Explaining Social Institutions

Explaining Social Institutions PDF

Author: Jack Knight

Publisher: University of Michigan Press

Published: 1998

Total Pages: 254

ISBN-13: 9780472085767

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Important scholars offer new perspectives on the formation and growth of social institutions

Institutions and Social Conflict

Institutions and Social Conflict PDF

Author: Jack Knight

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 1992-10-30

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 9780521421898

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A thorough critique of theories of institutional change followed by the development of a new theory emphasising the role of distributional conflict in the emergence of social institutions.

Understanding Institutions

Understanding Institutions PDF

Author: Francesco Guala

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Published: 2023-01-10

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 0691242356

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A groundbreaking new synthesis and theory of social institutions Understanding Institutions proposes a new unified theory of social institutions that combines the best insights of philosophers and social scientists who have written on this topic. Francesco Guala presents a theory that combines the features of three influential views of institutions: as equilibria of strategic games, as regulative rules, and as constitutive rules. Guala explains key institutions like money, private property, and marriage, and develops a much-needed unification of equilibrium- and rules-based approaches. Although he uses game theory concepts, the theory is presented in a simple, clear style that is accessible to a wide audience of scholars working in different fields. Outlining and discussing various implications of the unified theory, Guala addresses venerable issues such as reflexivity, realism, Verstehen, and fallibilism in the social sciences. He also critically analyses the theory of "looping effects" and "interactive kinds" defended by Ian Hacking, and asks whether it is possible to draw a demarcation between social and natural science using the criteria of causal and ontological dependence. Focusing on current debates about the definition of marriage, Guala shows how these abstract philosophical issues have important practical and political consequences. Moving beyond specific cases to general models and principles, Understanding Institutions offers new perspectives on what institutions are, how they work, and what they can do for us.

The Evolution of Social Institutions

The Evolution of Social Institutions PDF

Author: Dmitri M. Bondarenko

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2020-09-12

Total Pages: 662

ISBN-13: 3030514374

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This book presents a novel and innovative approach to the study of social evolution using case studies from the Old and the New World, from prehistory to the present. This approach is based on examining social evolution through the evolution of social institutions. Evolution is defined as the process of structural change. Within this framework the society, or culture, is seen as a system composed of a vast number of social institutions that are constantly interacting and changing. As a result, the structure of society as a whole is also evolving and changing. The authors posit that the combination of evolving social institutions explains the non-linear character of social evolution and that every society develops along its own pathway and pace. Within this framework, society should be seen as the result of the compound effect of the interactions of social institutions specific to it. Further, the transformation of social institutions and relations between them is taking place not only within individual societies but also globally, as institutions may be trans-societal, and even institutions that operate in one society can arise as a reaction to trans-societal trends and demands. The book argues that it may be more productive to look at institutions even within a given society as being parts of trans-societal systems of institutions since, despite their interconnectedness, societies still have boundaries, which their members usually know and respect. Accordingly, the book is a must-read for researchers and scholars in various disciplines who are interested in a better understanding of the origins, history, successes and failures of social institutions.

The Social Construction of Reality

The Social Construction of Reality PDF

Author: Peter L. Berger

Publisher: Open Road Media

Published: 2011-04-26

Total Pages: 313

ISBN-13: 1453215468

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A watershed event in the field of sociology, this text introduced “a major breakthrough in the sociology of knowledge and sociological theory generally” (George Simpson, American Sociological Review). In this seminal book, Peter L. Berger and Thomas Luckmann examine how knowledge forms and how it is preserved and altered within a society. Unlike earlier theorists and philosophers, Berger and Luckmann go beyond intellectual history and focus on commonsense, everyday knowledge—the proverbs, morals, values, and beliefs shared among ordinary people. When first published in 1966, this systematic, theoretical treatise introduced the term social construction,effectively creating a new thought and transforming Western philosophy.

Institutions, Institutional Change and Economic Performance

Institutions, Institutional Change and Economic Performance PDF

Author: Douglass C. North

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 1990-10-26

Total Pages: 164

ISBN-13: 9780521397346

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An analytical framework for explaining the ways in which institutions and institutional change affect the performance of economies is developed in this analysis of economic structures.

The Invisible Order

The Invisible Order PDF

Author: Olli Herranen

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2022-11-04

Total Pages: 276

ISBN-13: 3031164814

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The book addresses the problem of institutionalised order in modern capitalist societies with highly developed division of labour. Via thorough critique and reconstruction of neo institutionalist theory, classical social theories, and critical ideology theory, The Invisible Order introduces the first relational theory of social institutions to explain in detail how individuals end up encountering institutions as objective. Thus synthesising integrative and conflicting social relations, the work calls into question deeply rooted understandings in which society is variously construed as spontaneous equilibrium, solely conflict-driven, or a set of agent-based constructions. It offers a new take on the age-old questions of classical and critical social theory and on the fundamentals of institutional and organisational theory alike. This timely and useful relational examination of social institutions reveals how complex societies can keep functioning even though their orders are constantly contradicted by multiple disordering endeavours and tendencies.

Introduction to Sociology 2e

Introduction to Sociology 2e PDF

Author: Nathan J. Keirns

Publisher:

Published: 2015-04-24

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781947172906

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"Introduction to Sociology 2e adheres to the scope and sequence of a typical, one-semester introductory sociology course. It offers comprehensive coverage of core concepts, foundational scholars, and emerging theories, which are supported by a wealth of engaging learning materials. The textbook presents detailed section reviews with rich questions, discussions that help students apply their knowledge, and features that draw learners into the discipline in meaningful ways. The second edition retains the book's conceptual organization, aligning to most courses, and has been significantly updated to reflect the latest research and provide examples most relevant to today's students. In order to help instructors transition to the revised version, the 2e changes are described within the preface."--Website of text.

Explaining Politics

Explaining Politics PDF

Author: Oliver Woshinsky

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2008-03-04

Total Pages: 425

ISBN-13: 1135901341

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This unique text offers a comprehensive overview of who participates in politics and why, how social and political institutions shape that involvement, and, ultimately, what form citizen political participation takes. Drawing on a multitude of factors to explain politics and political behaviour, Woshinsky shows that political outcomes depend on a complex interplay between individuals and their environment. Psychology, personality, and ideology, together with culture, institutions, and social context shape political behaviour. Explaining Politics offers a wealth of comparative examples and practical applications through a lively and engaging narrative.