independence, and the impact of professional sports franchises on local economies. The article aims to provide diverse perspectives and insights for library patrons conducting research on these specific topics. It also includes several different articles and lectures on various topics, such as the impact of sports-related spending on local economies, the potential effects of a basic income on job quality and wages, symposiums on zoning and poverty, and the importance of writing quality in academic research papers. Additionally, there is an article that explores the history of economic ornithology and how birds were valued for their impact on agriculture. [Extracted from the article]

This concept paper explores possible collective identities for a future wildland fire workforce. Taking inspiration from the work of futurists who foresee an end to the dominant fire exclusion/suppression paradigm, and assuming that an emerging fire restoration/resilience paradigm shift replaces it, this paper engages in speculative explorations of the process and product of this paradigm shift with respect to the future collective identities of a workforce conducting ecological fire management. Social constructionist assumptions from symbolic interactionist sociological theory, Gramscian political theory's concept of hegemony, and new social movement theory's concept of collective identity all provide the intellectual foundations for the discussion. This concept paper argues that in order to actualize a paradigm shift, more than advances in scientific research or reforms of government policies will be required—the wildland fire community will need to become (or join) a social movement engaged in collective actions. An imaginary social movement, the "Greenfire revolution," is invented to help illustrate how the selected theories and concepts might apply in the social construction of ecological fire management and the collective identities of its future workforce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses economic and social theory of Talcott Parsons. Parsons's persistent attention to economic theory has been relatively neglected by critics of Parsons who, in attacking the alleged functionalism of Parsonian sociology, concentrated on the issues of value consensus and normative integration, believing that Parsons had relatively little interest in the economic base of society. This neglect of Parsons's economic sociology was probably intensified by the Marxist undercurrent of much so-called conflict theory. In recent years there has fortunately been considerable interest shown in Parsons's analysis of economic theory and more specifically in his economic sociology. At Amherst, Parsons came under the influence of the philosopher Alexander Meiklejohn, who prompted his students to consider broad questions relating to alternatives to industrial capitalist society and who created an educational environment within which students were involved in a general analysis of the social sciences. It was this engagement with institutional economics that marked Parsons's departure from biology into the social sciences as an academic career. Parsons was introduced to a broad spectrum of social theory relating to cultural and biological dimensions of human existence as explanations of social differentiation.

Literary fiction and social science, despite the fact that they comprise two methodologically autonomous cultures, are nonetheless creatively interfere with each other. This paper explores the multiple points of contact between literature and social science and tracks the influences that literary fiction has had on social-scientific knowledge. Nine cases of ideas originally developed in literary sphere and then taken over by various social sciences and integrated into their conceptual vocabularies form the analytic material of this study. The main argument defended in this paper is that literary fiction is a great source of ideas that can inspire theory construction in social sciences. The corpus of literary texts which make up the textual universe of literature contains many embryonically foreshadowed concepts and proto-theories that can be worked out by social sciences into full-blown scientific conceptualizations. Literary tradition is also the depository of punctual propositions that can be distilled from fiction and translated into empirically testable hypotheses. This quality of literary fiction, of providing ‘Prêt-à-tester’ propositions, makes it a predilect source of inspiration for social science theorizing.

This article lists books received for review consideration by this journal including "The New Social Theory Reader" edited by Jeffrey C. Alexander and Steven Seidman, "Sketch for a Self-Analysis" by Pierre Bourdieu, and "The Politics of the Past in Argentine Working-Class Neighborhoods" by Lindsay Dubois.

This article explores the concept of human nature from a post-essentialist, pluralist, and interactive perspective. It discusses Maria Kronfeldner's work on the topic and the application and implications of her ideas. The article includes papers by various authors who extend Kronfeldner's work and examine topics such as archeology, the origin of human language faculties, and the relationship between nature and culture. The article also addresses concerns about human exceptionalism and the social ramifications of scientific narratives. The exchange of views and criticism continues throughout the article, with Kronfeldner's paper serving as a response to the concerns raised. Overall, the article emphasizes the complexity of understanding human nature and the potential for integrating knowledge in specific contexts. [Extracted from the article]

The article presents the author's commentary on the theories of development underlying the Educational Sector Policy paper of the World Bank. The two main aims of education according to the paper are as follows: contribution of education to the achievement of social justice and role of education in economic development. The author criticizes the strategies derived from the new theories of development which link the achievement of economic development and social justice. According to him, it does not follow from the newer theories of development that equality will contribute to economic development. He also claims that the paper makes the methodological mistake of attempting to derive policies directly from descriptive social theory.

Tins paper is intended as an effort at taking-stock of the reference group concept after nearly three decades of use, the latter two of which have been marked by its more than ample employment. Its popularity indeed has so frequently led to its serving as an all-purpose post hoc explanation of behavior that it has led to the wry definition, "Your reference group is a group that you behave like and you behave like them because they're your reference group" (Cohen, 1962: 104). The inconsistencies, lack of clarity, but also areas of agreement which have marked the varied formulations of the concept, will be apparent from the following review and commentary. The Final discussion indicates some of the matters still to be considered in the use of thin important but perhaps overworked concept. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In particular, the special issue contributes to the field of social and political movements by offering papers that ask (1) how can contemporary collective action critically advance social theoretical ideas, and (2) what new tools of inquiry can build on existing theoretical approaches to enhance our critical understanding of social movements. Keywords: protest; political contention; social movements; social theory EN protest political contention social movements social theory 3 6 4 02/23/23 20230301 NES 230301 Since its establishment in 1977, I Capital and Class i has provided a critical space for scholars and activists to explore existing and new forms of socio-political struggles and movements in and against capital. His areas of interest include social movement activism on the public sphere, public space and free speech, work and global political economy, voluntary activity, and Marxist theory. [Extracted from the article]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses various reports within the issue on topics including social theory, political philosophy and ethical problems.

This commentary reflects on the strengths of the paper by Warde et al. entitled "Situated drinking: the association between eating and alcohol consumption in Great Britain". It suggests that practice-theoretical approaches towards studying contemporary connections between foods, food events and alcoholic drinks provides an excellent basis for overcoming the analytical limits of fields such as food studies, drinks studies, alcohol studies and related areas. This is especially so if Warde et al.'s quantitative methodology were to be yoked to two further sources of inspiration, namely Mary Douglas's structuralist analysis of food combinations within food events and Stephen Mennell's utilisation of the concepts and concerns of Norbert Elias to produce a systematic historical sociology of food. An extended inter-paradigmatic approach to the study of how alcoholic drinks relate to foods and eating practices emerges as a result. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Filozofija i Drustvo is the property of University of Belgrade, Institute for Philosophy & Social Theory and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista Espanola de Comunicacion en Salud is the property of Asociacion Espanola de Comunicacion Sanitaria and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Over the decades, one of the continuing debates has been around the role played by market research at the boardroom level, and how it influences the strategic direction of the business. The papers in this issue include a new approach to eliciting "meaning" using semiotic methods from the United Kingdom, a further perspective on the academic-practitioner divide in marketing research from the United States. The author contends that Peircean semiotics, based on meaning being created through icons and indices (and their combinations), provides a more appropriate basis for a new research model, qualitative semiotics, that fuses qualitative methods with semiotics, rather than the two being complementary, which can be used for describing how qualitative market research methods decode consumer behavior. The new data-centric world adds a further dimension to the debate; LinkedIn, for example, has identified that "statistical and data mining" is the second most sought after skill by recruiters, but as Nunan and Di Domenico demonstrated, this is not yet a universal module in marketing research courses. [Extracted from the article]

This essay describes differences between papers that contain some theory rather than no theory. There is little agreement about what constitutes strong versus weak theory in the social sciences, but there is more consensus that references, data, variables, diagrams, and hypotheses are not theory. Despite this consensus, however, authors routinely use these five elements in lieu of theory. We explain how each of these five elements can be confused with theory and how to avoid such confusion. By making this consensus explicit, we hope to help authors avoid some of the most common and easily averted problems that lead readers to view papers as having inadequate theory. We then discuss how journals might facilitate the publication of stronger theory. We suggest that if the field is serious about producing stronger theory, journals need to reconsider their empirical requirements. We argue that journals ought to be more receptive to papers that test part rather than all of a theory and use illustrative rather than definitive data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is an examination of the methodological and theoretical perspectives of a study with an inquiry focus on the experiences and perspectives of staff who worked at an injectable opiate assisted (iOAT) clinic. Twenty-two staff members, including nurses, social workers, and peer support workers, were interviewed. The goal of the study was to uncover how the clinic staff provided care to the clients who attend the clinic, their perspectives on how the clinic program impacted both them and their clients, and their experiences with the program itself. This interpretive descriptive study was underpinned by critical social theory. Thematic analysis was undertaken to identify recurring, converging, and contradictory patterns of interaction, key concepts and emerging themes. In this paper we examine and discuss how the relationship between critical social theory and interpretive description enhanced the study. Examples from the study are presented to provide insight into the relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the work of Robert Cooper, a well-known figure in organization studies, particularly in the areas of poststructuralism and process theory. Cooper's introduction of postmodernism and poststructuralism to the study of organizations has had a significant impact on the field. The article discusses Cooper's background in avant-garde poetry and how it influenced his writing style. It also examines the influence of Charles Olson's essay on Cooper's ideas about poetry and social theory. Cooper's work challenges preformed concepts and explores an open field of thought, offering a unique and compelling perspective on organization theory and human existence. [Extracted from the article]

This section presents several abstracts of papers presented at the 25th conference of the Public Opinion Quarterly in 1970. The paper Sociology and the Survey Method by Robin M. Williams, Jr., highlights potential contributions of survey research to the development of sociological theories which include providing essential descriptive data and facilitating discovery. The paper Impact of Survey Research on Economic Theory by Albert G. Hart, states that the resulting stress on distinctions between permanent and transitory elements has strongly stimulated the growth of rigorously formulated dynamic models in macro-economics and econometrics. The paper Classic Models of Communications Effects and Innovations in These Models by Clark Leavitt, proposes a holistic model to replace the hierarchical model with its assumption of a discrete chain of cognitive processes. The holistic model proposes that behavioral effects can be explained sufficiently by three processes, arousal, information acquisition and planning. The theme of the paper The Wrong Enemy by Daniel Yankelovich is that the generation gap theory, is a misleading and dangerous half-truth. While a real generation gap exists on a few important values, such as premarital sexual relations and organized religion, research shows that most other core values are shared by young people and their parents.

When attempting to manage a large social system, it is necessary to have an overview of how the society functions and how economic theories describe this functioning. Recent discussions of higher orders of cybernetics are helping to define a multi‐disciplinary, multi‐level point of view. Knowledge from several disciplines is needed—systems science, management, engineering, cognitive studies and the various social science disciplines all have contributions to make. In this paper, we apply cybernetic ideas to further develop economic theories. The paper also uses economics to illustrate ideas in cybernetics. Similar thinking can be applied to other disciplines thus advancing the unification of science. The paper illustrates a transdisciplinary approach to knowledge development. The implications of the paper are improved understanding among scholars from several disciplines. The intent is to expand the range of conceptual possibilities available for problem‐solving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The monuments of Iasi, from the perspective of urban sociology, are part of the social life, with human interactions, specific to congested urban areas. From the viewpoint of this discipline, the structures, changes, and problems of the Iași urban community provide elements for the planning and elaboration of urban conservation policies and the restoration of several monuments. In this sense, urban sociology uses a variety of analytical tools such as sociological observation, social theory, interviews, as well as other methods and techniques for the study of specific subjects, such as the relationships between individuals in the urban socialization process, demographic and economic trends, poverty, the effects of urbanization with all the negative aspects regarding the destruction of some monuments on feelings of social alienation and anonymity (elements studied in the Chicago School by Max Weber and George Simmel). The purpose of this paper is precisely to capture the feelings and their perception by the subjects investigated in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide a general discussion highlighting the nature and structure of the Burrell and Morgan Matrix as a framework for application in examining research design. Design/ methodology/ approach: This paper consists of commentary or discourse regarding the elementary framework of the Matrix. The four paradigms examined are: radical humanist; radical structuralist; interpretive; and functionalist. Originality: The Matrix provides a valuable tool for researchers to situate sociological theories within broader paradigms allowing insight into their underlying assumptions about social structure and change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper critically examines stolen assets recovery in Indonesia, employing Gustav Radbruch’s legal philosophy, which asserts that justice is the purpose of law and any rule failing to promote justice is invalid, along with Lawrence Friedman’s sociological theory. The aim is to illuminate Indonesia’s challenges and opportunities in recovering ill-gotten assets, an issue intertwined with corruption, transnational crime, and international cooperation. Radbruch’s formula serves as the moral and ethical basis for evaluating asset recovery. It prioritizes justice in legal systems, insisting that just laws are the only legitimate ones. This paper applies Radbruch’s formula to assess Indonesia’s legal frameworks and processes for asset recovery, emphasizing principles like fairness, equity, and legitimacy within this context. Furthermore, this study incorporates Friedman’s sociological theory, which examines how law evolves in response to social norms and values. It explores how sociocultural factors in Indonesia influence the development of legal mechanisms, public attitudes, and enforcement strategies regarding asset recovery. These perspectives offer valuable insights into Indonesia’s asset recovery challenges. They underscore the need for a holistic approach that integrates ethics, law, and sociology to enhance fairness and effectiveness. International collaboration is also emphasized due to the transnational nature of illicit financial flows. This paper contributes to a nuanced examination of Indonesia’s stolen assets recovery. By bridging legal philosophy and sociological theory, it provides a comprehensive framework for policymakers, legal professionals, and scholars engaged in pursuing justice and asset recovery in Indonesia and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to show the relevance of Simone Weil's writings on work for contemporary political and social theory. More specifically, by drawing on Weil's factory writings, I argue that Weil's analysis of speed, humiliation and affliction is highly pertinent for reflecting upon the consequences of the increasingly ubiquitous recourse to digital tracking and monitoring tools by today's employers. The paper also proposes to read Weil's account of suffering and affliction in light of recent scholarship on "slow violence". Inspired by Rob Nixon's work, this scholarship is interested in forms of harm that are slow-paced, attritional, 'out of sight' and intimately tied to our (distracted) attention regimes. As I argue, Weil very lucidly described the paradox at the heart of many types of modern work: namely, that its fast pace causes the slow death of workers' souls and bodies. The paper draws out the importance of Weil's account of affliction for understanding the harms caused by new forms of digital domination in the twenty-first century workplace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Management for Global Sustainability is the property of Ateneo de Manila University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Mental health-related stigma results in individual, communal, and societal consequences such as stereotypical thoughts, prejudiced feelings and attitudes, discriminatory behaviours, social injustice, and inequity toward individuals with mental health issues. As a result, individuals living with mental illness often experience decreased self-esteem, loss of identity, isolation, exacerbated mental illness, internalized self-stigma, housing and employment discrimination, academic challenges, and barriers in various aspects of life. Research indicated that stigma continues to persist despite increased knowledge about mental health, expanded treatment options, and an abundance of mental health promotion and stigma reduction programs. Thus, we must further examine mental health-related stigma from various theoretical conceptualizations to understand its persistence. This paper applied two theoretical frameworks: Social Learning Theory and Sociological Imagination Theory to better understand mental health stigma. It argues that activism aids in reducing mental health stigma. This paper also suggests that program developers of future mental health stigma reduction efforts should apply activism into their initiatives to promote social justice and equity for people living with mental disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Catholic social thought, magisterial documents emphasize the "See, Judge, Act" method in reflecting on social issues. While action is an important aspect of this methodology, aspects of Catholic social thought, as seen in the teaching of magisterial documents, has focused primarily on principles and the "judge" part of the method, where one reflects on the current social context in light of Catholic social thought and gospel values. This paper reminds Catholic social thought of the importance of obtaining the commitment of the people within the community in order to put Catholic social thought principles into practice structurally and that obtaining this commitment will require listening and responding to motivations, fears, values, and concerns of the people when handling conflicting goods at stake, while also offering helpful tools and resources for the work ahead. To obtain this commitment, this paper proposes how the discipline of change management offers tools for those putting Catholic social thought into practice and handling the fears, values, and concerns of the people involved. Specifically, the tools of stakeholder, culture, and ADKAR analysis in change management help practitioners implement projects grounded in the principles of Catholic social thought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current paper we aim to combine the theoretical ideas of recognition theory to conversation analytical, empirical observations. We ask what recognition theories can give to conversation analysis, and vice versa. We operate on a model of recognition that consists of three different modes: respect, esteem, and love/care, and which distinguishes the levels of conversational actions and the attitudes of recognition manifested in such actions. In this study we examine data examples from various conversational settings (institutional, quasi-experimental, family interaction) and activities (decision-making, storytelling), focusing on the more complex cases of (mis)recognition. We show how recognition can appear both explicitly and implicitly in conversational sequences, and demonstrate how the levels of conversational actions and recognition can be either congruent or incongruent with each other. At the end of the article, we discuss the implications of this view for the interface of conversation analysis and sociological theory, arguing that it can inform and promote the development of interactionally based social and societal critique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Sociologija/Sociology: Journal of Sociology, Social Psychology & Social Anthropology is the property of MOD International and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The COVID-19 pandemic presented unprecedented challenges to the capacity of developed welfare states to meet emerging needs. In its initial year, the pandemic prompted a wave of new social policy programmes and modifications to existing ones. This study empirically investigates the applicability of various social theories in elucidating the dynamics of social policy changes during the COVID-19 crisis. Reflective analysis employs Hegelian dialectics as a methodological framework on established theories, including welfare regime theory, path dependence theory, path creation, and incorporates contemporary perspectives such as capability theory. The aim is to reflect and discern what these approaches explain and how these theoretical paradigms account for the observed shifts in social policy dynamics. The paper builds on previously published studies focused on the dynamics of persistence and change, mitigation and prevention, divergence and convergence, and continuity and irruption in social policies implemented in response to the pandemic. The article also contributes at developing a theoretical and methodological reflective approach to examine social policy changes in multiple contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

School placement plays a critical and complex role in the professional development of student teachers. When universities and schools shut their doors and moved all teaching activities online in March 2020, initial teacher education (ITE) providers across Ireland had to implement emergency alternative practicum supports in order to ensure that students could complete their ITE programmes. Many initial teacher education providers across Ireland introduced professional online conversations as an alternative approach to professional practice supervision. It is easy to view this response to the COVID-19 crisis in purely deficit terms. For obvious reasons, no sensible teacher educator would advocate for abandoning school visits and replacing them with online professional conversations. Nonetheless, emergency measures arguably brought about affordances to the delivery of teacher education, which are deserving of consideration and may help to inform future practice. In this paper, we draw on our recent experience of ITE emergency practicum supervision to explore assumptions and tensions inherent in traditional teacher education practices. We reflect on how we enacted and experienced professional student–tutor conversations without the normally preceding classroom observations and interrogate normalised assumptions about the value and purpose of classroom observation. Our reflections are infused with ideas gleaned from philosophy and sociological theory and are underpinned by a theoretical formulation which we call "negative education". "Negative education" refers to the learning that takes place as a consequence of deprivation. In these terms, we come to examine the negotiation of power and relationships in different learning environments. We explore the benefits of "zooming out", to disseminate power, and show how this helps to engage with the broader aspects of teaching which are so easily overlooked by both tutors and students during "normal" school visits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Existing cross-cultural research on animal welfare often overlooks the way that policy and law are not the exclusive domain of central government. This can result in an over-simplification or misrepresentation of the true situation. The political culture and institutional arrangements for governing the modern state are more complex than a "one-size-fits-all" approach. It is argued that cross-cultural research needs to give greater attention to differences within as well as between unitary states. Specifically, it needs to examine developments in constituent nations and territories. Here we illustrate this by drawing on new research in the United Kingdom, and examine how 'devolution'—or decentralized government for Wales and Scotland—is providing contrasting opportunities for NGOs, campaigners, and the public to lobby to improve animal welfare policy based on local practices, beliefs, and demands (collectively known as the "political culture"). Our findings show how this is important because it results in contrasting animal welfare policies and laws in the constituent nations of the UK. It is argued that extant cross-cultural research on animal welfare often overlooks or gives insufficient attention to new governance theory, civil society, politics, and the realities of devolved or (quasi-)federal, multi-level governance in the modern state. This paper synthesizes relevant social theory and draws on new empirical findings of civil society accounts of campaigning on animal welfare policies and law in the United Kingdom. It is presented as a corrective to arguably reductive, earlier unitary state-based analyses. Our core, evidence-based argument is that cognizance of civil society activism and the contrasting institutional governance structures and political cultures of constituent nations in unitary states—such as the UK—are providing opportunities for the territorialization of legally grounded animal welfare regimes, and culturally distinctive practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Tapuya: Latin American Science, Technology & Society is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article comments on sociologist Nichloas S. Timasheff's work on "Don Luigi Sturzo's Contribution to Sociological Theory." Timasheff makes his points with fine perception and his comments are not only illuminatory of Sturzo's positions but also unflinchingly expose the problems that at points may trouble the reader of Sturzo. Don Sturzo would have received more adequate recognition hut for his tendency to lay down some maxims which antagonized various groups of readers, but which, nevertheless, do not affect the actual course of his sociological arguments or the conclusion to which they lead. The logic of his initial dictum beguiled Sturzo into an occasional concession that is at odds with the tenor of his sociological teachings. Sturzo's sociological contribution is many-sided, but has scarcely entered into the stream of sociological thought. Aside from an appreciative study by Monsignor Paul Hanley Furfey, which, nevertheless, recognizes the primary difficulty the author has been discussing, and the favorable comments of a few other sociologists, he has been ignored as unimportant. Sturzo himself has made it more difficult for sociologists in general to appreciate the scale of his contribution; his polemical attitude towards other sociologists whose views were akin to his own was no doubt also responsible. He was an effective critic but, as Timasheff points out, over inclined to consider other theories only in their more extreme interpretations.

This paper interprets the rhetoric and social phenomena of "taking sides" and "scapegoating" amidst radical societal division. Exploring the social mechanics of unity and division, I visit the work of René Girard and Chantal Mouffe, who offer a lucid ambivalence regarding the dilemma that neutrality is a practical impossibility. And in turning to implications of their shared paradox--that to be genuinely "peaceful" may require graceful divisiveness--I consider cases and theory on nonviolently fomenting conflict. In contrast with certain liberal social theories of transcending division, this paper treats the desire for politics beyond hegemony--or politics without a scapegoat--as something of an eschatological ideal, toward which Girard, Mouff e, and others offer a tension-filled, crypto-Augustinian, agonistic pluralism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Institutions are established patterns of recurrent social relationships playing a fundamental part in all our lives. The family is the best-known institution, but other 'total' institutions serve as organisations directly affecting the lives of many individuals in the healthcare sector. Objective This paper examines the sociological theory of institutionalisation as applied to individuals admitted to aged-care facilities, where the complete life-rounds of inmates occur within clearly defined limits. The study provides a framework to enable general practitioners, nurses and healthcare professionals to better appreciate the processes involved as individuals adapt to their new environment. Discussion Sociology provides valuable insights for healthcare providers in understanding how individuals adapt to their loss of independent living and find themselves subjected to intimate regulation in the total institution. The biopsychosocial model of healthcare delivery is better understood when we as health professionals have greater insights to appreciate the competing processes at work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both “theory” and “writing” engender a great deal of anxiety for the typical undergraduate sociology major. Writing-intensive theory courses increase this feeling exponentially. Active learning approaches to teaching theory are often advocated as a way to combat these fears, but few studies have tested whether these innovations effectively reduce student anxiety. This article describes and evaluates the Film Analysis Papers writing assignment designed to reduce student anxiety in an undergraduate theory course. I present data from a questionnaire that asked students to assess the effect of writing about film on theory anxiety. Findings show that the film assignment reduced anxiety about writing theoretically and improved student confidence in their ability to theorize. This study is unique in that it isolates the effect of active learning approaches on theory anxiety in order to understand whether anxiety mediates the relationship between active learning and learning outcomes in theory classes. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]