Suchergebnisse

The structure/agency debate has been among the central issues in recent discussions of social theory. It has been widely assumed that the key theoretical task is to find a link between social structures and acting human beings - to reconcile the macro with the micro, society and the individual. The contributors to this book reject this solution to the problem. For them, both the concept of 'society' as an entity and the freely-acting 'individual' are theoretical fiction. Rather, the immediate task of the social sciences is to take the social world seriously, to understand the ways in which tha

'Music and the Sociological Gaze' illustrates how sociological ideas can make a distinct contribution to understanding music and examines the relationship between music and class cultures the social organisation of musical improvisation, music as a cultural object, and music in everyday situations

The structure/agency debate has been among the central issues in discussions of social theory. This book is not intended as an even-handed review of the debate, but as a deliberately polemical intervention which aims to highlight some of the ways in which its central terms have been misconceived

Reflection, in a classroom setting, presents educators with a method for narrowing the theory-practice gap. Material from the practice environment can be brought into the classroom and used as the substance of learning from experience. Enabling students to understand and value reflection is an essential part of this process. It is also a process which should be a carefully considered and managed part of the curriculum. This article reports on a small-scale participatory action research project that examines the development of reflection from the perspective of the student.

Focusing on helping practitioners conduct research in their own organisations, attention is given to the best methods for doing this effectively and sensitively. The authors also attend tp the theoretical, political and organisational context of doing research, as well as addressing the ethical and practical issues of undertaking research. The authors cover in detail the range of skills and techniques necessary to make a successful start to the process of becoming an effective practitioner researcher

'An introductory chapter situates the reader in the main changes in society and sociology following the classic period. What follows are four separate chapters giving a detailed account of the four perspectives which are regarded to be of seminal importance' - Functionalism, Critical Theory, Structuralism and Symbolic Interactionism.

Since the beginning of human civilization, music has been used as a device to control social behavior, where it has operated as much to promote solidarity within groups as hostility between competing groups. Music is an emotive manipulator that influences attitude, motivation and behavior at many levels and in many contexts. This volume is the first to address the social ramifications of music's behaviorally manipulative effects, its morally questionable uses and control mechanisms, and its economic and artistic regulation through commercialization, thus highlighting not only music's diverse uses at the social level but also the ever-fragile relationship between aesthetics and morality