Nature Of Modern Society Research Articles

Men, Women, … Tribes, Peoples: What Does a Person’s Life Look Like Among His/Her Constructs?

The article is the second (final) part of the essay devoted to the analysis of social constructivist explanations of gender and ethno-national phenomena. In particular, the author refers to the ideas of the classics of ethno-sociological constructivism – B. Anderson, E. Gellner and E. Hobsbawm, including the argumentation presented in the concept of «imagined communities». A general description of the mechanisms and technologies of practical (including symbolic and discursive) «production» of ethnic identities, construction and «invention» of nations and peoples is given as procedures carried out by intellectuals and politicians in different regions of the world. A specifically «modern» (rooted in the nature of modern societies) context for the formation of nation-states and nationalism as a special political movement and ideological doctrine is revealed.

Mindfulness and Resilience in Britain: A Genealogy of the "Present Moment"

In Britain, mindfulness practice has increasingly been incorporated into preventative healthcare as a support for psychological resilience. An awareness practice originating in Buddhism, mindfulness is framed as a scientifically verified way of cultivating a skilful engagement with life to support mental health. What has led to this unprecedented interest in mindfulness? And how have British people come to think of cultivating a kindly relationship with their own minds as a constituent aspect of the “good life”? In this paper, I explore the specifically British history that informs the association between mindfulness and psychological resilience today. I show that the association between psychological resilience and mindfulness practice is the result of broader historical concerns about the nature of modern society and psychology. Taking a genealogical approach, I argue that changing patterns in British psychology and Buddhism, while framed in universalist registers, are constituted in and constitutive of a broader historical and political context.

The politics, aesthetics and dissonance of music in everyday life

This article will offer some thoughts on the relationship between the everyday and the role of music. It will look at how critics and artists have established the importance ofthe everyday, and how this has appeared in their work. It will then explore what music in the everyday reveals about the nature of modern society.

Investigating the cultural understandings of International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme teachers from a transcultural perspective

It is now generally accepted that the teaching of cultural understanding is central to international education, exemplified in globally directed curricula such as those of the International Baccalaureate. However, research in this area has tended to focus on student outcomes of cultural education, even though globalisation and the nature of modern society has heightened the need for teachers who have the expertise to teach cultural education in ways that are more contemporarily relevant. Studies of teacher capacity to meet the specific demands of cultural learnings have been under-researched, tending to be situated within discourses that do not reflect the complex cultural reality of 21st century society. Using the context of a research study of Primary Years Programme teachers in International Baccalaureate schools, this paper argues that cultural education could be improved if teacher expertise is developed under the more inclusive paradigm of transculturalism.

COMPETITION OF REPRESENTATION OF VALUE ALTERNATIVES TO SOCIO-POLITICAL REALITY OF UKRAINE

The article presents an analysis of the competition between the imaginations of value alternatives relative to the socio-political reality of Ukraine in the context of the archetypal approach. The study of this problem is based on the works of French sociologists — Gilbert Durand and Michel Maffesoli, as well as developments of scientists of the Ukrainian school of archetypics. According to the changes in the psychosocial nature of modern society and man, the expediency of applying the archetypal approach to understanding social and political phenomena, processes, and also the characters and types of managers is proved. Archetypes, manifested through imagination, symbols and images, provide an opportunity to see the diversity of socio-political life holistically, without dominating one or other of its sides.It is noted that a social system of any scale presupposes the existence of a system of certain values shared by the majority of society, since it is in them that the answers that this or that society gives to fundamental worldview problems are contained. Thus, in the epoch of postmodern, the valuable semantic structure of plurality with a priority of self-realization of the personality and expansion of the sphere of its individual choice is characteristic for this time. At the same time, a significant role in this process is played by symbolic capital — prestige, reputation, image, which, in the main, is modeled and supported by virtual reality and igroizization. In such conditions, people not only define varieties of ideal values, converting them into each other, but retain them in the social imagination as an imperative, norm, ideal. It has also been confirmed that any accumulation must be used, since the multiple values of social imagination, realized in the psychosocial concepts of people and society, lead to the development of public opinion and in solidarization. It is established that the competition of multiple value representations is a personinternalized idea that has a transpersonal character that influences the creation of a socio-political reality in Ukraine.

Acteur populaire, économie populaire et développement réel : contribution à la théorie critique du changement social aux Suds

Forme de changement social, le développement a, dans sa version dominante, le marché autorégulateur, l’ homo œconomicus , la croissance économique et la rationalité formelle au centre de sa dynamique. Celle-ci vise le passage des Suds des sociétés traditionnelles aux sociétés modernes en suivant le chemin des pays du Nord. Très souvent, le développement réel n’est pas réalisé. L’acteur populaire dont les pratiques économiques et sociales sont légitimes, substantielles et allient traditionnel et moderne, semble capable de (ré) enchanter le développement en mobilisant ses dimensions réelles.

Wartość grup samopomocowych w wychodzeniu z uzależnienia i trwaniu w trzeźwości osób karanych – propozycje uspołecznienia

Konieczność wszechstronnego wsparcia osób opuszczających zakłady karne i ich rodzin powinna stać się nadrzędnym działaniem zespołów interdyscyplinarnych. W artykule przybliżono złożony i zmienny charakter nowoczesnego społeczeństwa, który stanowi zagrożenie dla jednostek izolowanych, nie ułatwia znalezienia porozumienia i utrudnia znalezienie poczucia przynależności w grupie środowiskowej. Społeczeństwo nie proponuje jednostce sposobówrozwiązania problemu poczucia bezsensu, ale z reguły usiłuje wyeliminować go z życia człowieka poprzez dostęp do różnych form pomocy instytucjonalnej, które nie realizują odpowiednio programów wsparcia. Decydującą rolę w odbudowaniu satysfakcji odgrywają takie czynniki, jak: przynależność do grupy AA, czas trwania w trzeźwości, zaangażowanie ze strony alkoholika i uczestnictwo w psychoterapii. Najwięcej korzyści wypływa ze wsparcia wspólnoty, która daje siłę i duchowo oraz społecznie rozwija, co sprzyja poprawie funkcjonowania w sensie jednostkowym i społecznym Potrzeba realizacji działań korekcyjnych w przyszłości, jest dla tej grupy osób wykluczonych – byłych więźniów – jedyną szansą na ich przetrwanie w środowisku lokalnym i częściowe odbudowanie pozytywnego wizerunku człowieka.

Empathy from a police work perspective

The purpose of this paper is to identify an appropriate conceptual model of empathy from the perspective of police work. This paper draws on the existing literature from two areas of research: (a) the literature describing the characteristics of the ideal police officer from a general perspective, as well as in a specifically Swedish context and (b) the literature analysing empathy as a theoretical construct. It is found that theoretical interdisciplinary approaches in the fields of social psychology and social cognitive neuroscience are relevant. The suggested conceptual model of empathy appropriate for the policing profession incorporates the typically antagonistic nature of police–citizen contacts, personal traits as expressed in interpersonal relations, and the social and cultural context. Because of the diversity and multicultural nature of modern societies, the values guiding police–citizen encounters are given special attention and related to the empathy research tradition. The proposed conceptual model of empathy aims at guiding future research in police–citizen interaction and, ultimately, supporting police practices regarding recruitment, career advancement and fieldwork.

Democracy and the spectacle

Rousseau maintains that the spectacle isolates us at the very same moment when it brings us together. This article argues that this striking remark must be understood within the more general framework of a critique of the spectacular nature of modern society. But if the spectacle is not simply an occasional form of entertainment, but a social relationship that pervades modern society as a whole, how can we escape from it? Rousseau’s homeopathic strategy, according to which we should fight an evil through small doses of that very same evil, offers a solution that is crucial for grasping the scope of Rousseau’s critique of the spectacle as well as for rethinking the possibility of democracy.

Непотопляемый плот в океане истории. Внутренние законы киргизской цивилизации как залог тысячелетнего выживания

This article presents selected elements of the traditional Kyrgyz nomadic type of civilization, which affected also the nature of modern society, and is fundamentally different from the European model in terms of social education. The author reflects on the phenomenon of vitality and the specifics of the small Kyrgyz ethnos that managed to survive many centuries, while many great nations and countries of the Silk Road disappeared. The nation preserved its language, history, culture, model of state and created its own ethos. The secret of this is the traditional Kyrgyz aile, understood as family, but also as: a symbol of a lifestyle, a self-sufficient social cell and microcosm of the Kyrgyz. A sense of belonging to the family and the deep back reaching memory of it’s ancestors is an extremely important feature of being of the Kyrgyzstan citizens. The author also draws attention to some of the problems of the Kyrgyz society in the new geopolitical circumstances. Another problem is the evaluation of the place of the Russian language and culture in indigenous national culture and the course and consequences of the process of “withdrawal” of Russia from the former Soviet republics. In the author’s opinion, Russia was a mother, not by birth, but nonetheless a nourisher.

Engineers, Society, and Sustainability

Sustainable development is one of the key challenges of the twenty-first century. The engineering profession is central to achieving sustainable development. To date, engineering contributions to sustainability have focused on reducing the environmental impacts of development and improving the efficiency of resource use. This approach is consistent with dominant policy responses to environmental problems, which have been characterised as ecological modernisation. Ecological modernisation assumes that sustainability can be addressed by reforming modern society and developing environmental technologies. Environmental philosophers have questioned these assumptions and call into question the very nature of modern society as underlying the destruction of nature and the persistence of social inequality. Central to the crises of ecology and human development are patterns of domination and the separation of nature and culture. Engineering has a clear role to play in ecological modernisation, but its role in more radical visions of sustainability is uncertain. Actor-network theory provides an analysis of socio-technical systems which does not require the separation of nature and culture, and it provides a way of thinking about how engineers are involved in shaping society and its relationship to the environment. It describes the world in terms of relationships between human and non-human actors. It shows that social relationships are mediated by technologies and non-human nature, and that assumptions about society and behaviour are "baked-in" to technological systems.

The sociological construction of ageing: lessons for theorising

PurposeThe purpose of this concluding paper is to reflect on the theories of ageing well delineated by the papers of the special issue. It sets research themes that social theorists of ageing should reflect upon in creating conceptual tools to understanding the power dynamics of older people and modern society.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is an overview of the key issues that have been found by theories introduced throughout the special edition. It attempts to look ahead to seeing how social theory and ageing will need to be strengthened so that theory and experiences are inter‐locked.FindingsThis concluding paper cites how social theory can be analysed in variety of international and national contexts that gives an holistic and not eurocentric approach to social gerontology.Originality/valueThe paper is original in that it points to the future challenges social gerontology in terms of theorising ageing. The great value of social theory is that it provides critical questions about the nature of modern society and the implications this has for older people. This is original in getting researchers to see the creative use of theories of ageing.

North American audiences for news of emerging technologies: Canadian and US responses to bio‐ and nanotechnologies

New approaches are needed to think about audiences, subcultures, and publics in the context of increasing attention to the pluralistic nature of modern societies. Subgroup differences influencing reactions to technological change abound but may not correspond neatly to national boundaries. Often attributed to the influence of media messages, these differences are more clearly associated with message interpretation than with uniform media effects. In other words, reactions are better understood as a function of what audiences bring to the interpretation of news and information than as a function of exposure to message content itself. As an example, this article considers persistent differences between the US and Canada in opinions about technology that can be traced through comparative survey data collected by the Canadian government in 2003, 2004 and 2005. Previous research by the author has suggested, based on the data from the 2004 survey, that these differences can be accounted for by differential distributions within each country of subgroups with different perspectives on the inherent value of science, on whether decisions in this area should be driven by ethics or by utilitarian concerns, and on who should make those decisions. Here, comparative Canada‐US survey data from January 2005 are used to explore explanations based on media consumption, source credibility, and perceived social distance (from developers) characteristic of these groups, as well as to extend the analysis from biotechnology to nanotechnology as well. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

A very short, fairly interesting and reasonably cheap book about studying organizations

Written in an accessible style, this work presents a discussion of classical and contemporary ideas about organizations and their management. It shows that getting to grips with these ideas means asking fundamental questions about what it means to be human and about the nature of modern society.

Facing the wild: ecotourism, conservation and animal encounters

Introduction * Part I: Back to Nature Tourism * Zoos and Circuses * Animals as Ambassadors for Conservation * So Long and Thanks For All the Fish * Part II: The Nature of Modern Society * Recapturing Lost * Loving Knowing * Respectful Stewardship of a Hybrid Nature * Appendices * Notes * References * Index

Fads and fallacies in the social sciences

Steven Goldberg has devoted his career to exposing fallacious reasoning, misrepresented fact, and ideological agendas in the social sciences. His scholarly critiques offer alternative, and sometimes controversial, explanations that are notable for their logical integrity and loyalty to empirical reality. In this new collection of essays, he is as lively, interesting, and provocative as ever. Among the subjects addressed are the validity of intelligence tests, group differences, the death penalty, sex differences in aggression and cognition, the family, abortion, and the nature of modern society. Also included are a couple of polemics, observations on the O. J. Simpson trial, and a moving encomium to his hero, Jackie Robinson.

Beyond Autonomy: The Role of Dignity in 'Biolaw'

At the start of his speech in the case of Bland, Lord Justice (now Lord) Hoffmann said that the question before the Court of Appeal, whether the feeding and hydration of a person in a permanent vegetative state could be lawfully withdrawn, was one where no difference could be allowed to exist 'between what is legal and what is morally right'.' After two centuries of positivism in western legal thought, this proposition, which may seem intuitively self-evident, poses legal theorists with significant problems. As Scott Veitch has recently pointed out, the multi-normative nature of modern society does not permit legal reasoning simply to refer back to society's morality in order to arrive at the single answer that law's processes require.2

Differentiation and complexity in the functionalist corpus: Rethinking the metaphor of system

The following paper examines the cybernetics trajectory of Parsons’ later work and its extension in the work of Luhmann. While the earlier work was focused on social action as a basic unit of sociological analysis, in The Social System Parsons articulates a notion of systems as self-generating and self-regulating. In Luhmann’s Social Systems this trajectory is made more explicit and developed in opposition to the early Parsons. Its metaphorical dimensions are also developed, creating additional levels and layers of abstraction. Those developments are deemed necessary in order to come to terms with the increasingly “complex” nature of modern society; however they are problematic in several respects—including their tautological nature which provides a basis for the unrestrained explanatory power of “system.“

Building a Knowledge Infrastructure for Learning Communities

Throughout the world, local communities are being asked to take greater responsibility for their collective future. These communities must both interface with the changing face of local and regional administration, redefining roles and functions, (Scott and Henness, 1999) and meet the challenge of co mpeting in the global marketplace while yet retaining a sense of place and a community. Communities must acknowledge that the nature of modern society is one of ongoing change. The most important factor in the viability of communities is their capacities to learn how to manage this change together. While much of today’s change is related to the growing importance of information, the management of change has been greatly facilitated by advances in information and communications technology (ICT), and partic ularly by advances in the field of informatics. However the theoretical underpinnings of informatics have been developed almost exclusively for organizations in the private sector. In the main, the aim of this work has been to create methodologies and associated tools and techniques to deliver an ‘added value’ information product. The advent of community informatics takes the discipline into a new arena and one in which there are dual goals of promoting information services and the information product as a factor in economic development and ensuring access to information as a means of social equity and social inclusion.

La Crisis de la Autopsia

In the Western world the autopsy rate is declining at an alarming rate. In the United States of America the rate in some academic hospitals is less than 7% of all hospital deaths. This decline has been documented and deplored in many countries, articles and books. Suggestions on how to resuscitate the autopsy range from mandatory in all hospital deaths to economic bonuses to the doctors obtaining the highest autopsy rate. All in vain, the autopsy decline continues. Pathologists deploring this decline blamed clinical colleagues, new social attitudes, the litigious nature of modern society, but few have questioned a procedure little changed in more than a century. Perhaps the time has come to abandon the "classic" autopsy and rethink the procedure so as to make it useful, alluring and indispensable for the contemporary, concerned clinician.