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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]

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]

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]

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.)

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]

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 Runa: Archivo para las Ciencias del Hombre is the property of Runa: Archivo para las Ciencias del Hombre 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 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]

Copyright of Revista de Filosofía UIS is the property of Universidad Industrial de Santander 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.)

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.)

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]

The article offers information on the paper "Accommodating religion and belief in healthcare" Joshua Hordern starts by questioning whether the language of accommodation is itself problematic containing an implicit framing assumption that the default is for patients not to be religious. Topics include examines he cites and endorses the worry expressed by Lori Beaman, that this risks automatically biasing discourse against those who are religious by implying that some people's religious views.

Copyright of Revista Espanola de Investigacion Criminologica is the property of Revista Espanola de Investigacion Criminologica 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 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 Papeles del CEIC is the property of Centro de Estudios sobra la Identidad Colectiva, Facultas de Ciencias Sociales 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.)

Translation activities are not isolated, and an increasing number of researchers have applied sociological theories to translation studies, which contributions to interdisciplinary research in translation. Luotuo Xiangzi, written by Lao She, is one of the best modern Chinese novels. Its four English translation versions and translation activities that span decades have deeply interacting with various parts of society. Based on Bourdieu’s sociological theories of the “field”, “capital” and “habitus”, this case study of the English translations of Luotuo Xiangzi explored the relationship and interaction between the translator and other participants (participating groups) in the translation activity. It was discovered that the translation activity could reveal the translator’s habitus and be greatly influenced by interactions with various fields of society and by the capital engaged in the translation activity of Luotuo Xiangzi, providing proof of the explanatory and guiding power of Bourdieu’s sociological theory in translation studies. This paper tries to enrich the interdisciplinary research of sociology and translation and offers additional references for the translation and global dissemination of translated literature, particularly for Chinese literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the influence of social capital in the training of persons with disabilities. The expansion of social networks is regarded as a central principle of the rehabilitation agenda and thus is a central concept that may influence the training experiences of persons with disabilities. Absent from much of social capital research is its influence on skill development and employment opportunities for persons with disabilities. Social capital has the potential to play an important role in the livelihoods of persons with disabilities who are at high risk of being marginalised. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore and critically examine the experiences of persons with disabilities who participated in an auxiliary skill development programme, to determine whether and how it has strengthened and expanded their social capital to advance their opportunities for economic inclusion and/or employment. There is currently no convincing practice available, particularly in the South African employment landscape, around how social capital can be incorporated in the employment of persons with disabilities. An intrinsic case study approach was utilised as it allowed for the identification and description of an employability-related skill development programme for persons with disabilities. In this paper, we argue that the transfer of skills alone is not enough for persons with disabilities to gain employment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to make further use of and develop the idea of deliberative communication (Englund, [20], [21], [22], [23], [26], [29], [30]) as crucial for creating sustainable democratic societies and educated citizens living educationally (cf. This means that the formation of school subjects and curriculum content rests on a deliberative understanding of education and curriculum (Englund, [18], [19], [29], cf. As I have developed in the earlier text I Towards a deliberative curriculum i from 2015, I mean that it is a bit problematic to, as a curriculum theoretician, look too close at school subjects as, e.g., Zongyi Deng does, namely "that a school subject is a distinctive purpose-built enterprise" (Englund, [29], p. 48) which comes close to a systematic curriculum view which is the dominant one today and that this package of knowledge in one way or another has to be delivered to the students. 9 This paper is based on, slightly revised and enlarged from an 10-pages-outline, The educated, deliberative citizen: A crucial curriculum question presented at NERA Curriculum Research Network, Symposium on "Who is the educated citizen in a knowledge society?". [Extracted from the article]

Copyright of Erdkunde is the property of Universitaet Bonn, Geographisches Institut 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 Antípoda is the property of Universidad de los Andes 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 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.)

This article is concerned with the issue of socialization in the context of considering the conceptual and methodological elaborations of structuralist thought representatives. This largely refers to modern social scholars, who have been involved in the studies of effective socialization mechanisms in so-called "advanced societies". When examining the given issue, it was revealed that the criticism, inherent in postmodern poststructuralism as well as conceptualization of sociological structuralism are related to the common understanding of the productive determinants significance for "conserving" and, consequently, reproducing the established social order. Furthermore, the developers of these contemporary social thought concepts share a common belief in the dependence of the individual's mental structure on the institutional framework of society. In other words, according to most representatives of the structuralist paradigm, the basic personality orientation patterns are a function of the social system, in which the individual was socialized. The same can be said about the individual's affective-motivational structure, i.e., it largely depends on the specifics of the corresponding social system. Thus, the direct aim of this paper consists in revealing the general logic and arguments in favor of social determinism in the structuralist theory of personality development as well as considering the relevance of structuralist ideas as such. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Sociología del Trabajo is the property of Universidad Complutense de Madrid 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.)

In this paper, I examine the extent to which Marcien Towa (1931-2014) can be considered the Father of Cameroonian Critical Theory. In this regard, I compare what can be called his social philosophy with the project of a critical theory of society, as outlined by Max Horkheimer (1895-1973). I specifically consider Marcien Towa's idea of philosophy, which I confront with Horkheimer's project from the perspectives offered by their sociopolitical premises, conceptual references, and progressive goals. On each of these aspects, I discover sufficient correspondences that allow me to argue that Towa and Horkheimer, who barely knew each other, formulated a somewhat similar claim, namely to provide a critical theory of society, whose aim is not only to understand society but more importantly to change it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When a patient's treatment decisions are the product of delusion, this is often taken as a paradigmatic case of undermined decisional capacity. That is to say, when a patient refuses treatment on the basis of beliefs that in no way reflect reality, clinicians and ethicists tend to agree that their refusal is not valid. During the COVID‐19 pandemic, however, we have witnessed many patients refuse potentially life‐saving interventions not based on delusion but on conspiracy beliefs. Importantly, many of the beliefs espoused by conspiracy theorists resemble delusions in a number of relevant ways. For instance, conspiracy beliefs often posit states of affairs that could not possibly exist in the world, they are recalcitrant in the face of disconfirming evidence, and they tend to put the believer in a state of paranoia. Given these similarities, how should we think about conspiracy theorists' capacity for making clinical decisions? In this paper, I attempt to answer this question by first offering an account of just what makes some set of beliefs count as a conspiracy theory. Second, I attempt to disambiguate conspiracy beliefs from delusions by exploring important conceptual and psychological features of both. Finally, I apply standard criteria for assessing a patient's decision‐making capacity to instances of conspiracy beliefs and argue that, although the picture is muddy, there may be cases in which conspiracy beliefs undermine capacity. I end by exploring the implications that this might have for surrogate decision‐making and addressing potential objections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As with other world regions, free market capitalism or the neoliberal system has caused numerous individuals and families to lose access to viable income-generating bases in Southern Africa. This places them in a socio-economically abject and precarious position. Resource-poor and unemployed Southern Africans have for a long time been forced to migrate to less unstable economies within the region. South Africa continues to be the most attractive destination for most poor and destitute Southern Africans. These people are called 'economic refugees' in the dominant literature. Hitherto, the plight of the Malawian 'economic refugee' in South Africa has not attracted much scholarly attention. Drawing on the interdisciplinary methodologies of African social philosophy and African social history, we present the case of Malawian economic refugees in South Africa. Drawing upon ideas derived from Immanuel Kant's analysis in Perpetual Peace (1917), this paper argues for the promotion of the spirit of fraternity between South Africans and Malawian migrants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What is the best method for undertaking critical social theory, and what are its ontological and normative commitments? Andreas Reckwitz has developed compelling answers to these questions drawing on practice theory. As a practice theorist myself, I am very sympathetic to his approach. This paper sketches a social theory that extends the reach of practice theory to include non-human animals and allows us to discriminate between importantly different kinds of social formations. In doing so, I argue that a strongly normative basis for differentiating social phenomena is compatible with the methods of social theory and critical social theorists need not shy away from first-order moral commitments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interdisciplinary sensitivity takes into account the epistemic upheaval of the Anthropocene. However, the still fragmented academic organization between nature and society counteracts intellectual progress. The paper explores the possibilities of enhancing collaboration between biology and sociology by providing an empirical reflection of common methodological grounds. Building on practice theory, pragmatism, science studies and sociocultural anthropology, I discuss current nature-society relationships through an ethnography of a taxonomist's laboratory, followed up by a biodiversity expedition in Papua New Guinea. I address analogical thinking as a device for interdisciplinary collaboration through four modes of fieldwork enrollment: Ontological, disciplinary, transdisciplinary and experimental. The paper concludes with two arguments: Firstly, fieldwork could engender new knowledge in between differing epistemic cultures and, secondly, an analogical fieldwork approach based on the interrelatedness of experience, trial and cooperation facilitates promising pathways for sustainable futures of inquiry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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In this paper, I address the issue of the possible applicability of the ideas of Karl R. Popper’s social and political philosophy in contemporary postcolonial countries. Referring to the reception of Popper’s philosophy in Central and Eastern Europe, I argue that Popper’s writings were effective in catalysing the political wholesale transformation by undermining Marxists’ pretensions to scientific status rather than through his anti-utopian and antirevolutionary political recommendations. In the context of attempts to apply Popper’s ideas in postcolonial countries, especially Sub-Saharan Africa, I claim that the influence of Popper’s social thought on the politics of those countries may not be as effective as expected or desired. A consideration of the above issue throws new light on the controversy between conservative and progressive interpretations of Popper’s political and social thought. Without denying serious limitations to the applicability of Popper’s political philosophy as a guide in coping with the problems of postcolonial countries of the Global South, I argue that a conservative reading of Popper’s political ideas, which focuses only on his concept of piecemeal engineering as an instrument of social change, underestimates the transformative potential of his ideas and is contradicted by their inspirational role in the transformation of Central and Eastern Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]