College aantekeningen
College aantekeningen Contemporary Approaches In Cultural Sociology (CC2005)
- Instelling
- Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam (EUR)
college aantekeningen voor contemporary approaches in cultural sociology
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Voorbeeld 4 van de 41 pagina's
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Door: edithlee • 2 jaar geleden
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Contemporary Approaches in Cultural SociologyLecture 1:
Learning objectives:
- Define what is meant by sociology in general and cultural sociology in
particular;
- Broadly describe how cultural sociology has developed since the 1930s, by
explaining the role of culture in structural functionalism, the critique on this
paradigm and the subsequent ‘cultural turn’;
- Distinguish between the three main contemporary approaches in cultural
sociology (culture as (cognitive) structure, culture in action and the
production of culture).
Literature:
Spillman, L.. 2007. Culture. In Ritzer, G. (ed). Blackwell encyclopedia of sociology.
Malden: Blackwell Publishing. Blackwell Reference Online
Cultural sociology and anthropology share some recent theoretical issues and research
topics, like materiality and embodiment, collective memory, economic culture, and
globalization. But cultural sociology is also influenced by ideas about meaning-making in
the humanities and in classical sociology.
Cultural sociologists work with theoretical perspectives, concepts and methodologies
drawn not only from classical sociology but also from a wider range of other disciplinary
sources in anthropology and the humanities.
Three different types of cultural explanation have emerged:
1. Focus on specific contexts of cultural production
2. Focus on how interactions and social practices are themselves meaning-making
processes, and on the context-dependent ways in which individuals and groups
endow actions with meanings
3. Focus on importance of qualities intrinsic to meaning
Cultural sociologists investigate specific dimensions of meaning-making, but in a wide
range of empirical sites.
Sociology of Culture: culture as a topic, a domain in society.
Cultural sociology: culture as an approach to domains, make sense of what is going on in
these domains, people’s behavior, way of thinking. Cultural sociology can also be used to
look at other fields in society (politics eg).
Introduction to cultural sociology.
What is sociology? A scientific discipline trying to understand society. Scientific meaning
using systematic procedures, trying to develop a theory based on reality. It is about
understanding, finding patterns, generalizing. Sociology is about producing theory that
can reduce complexity. Bauman: “sociology is a way of thinking about the human world”.
Defamiliarizing the familiar. Sociology is different because there are not very visible
processes, interactions of people, abstract. We need our sociological imagination.
Taking into account different social relations, even if they’re not directly visible. It requires
some effort to see what’s really going on. It’s about particular approaches to different
topics, a cultural way of looking at it.
Culture in sociological history:
,1930s-1960s: Culture was an important part of structural functionalism
Now there are many different ways of looking at society. But during this time, most
sociologists agree that looking at sociology through the lens of structural functionalism
was the right way. Talcott Parsons (1902-1979) studied in Europe. In the US the
emphasis was on the interaction between individuals, but in Europe people looked at
society in general.
Central question: What holds society together? Was the starting question of his work.
When people are behaving as they are supposed to, society will remain. But why would
people behave this way? As rational actors, people are driven by their personal interests.
But in the long run, it will be better to also take other people into consideration. But,
people are not necessarily rational actors. So people agree on the larger goals in life
(values) and concrete actions to reach these goals (norms). According to Parsons, this
consensus is what culture is about.
The iron triangle:
Social system: roles & expectations (functions need to be fulfilled, food, criminals) vs
personality system (preserve themselves, be successful, wealthy, happy). We have to
make sure the personality system doesn't go at the cost of the social system. So on top of
the triangle is the cultural system = shared values and norms.
Shared values and norms are institutionalized into the social system. People know the
roles, so they have expectations. The shared values and norms are internalized to the
personality system, people’s own needs and motivations are adjusted. People learn to
behave well.
1960-1980s: culture was no longer popular
There was no consensus over values and norms in society.
Three major criticisms on Parsonian sociology:
1. Culture was too consensual, one general and unified culture
2. Culture was too deterministic, people as ‘cultural dopes’
3. Culture was too abstract, what are the values and norms?
Sociologists abandoned structural functionalism and also the thinking of culture and
started to focus on social struggles like inequality.
1980s-present: culture was rediscovered; the ‘Cultural Turn’.
There is a renewed interest in culture.
More attention to culture being contradictory and conflictual, context is important (no
generalizing), and concrete culture that can be studied rather than abstract values.
Three main contemporary approaches of cultural sociology:
1. Culture as cognitive structure
- focus on concrete things, like texts.
- source: literary theory, (post-)structuralism, cognitive science
- idealistic: culture as a relatively autonomous structure
The emphasis is on structure instead of agency.
2. Culture in action
Source: pragmatism
It's about the context-dependent uses of culture, culture as solving everyday
problems.
Conflicts: culture as a fragmentary tool-kit
Agency: how people actively and reflectively use culture.
3. Production of culture
Source: sociology of organizations and knowledge
Focus on how the content of culture is influenced by the milieux in which it is
, created, distributed, evaluated, taught and preserved, how is culture shaped?
Depending on the specific circumstances. Culture is the dependent variable.
These are three different perspectives, but all see culture as meaning-making. How do
people give meaning to the world, why do meanings vary amongst people and over time.
They don’t share the focus on a topic, but they share the analytical perspective.
15-9 week 2: Foundations of Cultural Sociology
1980s Cultural turn: 3 approaches in contemporary cultural sociology mark the cultural
turn
1. Culture as cognition/structure
2. Culture in action
3. Production of culture.
Tracing back these approaches to the foundations of sociology: Durkheim, Weber,
Bourdieu.
Learning objectives:
- Describe what Durkheim means by the totemic principle
- Describe what Weber meant with the Protestant ethic and the spirit of
capitalism
- Describe how Bourdieu theorizes the development and division of fields
Emilie Durkheim: The Elementary Forms of Religious Life
Origin of these beliefs
Origin of the notion of totemic principle, or mana.
The totem is the symbol of both the god and the society. The god of the clan is the clan
itself but transfigured in the form of the plant or animal that serves as totem.
A god is a being that man conceives of as superior to himself and believes to depend on.
Approach 1: Culture as cognition/structure
Source: literary theory, (post)structuralism, cognitive science
Concrete: analysis of texts
Idealistic: culture as relatively autonomous structures
Structure instead of agency. This approach can be traced back to the sociology of
Durkheim. The first founding father of the discipline of sociology.
Central problem: social integration of modern society (Parsons: great depression), where
does solidarity come from? He asked this because of societal changes, evolutions in
society: industrialisation. Before, the economy was agricultural, living in rural communities
in the countryside. Group membership was high, close community, people were very
similar to each other. Because of this societal change, people work in factories, the
collective feeling becomes less. People move to the city.
1912: The elementary forms of religious life
- How do feelings of group membership/solidarity arise?
- Why are there collective symbols/rituals?
There are many factors, it is difficult to understand what is going on in society. So try to
look at societies that are more simply organised, he started to study tribes. Durkheim tried
to find how these feelings/solidarity arise in these tribes. Why are there collective
symbols?
2 phases:
, 1. Profane phase: normal things: hunting, survival, preparing food
2. Sacred phase: sacred rituals, many symbols of animals: totem.
This totem made them do these things, experience things they normally wouldn’t
experience. The totem represents the religion, it is being worshiped. Different tribes have
different totems. So the totem is also the badge of the group. Society itself, collectivity is
being worshiped. Tribe members said there was an external force (mana) that was setting
strong moral boundaries. They experienced collective effervescence, like being
transported to a different dimension by the external force. During these rituals, tribe
members would observe one another, join other people dancing, and result in a collective
build up of emotional energy. This can be explained through collective behavior. Crazy
behavior as a group. External force to do these rituals, driving them to do these things
and they attributed it to the totem.
Why did tribe members think it was the totem? During these rituals the members would
see the totem (=central/shared signs) anywhere, and feel this emotional excitement,
contributing it to the totem animal, it is a focus of attention. The totem animal is central to
the rituals, it is being worshiped. A symbol is a tangible thing. The group can project its
feelings on that totem. Also in the profane phase people are reminded of the group during
the sacred phase by the totem.
Religion is real, it has an impact on people. Its power comes from collectivity.
Why is this relevant today? The importance of symbols in group solidarity. Eg: flag:
soldiers are willing to die for their flag, which stands for their country. Subcultures are
characterised by certain clothes, people want to be part of a collectivity, identify
themselves. Children are thought to identify with groups, e.g. part of an animal group.
Collective effervescence: when Pim Fortuyn was murdered. When collective experience is
in shock, emotionally tangible. Considered to be an attack on the values of the
Netherlands in general. Group values reestablishment. Also after terrorist attacks,
symbols are produced to process this and make people feel united. People need these
concerts and symbols. Symbols represent a certain collectivity.
Civil religion: nations have special holidays, rituals, symbols.
Critique on Max Weber: Approach 2: culture in action
Depending on the circumstance, a different culture is needed. Culture is a toolkit, a
fragmentary one. Inspiration from Weber, it is a critique.
Source: pragmatism
Agency: how people actively and reflectively use culture
Context-dependent uses of culture as solving everyday problems
Conflict: culture as a fragmentary tool-kit
Can be seen as a critique on Max Weber.
Cultural explanations for action. People do things because of their culture. (stereotypes)
Unclear what this means, but it is a common thing to say that something is part of their
culture.
Weber: there is a relation between culture and action, they are connected by values.
1930: the protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism: he tries to provide cultural
explanations for action. Different from culture in action.
Weber talked about the spirit of capitalism: capitalism is a style of life: a way of dealing
with things:
- Work as an end in itself (working is rewarding)
- Profit as an indicator of personal virtue (not to get rich, but successful, a good
person)
- Discipline, self-control and reason is good. Continue working, become more
successful.
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