Reflexive Modernization Research Articles

The influence of reflexive modernity on the change of human capital

Relevance is due to the need to revise approaches to the theoretical understanding of the concept of "human capital" in modern society, since it is considered as a resource for the development of society, solving many current social problems, as well as confronting new risks. The concept of "reflexivity" as a social phenomenon also needs conceptual development. It is also necessary to identify the relationships between these phenomena.The purpose is to consider how the content of the phenomenon of human capital is transformed in the conditions of the formation of the socio-cultural structure of the information society, including the growing reflexivity of social interaction.Objectives: to identify the key features of understanding the phenomenon of reflexivity (reflection) in philosophy, psychology, sociology; the specifics of this phenomenon in the context of the formation of the information society, as well as the impact of this process on the content component of human capital in modern society.Methodology. The author relies on the achievements of related sciences in the field of the study of reflexivity. The analysis of the problem is based on the ideas and principles of systemic, synergetic, activity-based approaches, as well as the provisions of the theories of emergent effects and human capital.Results. The article substantiates the idea that the transition to a new type of social organization, accompanied by the appearance of new characteristics in the social system, led to the development and strengthening of the importance of reflexivity of society. At the same time, the requirements for the individual are changing and the content of human capital is being revised. This process is conditioned by the need to increase awareness, objectivity of ideas about the system of social relations in conditions of expanding individual freedom, its role in social processes, increasing the volume of information produced by society and the subjects involved in this process.Conclusions. Reflexivity as a characteristic of the social system appears at the later stages of the development of society. The basis of its formation was the evolution of psychological processes in humans and a qualitative change in the organization of society. On the one hand, there is an expansion of the potential of the individual and society, on the other ‒ the risks they have to face. Objectively the content of human capital is expanding, and social demands on it are growing. The ability to reflect seems to be an integral part of it. It involves the mastery of a person's ways of thinking and intellectual techniques for perceiving processes and events in society, which was previously the lot of the elite; internalization, rather than declaring universal values.

Современность имени Иммануила Канта. К вопросу о теоретических и практических истоках проекта Модерна

The article discusses the question of the theoretical and practical origins of the project of Modernity in the philosophy of Immanuel Kant. The theory of reflexive modernity was emerging in the second half of the 20th century. Ac­cording to its positions, historical development and social transformations derive their energy from resolving emerging contradictions through an appeal to the pub­lic reason. Modernity turns out to be a fundamentally mobile and dialogical process, the maintenance of which requires a complex culture of thought and ac­tion. The author offers a critical view at the optimistic sentiments of the theorists of the end of the last century, who considered the emerging contradictions to be fundamentally solvable. The ambiguous consequences of the end of globaliza­tion, the environmental crisis and the digitalization of everyday life turned out to be among the main reasons for rethinking the general framework of theorizing about modernity as a project that must be consistently implemented. The claim to build a general theory of modernity has given way to alarmist and situational discourses, although the influence of the Western rationalist attitude remains. The article hypothesizes that one of the reasons for the crisis of the philosophical narrative about modernity was the ideologization of Enlightenment thought. Thus, the ideas of I. Kant turned into ideologemes justifying the existing world order, the beneficiaries of which are a minority. The author shows that de­spite the existing grounds for this, we are talking about a private interpretation of the principles of practical philosophy of the German philosopher. Actual modernity can rightfully bear the name of Immanuel Kant, but it is the critical analysis of its most widespread interpretation that can be productive for solving the key problems of the modern world

The de-structuration of eating models in East Asia under compressed food modernity: An empirical synthesis

The de-structuration of eating models refers to a multitude of contemporary dietary changes, such as meal skipping and eating out, that diverge from ‘proper’ eating models in given societies. This phenomenon has been studied primarily in Western societies and diagnosed as a more modest change than previously assumed by alarming social discourse. However, this view must be relativised from non-Western perspectives. De-structuration involves the weakening of dietary normative systems and the increased food anxiety, the typical symptoms of reflexive modernity. This concept is theoretically based on the paradigm of ‘plural’ modernities, but it has been scarcely tested empirically in non-Western regions. Web-based questionnaire surveys were conducted from 2021 to 2024 in four East Asian societies that have experienced compressed modernisation. The two studies in Japan (n = 973) and Taiwan (n = 920) have already been reported elsewhere. In this article, discussion on this Japan-Taiwan comparison is further extended with new datasets in South Korea (n = 1039) and China (n = 1035), providing an empirical synthesis of eating models and their de-structuration in four East Asian societies. In contrast to Western societies, de-structuration in East Asia has been more intense than a modest change. Similarly, in Taiwan and South Korea, the degree of change has been so large that de-structuration has extended to dietary norms. In Japan, the norm–practice discrepancy has been intensified by the country's gendered dietary norms. Finally, in China, there has been a time lag between dietary changes and the drastic socioeconomic reforms since the 1980s, manifesting an embryonic form of de-structuration. These phenomena are diverse aspects of compressed food modernity, and our article contributes by providing empirical support for plural views of food modernisation.

The dark side of critical thinking and the need to restore learning relationships

In the 20th century, critical thinking emerged as an important ideal in and aim of education. Hardly anyone opposes critical thinking, its weight is re-enforced in debates on education and its positive value is largely taken for granted because of the manifold promises it carries. However, in this paper I will challenge critical thinking as an aim of and unanimous positive value in education. The climate for critical thinking has changed in the course of modernization, since modern society no longer carries an open inviting view of the future; rather, it has been overloaded with dystopian energy and meaning as a result of negative and affirmative critical thinking to the extent that is it becoming self-crippling and existentially alienating. In the paper, I discuss different and significant views of critical thinking in education and higher education in order to highlight why and in what ways it is cherished and extolled in education. I argue that processes of reflexive modernization in society have altered the conditions for critical thinking to the extent that the imaginaries, institutions and practices we used to trust and still rely on in social life and in education are paradoxically dead and alive. In this context, I explicate a dark side of critical thinking that we can no longer neglect. I argue that quite common ways of doing critical thinking may have self-crippling, existentially alienating and dystopian dynamics and effects in times when we need confidence and trust the most. Consequently, no matter how much we cherish critical thinking we are no longer in a position to think of it as an unanimous good or as an ultimate aim of education. Critical thinking is, like many practices obstructed by reflexive modernization, full of self-serving fictions, nurturing its status as an all-but-only-good-purpose skill. There is a need to rethink critical thinking, its role and status in education and restore its learning relationships without falling prey to its darker dynamics, or so I argue.

The post-non-classical university’s identity: an axiological aspect

Introduction. The relevance of the university’s role reconsideration is a consequence of the classical university foundations “ruinization” in the contemporary functioning conditions, characterized as highly dynamic, fluid and complex. The identity of the post-non-classical university is not perceived as something integral or self-evident, it is represented the essence of multifaceted identity, lying in the opposition of the idea of university modeling to the destructive postmodern conditions in which the contemporary university transforms. The aim of the study is to conceptualize the post-non-classical university’s image in its axiological foundations Research methods. To reach the aim of the study, the authors applied a methodology comprising philosophically and culturologically determined methods of qualitative analysis to explore issues in the relevant knowledge domains and the direct praxeological aspect of visible manifestations of the modern university’s identity. In their argumentation, the authors rely on philosophical and cultural comparative analysis, use the techniques of systemic functional and axiological approaches, the method of conceptualizing the university’s image. Research results. The article considers the transition from the classical to the non-classical and post-non-classical model of the university. The reflexive (convergent) consciousness is regarded as an essential condition the identity of contemporary university constructing crisis overcoming, and the glocalization argued as the strategy of the university as a sociocultural institute. The post-non-classical university multifaceted identity integrates cultural, behavioral and representational aspects, remaining in its globalized structure the regional particularities. The graduate, possessing the possibility of self-image constructing to achieve integrity and additivity, becomes the axiological foundation of the post-non-classical identity. Conclusion. The study has shown that the contemporary university independently determines the reflexive modernization of the axiological foundations of self-identity. It does not react to external circumstances and challenges, but rather absorbs external conditions and circumstances, and actively transforms and pragmatically uses them for its own advancement. The post-non-classical identity of the university, on the one hand, is a product of postmodernity. On the other hand, its contemporary reflexive modeling overcomes the deconstructing and ruining foundations of postmodernity, and can be considered as a foresight technology

Rediscovering human capital in the conditions of reflexive modernity

Relevance. The relevance is due to the need to revise approaches to the theoretical understanding of the concepts of «human capital» and «reflexivity» as social phenomena, the need to identify the relationship between these phenomena.The purpose is to show the possibilities of expanding the understanding of the phenomenon of human capital based on the analysis of existing theoretical approaches of various sciences to the concept of «reflexivity».Objectives: to study the peculiarities of understanding the phenomenon of reflection in philosophy, psychology, sociology and to highlight the meaningful characteristics of reflexivity as a component of human capital in modern society.Methodology. The author relies in the study on the possibilities of an interdisciplinary approach to the study of the phenomenon of reflection. The sociological analysis is based on the ideas and principles of systemic, synergetic, sociocultural approaches. The starting point for the analysis of the phenomenon of human capital was the concept of V. S. Golubev.Results. The article substantiates the idea that the transition to a new type of social organization, accompanied by the appearance of new characteristics in the social system, led to the development and strengthening of the importance of reflexivity of society. At the same time, the requirements for the individual are changing and the content of human capital is being revised. This process is conditioned by the need to increase awareness, objectivity of ideas about the system of social relations in conditions of expanding individual freedom, its role in social processes, increasing the volume of information produced by society and the subjects involved in this process.Conclusions. Reflexivity as a characteristic of a social system has appeared relatively recently. The basis of its formation was the evolution of human psychological processes and a qualitative change in the living conditions of society. There is an expansion of the potential of the individual and society, and, on the other hand, the risks that she has to face. The ability to reflect is considered as part of the intellectual and spiritual capital of the individual. It presupposes the activity of the individual in the perception of social processes and events, which was previously the lot of the elite, the development of sophisticated intellectual mechanisms for working with information, analyzing their own and others' experiences.

To wear or not to wear, was that the question? Understanding citizen responses to COVID‐19 crisis management in social media across Europe

AbstractThis study aims to gain qualitative insights about and compare public responses to COVID‐19 crisis management during the different pandemic phases and across three countries—Norway, Sweden and Italy. To do so, we have carried out a qualitative content analysis of a selection of 2606 tweets containing the term ‘face mask’ in Italian, Norwegian, and Swedish published between March 1, 2020 and June 31, 2022. The article combines risk society theses with social practice theory as a lens through which to examine public responses to crisis management. Analyzing the data from Norway, Sweden, and Italy, this article discusses the extent to which individualism, reflexive modernization, and cosmopolitanism account for citizen responses to authority's crisis management efforts in each of the countries during the different phases of the pandemic. Findings highlight the crucial role of socio‐cultural contexts that shape citizen responses to crisis management over time, showcasing a spectrum of attitudes ranging from scepticism and critique to trust and compliance. This comparative analysis underscores the importance of considering the dynamic interplay between criticism and support, individualism and collectivism, as well as global and local experiences in understanding diverse and situated societal responses to crisis management during a global pandemic. The article also points to social media as a meaningful arena where individuals and groups share information and participate in discussions that shape collective views, thus having a significant role in shaping citizen responses to COVID‐19 crisis management and influencing decision‐making.

Ukotveni v pohybu: reflexivní identita mladých dobrovolníků

This paper combines the framework of collective and reflexive volunteering with emerging adulthood theory in order to investigate volunteer work in communities as a source of reflexive identity. In the theoretical part, it looks into the concept of identity from the reflexive modernization perspective, volunteer communities, and emerging adulthood. The empirical part is based on qualitative biographical research with an emphasis on the position of sociological romanticism. It analyzes six biographical interviews with young adult volunteers and with one focus group that four of them were involved in. The outcomes indicate that volunteers in the age of emerging adulthood incline to communities and to shared identity, no matter how their life situation pushes them to reflexive behavioural patterns. After reviewing their life course as a set of important milestones, they interpret their volunteer and community experience as a biographically passing but indispensable chapter in life. This experience persists in their personal identity in the sense of a fixed point that can help them choose their next path in life.

Problém reflexivity

This article presents reflexivity in its various meanings and forms as it appears in anthropology and social sciences. During the second half of the twentieth century in these fields, it became both an inspiration for various theories of the functioning of social phenomena, but also a part of anthropological methodology: in the era of the reflexive turn, it served as a critique of the situatedness of the production of anthropological knowledge, which was supposed to unmask the personal influence of the researcher on the resulting form of the texts. Although the contribution of this stage to the understanding of the meaning of the textuality of anthropological works cannot be denied, I see its “normalization” as part of anthropological methodology as problematic. If we focus more closely on the functioning mechanisms of reflexivity and self-reflection, we will come across certain paradoxes. In this paper, I focus on various criticisms of reflexivity, through which I try to approach the essence of the problem of using reflexivity. Emphasis is placed on the debate on reflexivity as a pivotal mechanism in the organization of late modern societies as described by theorists such as Giddens, Beck, Lash or Archer. These theories are confronted with the concept of “speech” as understood by constructivist approaches such as discourse analysis, which view all meanings as variable and constantly constructed by linguistic means in ordinary speech. I further show how reflexivity is unmasked by the opponents of reflexive modernization theory as a rhetorical strategy used to legitimize the status quo. This example serves as an illustration of the illusory nature of reflexivity and the possibility of its misuse.

Contouring the mobile risk society

ABSTRACT The contours of the “mobile risk society” are becoming increasingly visible. Contemporary discourses on climate change have gained in intensity and represent a significant semantic shift. The modern idea of the controllability and domestication of natural processes and the anthropogenic impacts of modern lifestyles, consumption and production patterns are being deconstructed and their side effects can be experienced on a daily basis. Multiple warnings seem to lack the impact necessary to stop the dystopian consequences of human activities in the Anthropocene. The “climate crisis” is pushing societies to their limits and revealing the limits of the problemsolving capacities of national and transnational institutions. Against this background, social science research on mobility is challenged in the same way as all other sciences. Without being able to provide comprehensive answers, it has certainly contributed to analyzing, understanding and sometimes solving some of the most pressing and risky problems in a turbulent world. The article takes these observations as a starting point to reflect on some aspects of the risky nature of mobilities and the consequences for the sustainability of lifestyles based on cultures of multiple mobilities. It elaborates on the conceptual differences between linear and reflexive modernization and on what it means to find ways of acting under conditions of ambivalence, uncertainty and insecurity. It also focuses on aspects of sustainable mobility policies and the future of communities and social integration. The article concludes with some conceptual considerations and an outlook on the future of mobilities in the age of climate change.

THE DEVELOPMENT DYNAMICS OF J-POP AND K-POP IN JAPAN AND SOUTH KOREA IN THE GLOBALIZATION ERA

J-pop and K-pop are two popular cultures that developed in the globalization era. In this research, the author analyzes the dynamics of the development of J-pop and K-pop in Japan and South Korea in the globalization era. The purpose of this study is to analyze J-pop that can be an inspiration to South Korea in establishing K-pop, analyze K-pop that can challenge the popularity of J-pop as its predecessor in the midst of globalization, and analyze the efforts made by J-pop music industry players in responding to the rapid development of the K-pop music industry in the midst of globalization. This study uses the globalization theory expressed by Giddens (1990) using the concept of reflexive modernity. This study uses qualitative data obtained through sources from books, journals, and articles on websites. The results of this study show that from 1990 to 2022, J-pop and K-pop inspired each other to grow and create engaging content for their fans. The interaction between these two popular cultures created a mutually beneficial relationship between Japan and South Korea.

Future at play: Applying Reflexive Public Reason in the case of Taiwanese energy transition

Energy transitions around the world are characterised by the general assumption that new technologies for decarbonisation, digitalisation and electrification will provide a solution to slow down climate change. However, Ulrich Beck's work on the risk society and reflexive modernisation theory suggest that the previously assumed linear development model based on techno-scientific achievements is influencing the increasing levels of uncertainty and risk. Taiwan, the leading producer of semiconductors, plays a crucial role in the energy transition. Its complicated geopolitical situation has placed it at the centre of international political disputes. In addition to natural hazards related to Taiwan's geology, social, economic and technological challenges, there are political tensions that make any transition path highly uncertain. As a result, decisions are made in a contingent and highly uncertain environment. This paper aims to propose a new way of understanding energy transition paths through the proposed model of reflexive public reason. We contribute to the understanding of how reasoning for choosing particular futures evolves along with uncertainties and risks, ultimately leading to the emergence of new manufactured uncertainties. We describe the mechanisms behind public reason for the energy transition in Taiwan based on three types of sources: legal documents and policies on energy transition issued between 2005 and 2020 in the Republic of China (Taiwan), 150 press articles, and eight in-depth semi-structured interviews with SSH and STEM researchers working at universities in Taiwan.

Examining distrust of science and scientists: A study on ideology and scientific literacy in the European Union

There is considerable evidence that, in the United States, public distrust in science is amplified by a conservative ideology and by lower levels of scientific literacy. By emphasizing the discussion on reflexive modernity and (de)politicization of science and politics, we use the Eurobarometer 95.2 to explore these relationships in present-day European Union. We document a significant relationship between conservatively oriented opinions and lower scores on the scientific literacy scale and EU respondents’ levels of distrust in science. We notice that conservative attitudes – measured by dummy statements such as focus on morality instead of innovation, and national isolation due to fear of international crime instead of international co-operation – cause higher distrust in science and scientists. Unlike several studies carried out in the United States, we observe that in the European Union countries, trust in private companies to tackle with scientific issues such as climate change does not predict much when it comes to trust in science and scientists. The obtained results highlight the conceptual confluence between politicization of EU politics and expertization when it comes to policymaking at the EU level, emphasizing the debate regarding the ideological tension that fuels the distrust in science and scientists.

From “Extensive” to “Connotative” Development: Modernization of Chinese-Style Education

Highlights The transformation of China's education reform from extensive to connotative development involved a shift from characteristically exogenous and late development to endogenous and spontaneous development. The mechanism behind the shift from rationalism to universalism has resulted in tension between extension and intension in the process of modernization. Reflexive modernity has always existed in historical experience and situations, strengthening the appeal of intension to the right of defining. In terms of the scale effect, the expansion of higher education enrollment made historically significant contributions to the modernization of education in China; however, it also had several disadvantages. China's educational modernization invariably requires solving the problem of large-class teaching and promoting small-class teaching in the process of shifting from extensive to connotative development.

Impacts of reflexive modernization in the context of sports, tourism, and leisure activities in nature: A theoretical review

This article aims to understand the extent to which reflexive modernization dynamics have had an impact on tourism, sports, and recreational activities in nature. To this end, this exploratory, bibliographic, and theoretical article is organized in three sections. In the first, we approach the theoretical background used to analyze the investigated object. Next, we make a brief digression to describe the reconfigurations of recreational activities developed in nature over time until the advent of reflexive modernity advent. Finally, in the third part of the study, we seek to show how reflexive modernization has affected tourism, sports, and recreational activities carried out in nature. In general terms, after the analyses, it was possible to infer that reflexive modernization has structurally modified recreational practices in nature, impacting how the market provides products in view of how people relate to the natural environment.

The Ambiguous Meanings of Parental Engagement in the Reflexive Modernization Era: Parental Educational Initiatives in Poland

This paper lays down a discussion on the contribution of a group of parents who decide to abandon public education and create for their children new educational environments – here called quasi-schools. It focuses on the engagement category captured during analysis and its shifting meanings. The theoretical elaboration draws on exploratory qualitative research that started in 2014 which aimed to explore the essence and basis of the phenomenon of exceptional parental activity. The research questions concerned the parents' actions themselves and the meanings given to these actions by the parents, as well as wider ideologies in which parental activities find their justification. Aside from the theoretical framework composed of social constructivism and poststructuralism, in this elaboration, the concept of reflexive modernization by Beck and Giddens was employed. The research utilized the case study method with applied strategies of constructivist grounded theory (Charmaz) and discourse analysis embedded in the sociology of knowledge (Keller). Interviews with e1even parents involved in quasi-schools were conducted and analyzed from bottom-up. The analyses allow us to reconstruct the multifaceted meanings of parental engagement in late modernity as corresponding with ideals of strength, participation, democracy and empowerment on the one hand and endangerment on the other hand.

Self-Realization vs Success: New Forms of Social Strain in the Reflexive Modern Society and Their Impact on the Normative Consciousness of Youth

Self-Realization vs Success: New Forms of Social Strain in the Reflexive Modern Society and Their Impact on the Normative Consciousness of Youth

Review of Han (2019): Confucianism and Reflexive Modernity: Bringing Community back to Human Rights in the Age of Global Risk Society

Review of Han (2019): Confucianism and Reflexive Modernity: Bringing Community back to Human Rights in the Age of Global Risk Society

When you wish upon a (GWP) star: Environmental governance and the reflexive performativity of global warming metrics.

The metrics used in environmental management are performative. That is, the tools deployed to classify and measure the natural world interact with the things they were designed to observe. The idea of performativity also captures the way these interactions shape or distort the governance activities that metrics are used to inform. The performativity of metrics reveals how mundane practices of measurement and auditing are inscribed with substantial power. This has proven particularly true for the global warming metrics, like GWP100, that are central to the management of anthropogenic climate change. Greenhouse gases are materially heterogenous, and the metrics used to commensurate their various warming impacts influence the distribution of both culpability and capital in climate policy and markets. The publication of a new warming metric, GWP* (or GWP Star), has generated a modest scientific controversy, as a diverse cast of stakeholders recognize this performativity seek to influence the metrological regime under which they live. We analyse this controversy, particularly as it unfolded in the fractious discourse around sustainable food and farming, to develop the concept of reflexive performativity: where actors are anticipatory and strategic in their engagement with the metrics that are used to govern their lives. We situate this idea in relation to, and in tentative evidential support of, the concept of reflexive modernization.

Reflexive Green Nationalism (RGN): A sociological antidote to the climate crisis?

What can theories of nationalism and the nation-state tell us about climate change? Much of the available literature, including works by prominent thinkers Ulrich Beck and Bruno Latour, identify it as a collective global challenge rather than a local and national one. But is it really so? This article develops an original theoretical framework integrating the theory of “reflexive modernity”, theories of nationalism, and case studies of green nation-states. The goal is to change the observation point and search for original solutions to the climate crisis. Building on this theoretical framework, this study puts forward the following claims: (1) climate change is undeniably a global phenomenon, but its causes are national. It can be traced back to a small number of top polluting nation-states (the US, China, Russia, India, Japan and EU28) whose historical share of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, the main cause for global warming, surpasses 74%; (2) Most of these nation-states are entrenched in Resource Nationalism (RN), a form of nationalism that sees the environment as a resource to exploit; (3) there exist forms of sustainable nationalism, which this study conceptualizes as Reflexive Green Nationalism (RGN); (4) the solution to climate change is local rather than global. It depends on top polluters' capacity to re-modernize and develop RGN; and (5) according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, if emissions are not reduced by 43% by 2030, the world is likely to cross the tipping point into a global climate catastrophe. Therefore, updating these nation-states and their ideology to more sustainable forms is humanity's best shot at halting the climate crisis.