Suchergebnisse

In an introduction to this edited volume (see related abstracts in IRPS No. 87), the field of cultural studies & its relation to science & technology are discussed. It is suggested that the traditional belief in the primacy of cause/effect relationships fails to recognize the complexity & interdependence of variables in the modern world. Culture, science, & technology are not distinct entities, but overlapping fields, which transform & are transformed by each other. Although science & technology have permeated modern society, they do not independently determine the outcomes of social situations & evolution. It is argued that traditional deterministic social sciences must be replaced by a theory of complexity that erodes the boundaries between distinct forms of knowledge & perspectives, & seeks to consider cause in terms of multiple & merging influences. Further, region-oriented communities are becoming less important as technology allows easy communication with distant others, & thereby facilitates the bypass of local ties. It is concluded that the field of cultural studies is best equipped to deal with the rapidly changing circumstances of the modern world due to its appropriation of knowledge from diverse perspectives, & its lack of fundamental & fixed principles. T. Sevier

An examination of what constitutes "real science" maintains that the end of neutrality in science has allowed other kinds of systematic knowledge seeking to be recognized as international sciences. While "real" science is used to refer to culture-free work capable of addressing women's interests worldwide, it is argued that international sciences now serve the powerful few, while excluding the many, especially women. Special attention is given to how this inclusion/exclusion is reflected in such practices as the selection of research questions; definitions of legitimate science; & the distribution of scientific information & technology. Five kinds of inquiry formerly not considered scientific that have now gained status in international science are described as: mission-directed research; engineering/technology development; natural-social hybrid sciences; other cultures' science; & everyday science. It is contended that questions of which social values, interests, & discourses should flourish or be eliminated have replaced culture-free sciences that were once uncontaminated by social values/interests. The need for feminist & other pro-democratic analyses of contemporary scientific thinking is discussed. 39 References. J. Lindroth

Outlines a position in the sociology of science & technology that moves beyond postmodern concerns for relativism to link relativist & nonrelativist conceptions of knowledge to their respective roles. It is shown that there has been a traditional divide between realist & relativist conceptions of science that has recently been bridged by a common focus on the cultural significance of science & technology. Approaches to the sociology of science & technology that adopt this culturalist perspective are favored because they enlist scientific & technological change as vehicles for cultural criticism & as bases for agendas of cultural renewal. However, scientific advances are felt economically as much as culturally, & the Weberian realist tradition of viewing science as an extension of instrumental rationality has its place. This realist perspective is also applied to the sociology of knowledge itself, in the sense that social scientific knowledge has accumulated over time & thus, has economic & instrumental effects that are independent of any particular cultural component of its production. 46 References. D. M. Smith

Discusses the nature of (inter)disciplinarity & the development of a pedagogical approach to teaching scientific literacy that is based on its reconceptualization as "agential literacy." The nature of disciplinary knowledge & the need for joint conceptual shifts in basic understandings of scientific literacy are discussed. Agential realism is defined as an "epistem-onto-logical framework" that expands on the work of physicist Niels Bohr (1963) to focus on such things as the nature of scientific & other social practices; the essence of reality/matter; the role of natural, social, & cultural factors in scientific knowledge production; & links between the material & discursive. An exploration of the implications of agential realism for thinking about scientific literacy stresses that the making of science is not separate from the making of society, & teaching scientific literacy can no longer be seen as the sole responsibility of scientists. A course titled "Situated Knowledges: Cultural Studies of Twentieth Century Physics" was specifically designed to advance the agential literacy of science & nonscience majors. The course's approach & content are described. 24 References. J. Lindroth

The increasing role of social science in environmental policy & knowledge generation has resulted in an environmental discourse that is epistemologically realist, postivistic, disembedded, technological, & cognitivist. Such a discourse tends to mask important cultural, social, & existential dimensions of environmental crises & has become part of the modern environmental problem rather contributing to its solution. A constructivist, hermeneutic, poetic, & situated approach to environmental phenomena is needed. Examples of such accounts in three broad domains are highlighted: (1) environment, knowledge, & indeterminancy; (2) subjectivity & individuation; & (3) problems with current ways of incorporation of environmental considerations within political institutions. Ulrich Beck's contributions to illuminating the modern environmental problematic are discussed. 10 References. D. Generoli

Discusses the historical evolution of science studies (SS), & examines the various critiques & offshoot fields of SS. First introduced in response to student demands for relevance in the late 1960s, SS has emerged as a controversial interdisciplinary field, which still lacks a common conceptual framework or methodology. It is suggested that many scientists are concerned that SS may demythologize the field in a time of declining funding. Furthermore, SS theorists continue to debate the goals of their research: the critique of science policy decisions, technology analysis, questioning of scientific practices & values, etc. As the corporate world realized its potential, SS left the confines of academia & is currently utilized by business & government for risk analysis & technology assessment. The progress of SS has coincided with the realization of science's subjective tendencies, & it is argued that historians & sociologists have debunked scientific determinism by delineating the political, cultural, & social causes underlying scientific advance. T. Sevier

Ernest Gellner's argument that cognitive cultural relativism is a false solution to a real problem in modernity is codified & defended. Gellner attacks cognitive relativism, which claims that there is no knowledge beyond culture. It is argued that such relativism is illogical, because it is self-contradictory, & is a travesty, because, it misdescribes the human cognitive condition, which includes the fact of transcultural science. Relativism reintroduces the enchantment of science removed from the modern world, but in the form of reactionary obscurantism. Disenchantment is a real problem for modern society, but relativism is a vain solution. 11 References. H. von Rautenfeld

Examines political & social influences on the creation of space, with a specific focus on the role of architecture in the postmodern movement for freedom of throught & action. It is argued that technology is grounded in the political & cultural, & that modern science must be viewed in terms of heterogeneity, which is not governed by universal or fixed rules. Through architecture, the state creates spaces that are gravitational, in that organization of these spaces regulates the movement & actions of resources & people. Lebbeus Woods's "anarchitecture" is cited as a means of displacing & offering alternatives to the state-imposed regulations of space. Anarchitecture undermines politics through the creation of spaces that lack strictly defined purposes or functions. These spaces are not given meaning by the state or the architect; instead, they take on meaning & signficance as humans experiment & create within them. It is concluded that anarchitecture provides much needed diversity & possibilities, & that citizens must become involved with the creation of their spatial environment in order to ensure their own freedom. T. Sevier

Analyzes the role of the US as the leader in the social, economic, & cultural globalization of the rest of the world, not only via the transmission of popular culture commodities & consumption patterns, but through the spread of evangelical religion, politics, business practices, & philanthropic ventures. The ideologies underlying the programmatic & organizational missions of US-based leaders in the "cultural infrastructure" are outlined, & their views on its global spread are summarized, drawing on data obtained via interviews with key executives & players in 23 transnational organizations & corporations. Despite differences in their views on the effects of global capitalism & some key ideological tensions, basic similarities in their attitudes, values, & social practices related to globalization are revealed; their use of specific "vocabularies of global speak" derived from the discourses of the social sciences, human rights, multiculturalism, & the market is highlighted. It is concluded that these elites endorse a new kind of "parochial cosmopolitanism" with regard to globalization & the new world order. K. Hyatt Stewart

The need for a new approach to social science research on environmental problems is examined. In the comtemporary era of proliferating cultural tensions, environmental policymakers must possess culturally contextualized information to make policy decisions. Unfortunately, the domination of positivism & reductionism in government-funded social science research & policy analysis is ill-suited for generations of realistic & sensitive social knowledge, & can exacerbate cultural tensions &, ultimately, environmental conflicts. Examples of the kinds of problems that can occur when governments rely solely on social science research that pays inadequate attention to the cultural dimensions of environmental conflicts are provided: (1) the capital costs of nuclear power; (2) the social impacts of biotechnology; & (3) the public understanding of sustainability. Social science must reexamine not only theoretical & methodological issues, but also the institutionalization of its research. 50 References. D. Generoli

Introduces a collection of essays devoted to shedding light on those facets of social & political institutions that influence the development of social capital. Focusing on the attitudinal components of the social capital complex, it is argued that a complete understanding of the concept of social capital requires a better understanding of society- & institutional-centered approaches. An overview of social capital touches on its benefits, consequences, & conditions that facilitate its growth or destruction. Three reasons why this volume is addressing the factors behind social capital's generation or destruction are offered: (1) It allows a confrontation with one of the major shortcomings in current social capital research. (2) Developing a second causal mechanism for social capital generation will provide an answer to one of the main critiques against current social capital concepts. (3) A full examination of the origins & nature of social capital will allow conclusions to be drawn on its rise & decline. The collection's themes are identified & the contributions briefly summarized. 34 References. J. Zendejas

Traces the development of cultural arts policies since the 1960s in conjunction with the rise & fall of the welfare state, offering a comparative analysis of France, Sweden, & the US. The neoinstitutionalist approach of political science is drawn on to explore differences between countries & changes over time in the policies of these respective governments toward culture, particularly with respect to the provision of public support for the arts through direct expenditures or indirect subsidies. Economic explanations for variations in cultural arts policy are rejected in favor of explanations involving historical forces, institutional arrangements, & the power of different interest groups; Gosta Esping-Andersen's (1990) welfare state approach is also found applicable. Difficulties in conducting comparative research on cultural arts policy are identified, & a trend toward the convergence of previously distinct policy systems is noted. 53 References. K. Hyatt Stewart

Traces the development of cultural arts policies since the 1960s in conjunction with the rise & fall of the welfare state, offering a comparative analysis of France, Sweden, & the US. The neoinstitutionalist approach of political science is drawn on to explore differences between countries & changes over time in the policies of these respective governments toward culture, particularly with respect to the provision of public support for the arts through direct expenditures or indirect subsidies. Economic explanations for variations in cultural arts policy are rejected in favor of explanations involving historical forces, institutional arrangements, & the power of different interest groups; Gosta Esping-Andersen's (1990) welfare state approach is also found applicable. Difficulties in conducting comparative research on cultural arts policy are identified, & a trend toward the convergence of previously distinct policy systems is noted. 53 References. K. Hyatt Stewart

The interest in developing effective multicultural education practices derives from the increasing heterogeneity of most societies... The growing worldwide relevance of cultural awareness in general and multicultural competence in particular (did not) imply a comitant growth in the appreciation for the disciplinary contributions of cultural anthropology... In fact, anthropology has benefited only mariginally from the "cultural turn" taken by the humanities and social sciences since the mid-1970s. The article characterizes the American case underlining that the contributions of scientists have been disregarded or downright misused. Than it reviews the results of the COER survey (Commission of Ethnic Relation) which was organized in preparation for the 14th ICAES (International Union of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences) world congress which was held in 1998 in Virginia (USA). Finally there are given some basic recommendations in developing multicultural education. (DIPF/Orig./St.)

Introduces a section (see abstracts of related chapters) of an edited Vol on the role of cultural framing as a variable in social movement explanation by tracing the development of cultural theory in the social sciences, from the Chicago school, through Geertzian cultural analysis, the analysis of rhetoric & dramaturgy, cognitive processes & framing, & repertoires & tool kits. Social movement theory on the role of cultural framing is discussed in terms of (1) the cultural construction of repertoires of contention & frames; (2) the contribution of cultural contradictions & historical events to the framing process; (3) framing as a strategic activity; (4) competitive processes that represent the context of framing strategies; (5) the role of the mass media in framing strategies; & (6) the intersection of political opportunities & mobilization with framing to shape outcomes of framing competitions. D. M. Smith