Sociological Insights Research Articles

Economic Decisions and Cultural Trauma: A Sociological Exploration of Macro-level Policies and Societal Perceptions

The article delves into the intricate relationship between macroeconomic policies and cultural trauma. It argues that economic decisions, typically confined to corporate and legislative realms, significantly impact communities by shaping collective memories, identities, and psychological distress. The study highlights historical events like The Great Depression and the COVID-19 pandemic, underscoring their transformative impacts on societal consciousness and cultural narratives. The article emphasizes the role of macroeconomic choices, such as fiscal policies and trade agreements, in creating collective experiences that transcend economic outcomes. Using examples like trade liberalization in Brazil, it demonstrates how economic policies can lead to diverse societal perceptions and narratives. The article also examines the role of media, public discourse, and societal leaders in shaping public perceptions of these decisions. Central to the study are the contributions of cultural sociologists like Jeffrey C. Alexander, who propose that cultural trauma arises more from societal narratives around an event rather than the event itself. The study stresses the need for a comprehensive approach that integrates economic analysis with sociological insights, highlighting the importance of understanding economic decisions beyond their immediate financial implications. Conclusively, the article posits that macroeconomic decisions have profound and lasting impacts on societies, influencing collective identities and memories. It advocates for policies and scholarly approaches that acknowledge the broader societal ramifications of these decisions.

Transition in action: toward a social theory of the governance of transitions.

This article explores how a re-interpretation of the socio-technical, socio-ecological and transition design approaches to transition from the point of view of Niklas Luhmann's general systems theory of society. The need to understand and promote changes that include a technological and ecological dimension has led to different approaches, such as socio-technical or socio-environmental approaches, to incorporate links with society. While these approaches often include sociological insights, they rarely offer a general understanding of how these are embedded into society. We need a new environmental sociology that helps catalyze change processes with a collectively reorganized society, empowering more radically transformative actions to change the current structures and processes that have led us to where we are today. The article offers a cross-sectional look at the socio-ecological and socio-technical systems literature, specifically for what concerns their understanding of the 'systems' in transition and how they can be governed, and re-interpret it from the theoretical lens of the deep sociological knowledge, which refers to the profound understanding of social systems and their dynamics, embedded in Luhmann's theory of social systems. From here, we suggest the second-order coupling for a sociologically grounded understanding of the interactions that comprise socio-ecological and socio-technical systems, heterogeneous and almost self-organizing assemblies of social, technical, and natural elements and processes. At the same time, third-order couplings are analyzed, focused on governance, relationships between operations, and structures mediated by a deliberate attempt to ensure coherence and coordination against the autonomy and heterogeneity of socio-techno-ecological systems. Therefore, this manuscript offers a deeper conceptual and methodological understanding of socio-techno-ecological couplings and systems in the context of sustainability transformation and gives insights into its governance.

Critical Role of Sociology in Sustainable Development and Social Equity

This study examines the critical role of sociology in ensuring sustainable development within a nation. Despite the recognition of sustainable development's importance, the practical application of sociological insights remains underexplored, creating a significant knowledge gap. Utilizing a mixed-method approach, including qualitative analysis of policy documents and quantitative surveys of public attitudes, this research identifies key areas where sociology informs policy decisions, promotes social equity, and fosters community engagement for environmental protection. Findings reveal that sociological perspectives significantly impact the development and implementation of effective sustainability initiatives. Results highlight the necessity of integrating sociological insights with policymaking processes to address complex societal issues and achieve sustainable development. This study implies that greater collaboration between sociologists, policymakers, and community leaders is essential for navigating the challenges of a sustainable future.

Capturing the smile: Exploring embodied and social acts of smiling.

Smiling is an embodied and complex social act. Smiling is presented as facilitating individual health and wellbeing, but the value placed on smiling raises questions about structural conditions acting on the body. While smiling has been considered sociologically, psychologically and historically, we argue that further exploration of the embodied smile offers fruitful avenues for future research. This article attempts to advance understanding of the smile and its importance by: (I) Bringing together literature on smiling as a social act and smiling as embodied. (II) Systematically identifying key themes, which recognise sociological insights and the relevance of oral health. (III) Pointing to useful directions for future sociological research into smiling. In this article, we review literature on body techniques; impression management and social interaction; gender, race and smiling; and emotional, aesthetic and affective labour. We move on to embodiment, considering the mouth as a body project and in relation to the ageing body, before reflecting on the significance of oral health and dentistry. We highlight future directions for sociological research on smiling, building on eight interrelated and cross-cutting themes: norms and expectations, aesthetic ideals, self and identity, health and wellbeing, body work, commodification and labour, inclusion and exclusion and resistance.

The Immune System Is a Complex System: Inflammatory Morbidity and Systemic Racism

This article examines the relationship between social inequity and the immune system, emphasizing some of the many ways that systemic racism and other forms of marginalization can undermine health. Of much sociological concern, chronic stressors increase inflammation and consequent susceptibility to health morbidities and, ultimately, mortality by burdening marginalized group members in ways that adversely affect immune regulation and functioning. As with social systems more generally, the immune system is a cross-scale complex system of many regulating, coordinating, and interacting parts, within both itself and the other bodily systems it protects. Along these lines, we thus propose that to properly conceptualize how social conditions undermine immune functioning and health, it is important to consider the immune system beyond its component mechanisms and parts. This view is akin to the way critical race theory proposes that “systemic racism” in the United States is a collaborative arrangement of social structures whose explanatory richness and historical durability can only be fully understood as a gestalt. We therefore seek, where possible, to emphasize the systems nature of the immune system similarly to the sociological insight that society comprises complex systems whose interrelated structures interact in dynamic and sometimes unpredictable ways. We scaffold this discussion within the literature on systemic racism in the United States, emphasizing inflammation as a key marker of immune demand and dysregulation and highlighting some implications for health inequities among marginalized populations more generally.

Sociology and moral character: Diagnostic, agnostic, or gnostic?

ABSTRACT This article suggests three orientations within sociology toward issues of morality and character development. The first stems from Durkheim, one where sociological tools diagnose the operation of any society and its constituent parts, including typifications of the individual. This tradition holds that sociologists can help diagnose society-specific problems and failings and participate in addressing them. The second is Weberian, the notion that sociologists need to be value-neutral in their science. This approach is more agnostic in terms of prescribing fixes to social structures and attempts a more dispassionate analysis of social systems. The third traces to some origins of the field highlighting moral injustices in contemporary society, holding that there is, in fact, a ‘right’ way to understand human character and potential. Some adherents of this echo ancient gnostic proclamations of holding true insight into the nature of natural and social life, while other, more DuBois-ian strands represent fundamental challenges to existing power structures. Ultimately, the paper concludes that sociological insight is vital for fully contextualizing the forces shaping the teaching, enactment, and consequences of moral character, but the author is less clear about which Ideal Type best captures the discipline’s potential.

Natural Embeddedness, Place Attachment, and Local Opposition to Developmental Projects: A Polanyian Analysis of the Origins of Preemptive Environmental Protests in China

This article aims to uncover the underlying social and institutional origins of China’s local preemptive environmental protests against developmental projects with negative externalities, which have not been fully investigated by the extant literature on “NIMBY” (“not-in-my-backyard”) activism in China. Primarily through the perspective of Karl Polanyi’s environmental sociology, this article presents a case study of the 2012 protest in Qidong, Jiangsu province, against an industrial waste disposal pipeline. The case of Qidong shows how local ecology has been deeply embedded in the social context and relations that have historically shaped the economic structures, culinary traditions, and place attachment in the area. Such a nexus between the environment and society in turn significantly impacted the opposition pattern of the local communities, which involved various social strata by triggering their economic and health concerns as well as an emotional response. Moreover, the article finds that the unified cross-class action under the banner of defending public interests was possible in Qidong largely because the actors were all part of the same holistic local ecological system, with shared economic interests, dietary preferences, and cultural identities. This research thus echoes the insights of environmental sociology and argues that it is necessary to take into account the interplay between ecology and locality to understand local environmental politics.

Requisites of Deradicalisation: Study on the De-Ideologisation of Indonesian Ex-Terrorists

Studies on terrorism in Indonesia heavily emphasize a security-first approach, which has had profound implications for counter-terrorism strategies, policies, and terrorist imprisonment. This approach, however, fails to properly grasp the internal “deep experience” of terrorists. There are currently 289 terrorist convicts serving their prison sentences in 113 Correctional Institutions throughout Indonesia. Until 2017, over 60 convicted terrorists have been documented for recidivist behaviour and repeating their crimes. This phenomenon raises the question of the possibility of de-ideologization of terrorists in incarceration and if Indonesia’s criminal justice system is truly effective in deradicalizing terrorists. Our study explores this question by interviewing three different groups: ex-terrorists who have served their prison sentence, terrorists who were still incarcerated in prison, and former sympathizers of ISIS who had been deported back from Syria to Indonesia. We explored the social elements and actors that constituted their radical view, their experiences in prison, and the factors that had led them to abandon terrorist activities or disavow their support for ISIS. We conclude that social-legal policies aiming to effectively reduce the ideological reproduction of terrorism cannot be carried out using a heavy-handed security approach, but sociological insights are required to grasp the allure and kernel of truth behind terrorist acts.

A call for a sociology of adaptation

A call for a sociology of adaptation

The great transformation: The Durkheimian sociology of religion from Émile Durkheim to Henri Hubert

This article compares Durkheim's early sociological insights into religion with Hubert's sociological approach to religious phenomena. The goal is to shed light on the transformation that occurred in the Durkheimian sociology of religion during that period. First, it presents Durkheim's early sociological insights on religion (1886–1899) before the inception of the Année Sociologique. His approach during this period aimed to uncover the obligations behind religious acts and thoughts, viewing religion as a form of social discipline. Second, it explores the sociologie religieuse approach developed by Hubert (1902–1914) during the first series of the Année Sociologique, an approach that sought to understand the distinctiveness of religious action and ideas through sacred dramas. Finally, this article argues that Hubert's work prompted the great theoretical transformation within the Durkheimian sociology of religion from social discipline to sacred drama.

Insights from obsolescence: The interpretive potential of skeuomorphs

This paper proposes a qualitative methodological framework grounded in the interpretation of skeuomorphs. Scholarly attention to this phenomenon has largely come from the spheres of archaeology and design/technology. Drawing on Benjamin's ideas about the interpretive scope of objects, I propose that skeuomorphs reflect the social conditions of their creation and can therefore be the starting point for generating a series of contemporary sociological insights. The proposed framework is applied to two case studies for the purpose of clarification.

Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Education and Society: Bridging Theory and Practice

This paper delves into the crucial nexus between education and sociology, underscoring the imperative need for embedding sociological insights within educational methodologies to foster more equitable and effective learning outcomes. Through an exhaustive analysis, it showcases the profound influence of societal dynamics on the fabric of education, emphasizing how factors such as social context, social capital, and the overarching framework of education as a social system play pivotal roles in shaping educational equity and the quality of learning experiences. By meticulously examining these dimensions, the paper unravels the intricate interplay between the societal constructs and educational processes, highlighting the consequential impact of external social factors on the internal mechanisms of educational institutions. Further, it proposes actionable strategies for the harmonious integration of educational and sociological perspectives, focusing on innovative curriculum development, pedagogical strategies aimed at inclusivity, and the far-reaching implications of these practices on educational policy. By advocating for a systemic infusion of sociological principles into the educational discourse, the paper suggests comprehensive teacher training programs designed to equip educators with the necessary tools to understand and leverage the socio-cultural backgrounds of their students. Such initiatives, it argues, are essential for creating learning environments that not only acknowledge but celebrate diversity, thereby paving the way for a more inclusive and socially just educational landscape. Through its exploration and recommendations, the paper makes a compelling case for the transformation of educational practices by integrating sociological insights, thereby enhancing the efficacy and equity of learning experiences across diverse societal settings.

Active Inference and Social Actors: Towards a Neuro-Bio-Social Theory of Brains and Bodies in Their Worlds

Although research including biological concepts and variables has gained more prominence in sociology, progress assimilating the organ of experience, the brain, has been theoretically and technically challenging. Formal uptake and assimilation have thus been slow. Within psychology and neuroscience, the traditional brain, which has made brief appearances in sociological research, is a “bottom–up” processor in which sensory signals are passed up the neural hierarchy where they are eventually cognitively and emotionally processed, after which actions and responses are generated. In this paper, we introduce the Active Inference Framework (AIF), which casts the brain as a Bayesian “inference engine” that tests its “top–down” predictive models against “bottom–up” sensory error streams in its attempts to resolve uncertainty and make the world more predictable. After assembling and presenting key concepts in the AIF, we describe an integrated neuro-bio-social model that prioritizes the microsociological assertion that the scene of action is the situation, wherein brains enculturate. Through such social dynamics, enculturated brains share models of the world with one another, enabling collective realities that disclose the actions afforded in those times and places. We conclude by discussing this neuro-bio-social model within the context of exemplar sociological research areas, including the sociology of stress and health, the sociology of emotions, and cognitive cultural sociology, all areas where the brain has received some degree of recognition and incorporation. In each case, sociological insights that do not fit naturally with the traditional brain model emerge intuitively from the predictive AIF model, further underscoring the interconnections and interdependencies between these areas, while also providing a foundation for a probabilistic sociology.

Expanding Eurocentric Narratives of International Relations through Conservative Cooperation

Since the mid-1990s, critical International Relations (IR) scholars have increasingly drawn on postcolonial studies to call for opening up IR. However, it has turned out to be a more challenging task than initially imagined. It requires insight into the reasons behind the differences between the forms of national IR and the implications of such variation for our understanding of the international. Such differences need inquiring into by treating those from outside North America and Western Europe as thinking actors and paying attention to their accounts of the international. Eurocentrism occurs when research is designed in a way that occludes the global theory by drawing a direct line from ancient Greece to Renaissance Europe to modern day ‘West’ with next-to-no sociological insight into ‘connected histories’ of societies. Over the years, methodological Eurocentrism has produced a particular narrative about Europe’s place in world history. Thus, Eurocentric narratives have allowed designing research by virtue of the persistence of concepts that have been informed by the very same narratives. The critical point being, the very concepts through which we make sense of world politics (such as state, development, sovereignty and security) have their limitations not only when transplanted to other parts of the world but also when studying ‘Europe’ itself.

On Doing Concept‐Driven Sociology

In this article, we elaborate on both bread‐and‐butter and epistemological features of concept‐driven sociology (CDS). First, we highlight the specific link between this framework and Zerubavel's approach by outlining how CDS is especially suited to deepen the understanding of unmarked dimensions and intersubjective phenomena, reflexively re‐employing the insights of cognitive sociology while crossing thematic (as well as disciplinary) boundaries. Then, we examine four theoretico‐methodological linchpins of CDS, with particular attention to their relationship with symbolic interactionism: the primacy of analytic novelty (and the tool‐like character of sensitizing concepts); the distinct modus operandi regarding the theory‐and‐research‐integration conundrum; the Simmelian legacy of prioritizing geometric and formal dimensions of social features; and the “etic” perspective in re‐constructing sociological problems. Thus, after discussing why CDS should not be judged as appealing only to qualitative scholars, we proceed to present the contributions to the special issue. We conclude this article by briefly stressing the open character of CDS—its essential call for new conceptually guided empirical research.

Abortion as a sociological case

AbstractFor over a century, abortion has been politically and socially contested, affecting people's lives through personal experience and/or public discourse. In the United States (US), abortion is sometimes exceptional—treated differently from other procedures, professions, and political issues—and sometimes an exemplar—an accessible example of a commonly occurring social, political, or personal phenomenon. It is, in other words, an excellent sociological case study. Yet the sociological literature on abortion is relatively thin. In this essay, we review research on abortion and opportunities for future sociological work in eight areas: gender; race; the body and embodiment; political economy; organizations, occupations, and work; medical sociology; law and society; and social movements. Sociologists have much to contribute to characterizing and understanding abortion, particularly following the 2022 US Supreme Court decision overturning the constitutional right to abortion. The discipline also has much to learn from studying abortion as a case. With its multifaceted social and political status and intersections with key areas of sociological interest, abortion offers a generative case for advancing sociological concepts, subfields, and constructs. While not exhaustive, our review aims to spark interest and inquiry, showcasing how a topic that spurs strong opinions can also catalyze sociological insights.

Harmony in Art: Sun Yinchang's Journey from Rural Realism to Contemporary Symbolism

The study explores the multifaceted artistic journey of Sun Yinchang, a self-taught "peasant painter" from rural northern China, whose fusion of realism and symbolism in oil paintings forms a captivating narrative. The study explores his unconventional artistic development, emphasizing his departure from academic paths and the attainment of professional competence through personal perception. Operating as an outsider within the artistic system, Sun's career as a freelance artist without a fixed income serves as a valuable case study for contemporary youth aspiring to become oil painters outside established institutional frameworks. His unwavering commitment to rural life, thematic continuity in his work, and symbolic representations of memory, such as corn and agricultural tools, distinguish him from stereotypical portrayals of "peasants" and secure recognition within the domestic art industry. The comprehensive exploration employs qualitative inquiry and visual analysis, drawing insights from interviews with Sun and meticulous examination of his celebrated series. The abstract further analyzes Sun Yinchang's distinctive realistic style, the interplay of compositional form, the "top-down" perspective, and the symbolic implications of his chosen motifs, providing sociological insights into art and offering inspiration for contemporary artists aligning their work with personal concepts.

Gender, flexibility and workforce in the NHS: A qualitative study.

Data from the General Medical Council show that the number of female doctors registered to practise in the UK continues to grow at a faster rate than the number of male doctors. Our research critically discusses the impact of this gender-based shift, considering how models of medical training are still ill-suited to supporting equity and inclusivity within the workforce, with particular impacts for women despite this gender shift. Drawing on data from our research project Mapping underdoctored areas: the impact of medical training pathways on NHS workforce distribution and health inequalities, this paper explores the experiences of doctors working in the NHS, considering how policies around workforce and beyond have impacted people's willingness and ability to continue in their chosen career path. There is clear evidence that women are underrepresented in some specialties such as surgery, and at different career stages including in senior leadership roles, and our research focuses on the structural factors that contribute to reinforcing these under-representations. Medical education and training are known to be formative points in doctors' lives, with long-lasting impacts for NHS service provision. By understanding in detail how these pathways inadvertently shape where doctors live and work, we will be able to consider how best to change existing systems to provide patients with timely and appropriate access to healthcare. We take a cross-disciplinary theoretical approach, bringing historical, spatiotemporal and sociological insights to healthcare problems. Here, we draw on our first 50 interviews with practising doctors employed in the NHS in areas that struggle to recruit and retain doctors, and explore the gendered nature of career biographies. We also pay attention to the ways in which doctors carve their own career pathways out of, or despite of, personal and professional disruptions.

Sociological Insights: Rethinking Decision-making in Evolving Patriarchal Family Structures

This research paper delves into the complex interplay between family structures, women's roles, and their agency in decision-making within patriarchal societies. This paper focus on how traditional joint families, with their entrenched gender roles and centralized authority, limit women's participation in household choices. In contrast, nuclear families offer some hope, with greater autonomy and shared decision-making processes opening doors for challenging established norms. Marital status and employment status also emerge as key factors, with unmarried women and employed women demonstrating greater flexibility and influence. Financial autonomy further nuances the picture, showcasing both collaborative approaches and conditional independence for women. Ultimately, the distribution of decision-making power reflects the uneven terrain of gender equality, highlighting the persisting influence of patriarchal structures. This paper underscores the need for dismantling these structures and fostering truly collaborative familial environments to pave the way for a more equitable future for women.

Analisis Kapitalisme Max Weber sebagai Jalan Pendidikan Agama Kristen Menghadapi Kemiskinan

This study explores the application of Max Weber's seminal work, Protestant Ethics and the Spirit of Capitalism, as a basis for Christian religious education to effectively address the issue of poverty in modern society. By examining the historical context and underlying principles, the author suggests how Christian religious education can use Weber's ideas to promote critical understanding of economic issues and empower people to participate in overcoming poverty. The method used is a literature study approach, where the author collects data from books and relevant topics or issues in this research. The results of this study seek to bridge Weber's sociological insights with the teachings of Christian religious education, by looking at how the principles of hard work, discipline, and individual responsibility can be instilled through the lens of Christian religious education to empower communities in the fight against poverty. By instilling values that promote economic empowerment, community development, and social responsibility, Christian religious education emerges as a powerful tool to address the challenges of poverty in contemporary society.