Studies in critical social sciences
In: Dialectic of Solidarity, S. 348-348
In: Dialectic of Solidarity, S. 348-348
In: The Blackwell Guide to the Philosophy of the Social Sciences, S. 207-333
In: The SAGE Handbook of Organization Studies, S. 409-424
In: Debates on European Integration, S. 448-460
In: Making Social Sciences More Scientific, S. 225-235
In: Cultural Challenges of Migration in Canada- Les défis culturels de la migration au Canada
An exploration of recent controversies in US academic circles about the use of sociological theories in communist studies contends that historians favoring the "neototalitarian approach" blame social science concepts, especially modernization theory, for the post-1989 "intellectual disaster," claiming Soviet socialism was attributed with an unrealistic capacity for reform. Although communism's demise has negated some arguments of the modernization approach, it is argued that abandoning sociological theories would be a grave mistake, especially since neototalitarian approaches are not a viable alternative. Cognitive problems of the totalitarian approach are examined, noting the conceptual reorientation that emerged in the 1960s as an attempt to overcome these deficiencies. Sociological explanations of communist systems are reviewed, & the modernization approach is compared to neototalitarian explanatory models of the Soviet breakdown, illuminating theoretical flaws in the latter, & demonstrating that neototalitarian theorists simply add a different evaluative component to the arguments of modernization theorists. Consideration is given to the complex causes of the Soviet downfall & a structure of domination familiar to Soviet research. J. Lindroth
In: Politics and Education, S. i-i
In: Spatial Dimensions of Public Policy, S. i-i
In: Human Behavior and Public Policy, S. i-i
In: International Handbook of Migration, Minorities and Education, S. 249-264
In: Handbuch Wissenschaftspolitik, S. 91-105
In: Regulating Religion; Critical Issues in Social Justice, S. 237-242
In: Handbook of Public Policy Evaluation, S. 393-395
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