Sociological Theory Research Articles

Changes to the IOC’s governance during Thomas Bach’s presidency: intense institutional work to achieve balance and compromise

Recent changes in broadcasting, culture, economics, geopolitics, and technology have affected both the way International Olympic Committee (IOC) operates and its systemic, political, and organisational governance. These changes have created a more complex and more challenging world for international sport and led to a crisis of legitimacy for the IOC. The present qualitative study provides a critical analysis of the new governance principles the IOC has adopted in response to this crisis since Thomas Bach was elected president in 2013. Bach’s strategy, which combines careful assessment of the forces in play and deft risk management, can be considered a form of realpolitik. The current paper highlights parallels between Bach’s realpolitik approach and neo-institutional sociological theories on how change occurs within a sector. Under Bach’s presidency, the IOC has carried out intense institutional work to achieve the balance and compromise needed to strengthen its leadership of world sport.

Teoría de sistemas y mecanismos sociales: los actores actuantes en el proceso de realimentación sistémica

En este artículo se exponen algunas limitaciones de ciertas teorías sociológicas clásicas que explican el surgimiento de la teoría de los sistemas sociales. Debido a la crítica que señala a este enfoque como antihumanista se sostiene que si bien aparentemente hay una ausencia de actores en algunas importantes propuestas del enfoque sistémico, estos pueden incorporarse a través de los modelos de mecanismos sociales utilizados en la sociología analítica. La metodología empleada ha sido la revisión teórica de los principales exponentes de la teoría de sistemas y de ciertas propuestas de mecanismos sociales para sostener la posibilidad de comunicación intradisciplinaria.

Recognition in interaction: theoretical and empirical observations.

In the current paper we aim to combine the theoretical ideas of recognition theory to conversation analytical, empirical observations. We ask what recognition theories can give to conversation analysis, and vice versa. We operate on a model of recognition that consists of three different modes: respect, esteem, and love/care, and which distinguishes the levels of conversational actions and the attitudes of recognition manifested in such actions. In this study we examine data examples from various conversational settings (institutional, quasi-experimental, family interaction) and activities (decision-making, storytelling), focusing on the more complex cases of (mis)recognition. We show how recognition can appear both explicitly and implicitly in conversational sequences, and demonstrate how the levels of conversational actions and recognition can be either congruent or incongruent with each other. At the end of the article, we discuss the implications of this view for the interface of conversation analysis and sociological theory, arguing that it can inform and promote the development of interactionally based social and societal critique.

Kritik Sosial Natsume Soseki dalam Novel Bocchan

This research aims to reveal Natsume Soseki's attitudes and views in the form of social criticism regarding the phenomenon of social deviation in Japanese society due to the Meiji Restoration (1868-1912) in his novel, Bocchan. Social problems often arise in modern societies, including what happened in Japan during modernization from 1868-1912, called the Meiji Restoration. These social problems include social and cultural dislocation due to the penetration of dominant Western culture and the marginal position of traditional elements, especially in the second decade of the early Meiji era, when Japan aggressively adopted Western culture on a large scale. This social phenomenon can be seen from the decline in Japanese society's appreciation for traditional social and cultural values while simultaneously placing Western culture in a superior position. The theory used in this research is Alan Swingewood's Literary Sociology theory. Through this theory, we will analyze the influence of Natsume Soseki's social background as the author of the novel Bocchan, as well as his ideological tendencies in responding to the symptoms of social deviation in Japanese society (1868-1912), which became the background for the creation of the novel Bocchan. After that, it will be analyzed to what extent the novel Bocchan can reflect social phenomena. The analysis was done by connecting the social aspects of the novel with the historical, social reality that was the background for its creation, namely Japanese society during the Meiji Era (1868-1912). Next, the author will see what social criticism is depicted in the novel. The results of the research show that the novel Bocchan describes Natsume Soseki's social criticism of the phenomenon of socio-cultural dislocation in Japanese society due to Westernization during the Meiji era, as well as the problems of a group of people who persist with old habits in the condition of the Japanese nation which is changing towards a developed and modern country.

Understanding Competition in Social Space: Religious Congregations in Manhattan, 1949 to 1999

Competition between social units has long been central to sociological theories of change. Understanding it has become particularly important in the sociology of religion with the theory of religious economies, a market model of religious change. Existing empirical tests of the theory are limited by (1) ambiguity regarding which religious groups are expected to compete with which other groups, and/or (2) a neglect of the local level (competition among congregations). Using an original compilation of the life histories of religious congregations in Manhattan from 1949 to 1999, I conduct event-history analyses that avoid those limitations. The chief results are the following: (1) the more congregations there were near a given congregation that were theologically dissimilar to that congregation, the less likely that congregation was to advertise; (2) when there was an increase over time in the number of nearby congregations that were theologically similar to the focal congregation, that congregation became more likely to advertise; and (3) when there was an increase over time in the number of nearby congregations that were theologically dissimilar to the focal congregation, that congregation became less likely to advertise. Implications for the study of religion include modifications of religious-economies theory; broader implications speak to understanding the social units that compete and what drives competition.

What Is Sociological Theory?

There are several types of sociological theories one has to discriminate from each other. Certain sociological theories earmark only single phenomena and do not differ from explanations used in everyday life. Then there are general sociological theories, mainly general theories of action, e. g. rational choice or interpretative sociologies. Finally, one has to feature macro-sociological theories that point out historical or societal developments pertaining to structures such whole societies, family patterns, or processes such as industrialization or globalization. The article mainly deals with the difference between rational choice and psychological approaches.1

Social figures as elements of sociological theorizing

ABSTRACT Social figures are an inherently important but largely unnoticed element of sociological theorizing. Like other elements (such as metaphors, analogies, or diagrams), social figures have their own characteristics and their own epistemic possibilities and limitations. In order to elaborate their characteristics, in the first part of the article I will show how social figures appear in sociological theories, such as the ‘flexible self’ in Richard Sennett’s ‘The Corrosion of Character’ and Siegfried Kracauer’s ‘employees’ in his book ‘The Salaried Masses’. I will then outline the main features of social figures and the functions they perform within these texts. In the second part of the article, I will address how to use social figures in sociological theorizing. Following Jean-François Lyotard as well as Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari, I will outline the theoretical starting points which form the basis for taking social figures seriously as essential elements of theorizing. On this basis, I will discuss the practical dimension of working with social figures. This involves describing the social figures and theorizing with such figures. The latter means either unfolding new ways of thinking or analyzing the social figure as an indicator of the burning issues of the time.

Utilizing Indonesian Metropop Novels as Material and Media in Sosiology of Literature Learning

This study aims to explain the use of Indonesian metropop novels as material and media in teaching the sociology of literature in universities. The sociology of literature course aims to provide students with an understanding of the relationship between literary works and various social phenomena that occur in society. Through this course, students gain knowledge about the basic concepts of the theory of sociology of literature and various forms of research using the theory of sociology of literature. This type of research is qualitative research using descriptive methods. The results of the study show that Indonesian metropop novels describe a socio-cultural phenomenon in society, especially the lifestyle and culture of urban communities who live and live in big cities which are shown through story characters. Thus, Indonesian metropop novels can be used as material and media sociology of literature learning.

Developing user personas to capture intersecting dimensions of disadvantage in older patients who are marginalised: a qualitative study.

Remote and digital services must be equitable, but some patients have difficulty using these services. Designing measures to overcome digital disparities can be challenging for practices. Personas (fictional cases) are a potentially useful tool in this regard. To develop and test a set of personas to reflect the lived experiences and challenges that older people who are disadvantaged face when navigating remote and digital primary care services. Qualitative study of digital disparities in NHS community health services offering video appointments. Following familiarisation visits and interviews with service providers, 17 older people with multiple markers of disadvantage (limited English, health conditions, and poverty) were recruited and interviewed using narrative prompts. Data were analysed using an intersectionality lens, underpinned by sociological theory. Combining data across all participant interviews, we produced personas and refined these following focus groups involving health professionals, patients, and advocates (n = 12). Digital services create significant challenges for older patients with limited economic, social, and linguistic resources and low digital, health, or system literacy. Four contrasting personas were produced, capturing the variety and complexity of how dimensions of disadvantage intersected and influenced identity and actions. The personas illustrate important themes including experience of racism and discrimination, disorientation, discontinuity, limited presence, weak relationships, loss of agency, and mistrust of services and providers. Personas can illuminate the multiple and intersecting dimensions of disadvantage in patient populations who are marginalised and may prove useful when designing or redesigning digital primary care services. Adopting an intersectional lens may help practices address digital disparities.

Die Herstellung von Adressabilität. Medialität und Praxis der Kommunikationsanbahnung am Beispiel der neurologischen Intensivstation

Abstract The concept of the communication address and the associated question of its producibility are regularly assigned a fundamental conceptual significance in the sociological theory discussion. The empirical connections, on the other hand, remain rare and, moreover, in the context of modernity, do not take up the mediality of communication as well as social theoretical considerations sufficiently. Therefore, the question arises how addressability is produced practically and medially. Using the example of addressing practices in a neurological intensive care unit, this question is addressed within the framework of an ethnographic approach. It is shown that media fade addressability in and out by using them as epistemic instruments and substitutes. At the same time, they can mediate between interactional, organizational, and social system requirements. These findings reveal a broader field for further empirical exploration of modern address- and communication orders.

Analysis of the Ugly Female Images in "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio" from the Perspective of Bourdieu's Sociological Theory

Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio is a collection of classical Chinese short stories created by Pu Songling, a Qing Dynasty novelist in China. It is known as a representative work of ancient Chinese classical short stories. Since its inception, it has been loved by the public and subsequently translated into multiple languages, spreading overseas. The English version of Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, translated by British sinologist Minford in 2006, was published by Penguin Publishing, a leading publishing house in the UK, and is listed as one of the Penguin Classic series. This article will analyze the unique translation behavior of Minford's translation from the perspective of Bourdieu's sociological theory. In Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, Pu Songling portrays a series of ugly female characters, such as Lin Shi, Lv Wubing, Qiao Nu, etc. Although these women are not beautiful in appearance, they possess a beautiful mind of wisdom, kindness, and righteousness. Pu Songling used the method of comparing beauty and ugliness to describe them, greatly enhancing the artistic charm of Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, while expressing his own ideals and reflecting his unique aesthetic pursuit of progressive women's views.

‘It Feels Like a Big Performance’: Space, Performativity and Young Woman Skateboarders

In this article, we apply philosophical and sociological theory to consider how young women skateboarders interact with and are affected by performative aspects of skateboarding cultures. Drawing on findings from a qualitative study of three skateparks plus other skate spaces in and around two English cities, we argue that these spaces are performative in nature and that this is frequently problematic for young woman skateboarders. We suggest that, due to their comparative rarity in these spaces, young women are put under an immediate spotlight on entry, with an expectation that they perform a competent skateboarder identity while under scrutiny from other users of the space; we examine their experiences of this. We conclude by suggesting ways that skateparks and skatespaces can be designed and used to make them more accessible to woman and girl skaters, and to other groups marginalised in skateboarding cultures.

A Judges' Role in Pursuing Justice: Oliver Wendell Holmes' Sociological Jurisprudence Perspective

Judges, deemed God's agents for law enforcement globally, are the focus of this study, which analyzes their pivotal role in establishing justice within society. This examination adopts Oliver Wendell Holmes' Sociological Jurisprudence theory, advocating the perception of law as a mirror reflecting societal values and norms. Holmes emphasizes that judges must comprehend the social and economic context to apply the law effectively. Their interpretation should align with societal objectives, ensuring legal decisions resonate with contemporary societal realities. Judges must possess the acumen to adapt to societal shifts and discern the social implications of their rulings. This research delves into how Holmes' ideologies influence law enforcement, human rights protection, and the prevention of legal transgressions. Additionally, it traces Holmes' theories in the context of the Indonesian Judicial Power Act. Employing a juridical normative approach with a philosophical foundation, this study demonstrates the vital role of judges in upholding societal values of justice, corroborating Holmes' Sociological Jurisprudence theory. By considering the societal context, judges contribute to the development of a legal system that is equitable and responsive to societal transformations. This investigation also validates Holmes' theories' integration within the Indonesian Judicial Power Act.

Conceptualisation of Socio Educational Participation

Aims: This paper aims to comprehensively explore socio-educational participation by synthesizing insights from open-access databases. The study focuses on understanding the multifaceted nature of educational involvement through an examination of parental participation in student learning, student engagement in lesson activities, and involvement in extracurricular pursuits.
 Study Design: The review encompasses multiple reputable platforms, including Sage Journals, Scopus, Google Scholar, Educational Resource Centre (ERIC), JSTOR-Journal Storage, Emerald, Science Direct, SpringerLink, Taylor and Francis, and Directory of Open Access Journal (DOAJ). The search is guided by keywords such as socio-education participation, student participation in learning, and parental participation in student learning. The study's conceptual framework is rooted in sociological theories and secondary data, enriched by current literature reviews from diverse perspectives and sources.
 Place and Duration of Study: The study is conducted across various online platforms and databases, spanning a duration determined by the availability of relevant literature. The review incorporates insights from a wide array of sources to ensure a comprehensive analysis of socio-educational participation.
 Methodology: The research employs a systematic approach to review 75 selected articles, utilizing varied databases to gather insights. The synthesis of diverse perspectives and a meticulous review contribute to a nuanced understanding of socio-educational participation. The study also explores varied definitions and interpretations of socio-educational participation, shaped by scholars and organizations with distinct thematic motivations.
 Results: The findings shed light on the dynamic relationships within the educational sphere, emphasizing the importance of parental engagement, student involvement in academic pursuits, and participation in extracurricular activities for a holistic educational experience. The conceptualization in this study identifies three integral components: parental participation in student learning, student engagement in lesson activities, and involvement in extracurricular pursuits.
 Conclusion: By analyzing the intricacies of socio-educational participation, this research contributes to the ongoing discourse on the multifaceted nature of educational involvement. The synthesis of diverse perspectives and a meticulous review of literature offer a nuanced understanding of the subject, providing valuable insights for educators, researchers, and policymakers aiming to enhance educational experiences.

Level of Education and Savings Mobilization among Women Groups in Kisii County, Kenya

Investments by firms ultimately benefit the nation through higher productivity and economic growth. The role of savings in investment and, therefore, in the development of a country cannot be exaggerated. In developing countries like Kenya, most of the savings are done by households. High savings can also hedge countries against economic downturns and financial crises. One of the avenues to boost national savings is by encouraging individuals to increase personal savings. In this study, the behavior of women savings in Voluntary Saving Groups, which are self-help women groups in Kisii county, was examined. The purpose of this study was to find out whether the level of education can influence savings mobilization among self-help women groups in Kisii County for economic growth in Kenya. The study was guided by psychological and sociological theories, which propose that an individual's changes in resources over time and the influence of education, among other factors, have an influence on savings. The study will be beneficial to groups on savings as well as policymakers who come up with regulations concerning savings through groups. The study used the descriptive survey design and the target population was 1,482 group members of the various self-help women groups in Kisii County, from which a sample of 165 was obtained. The study revealed that the level of education is a serious contributor to saving decisions among women in self-help groups, thereby influencing savings mobilization among themselves.

Self-authoring feminine Blackness through solo performance

ABSTRACT For those who hold the text of feminine Blackness, mainstream British contemporary dance has historically been a place of misrepresentation, invisibility, and loss of authorship. This article outlines an original socio-intertextual framework that expands the possibilities of solo performance as a space to self-author feminine Blackness. I draw on my practice-based, autoethnographic, and theoretical investigations, including studio explorations, sharings, performances within mainstream contemporary dance settings, and autoethnographic reflection and analysis. I draw on notions of intertextuality (Barthes; Kristeva; Ott; Walter), Black feminist theory in literature and media discourse (hooks; Lorde; Bailey), and sociological theory concerning the presentation of self (Goffman) and articulations of the ‘I’ and ‘Me’ (Herbert Mead). This critical framework and practice methodology map out clear parameters in understanding how feminine Blackness is constructed, read, and valued within British contemporary dance. It suggests how solo performance can be a playground for navigating and reimagining feminine Blackness, and that the practice of self-authoring is crucial to the process of decolonising. This article is an offering to the journey of decolonisation; an act of solidarity that provides perspectives and tools to begin to untangle and rewrite what is inscribed as a consequence of enduring colonial perspectives within British contemporary dance.

Midwifery higher education: who are we and who do we teach?

This is the first article in a series of six inspired by themes arising from the Royal College of Midwives' State of Midwifery Education report. These articles will explore the current landscape and challenges in educating the future midwifery workforce, particularly those that pertain to the higher education workforce. This first article introduces the concept of a profession using sociological theories. It considers who we are individually, as authors, academics and midwives, and collectively considers our identity as a profession alongside those whom we teach. The aim is to ensure that staff and students are supported to succeed and thrive. Education can transform lives, so that current and future midwives can make a difference in providing safe, compassionate care for service users.

The impact of intersectional racial and gender biases on minority female leadership over two centuries

This study scrutinizes the enduring effects of racial and gender biases that contribute to the consistent underrepresentation of minority women in leadership roles within American private, public, and third sector organizations. We adopt a behavioural data science approach, merging psychological schema theory with sociological intersectionality theory, to evaluate the enduring implications of these biases on female leadership development using mixed methods including machine learning and econometric analysis. Our examination is concentrated on Black female leaders, employing an extensive analysis of leadership rhetoric data spanning 200 years across the aforementioned sectors. We shed light on the continued scarcity of minority female representation in leadership roles, highlighting the role of intersectionality dynamics. Despite Black female leaders frequently embracing higher risks to counter intersectional invisibility compared to their White counterparts, their aspirations are not realized and problems not solved generation after generation, forcing Black female leaders to concentrate on the same issues for dozens and, sometimes, hundreds of years. Our findings suggest that the compound influence of racial and gender biases hinders the advancement of minority female leadership by perpetuating stereotypical behavioral schemas, leading to persistent discriminatory outcomes. We argue for the necessity of organizations to initiate a cultural transformation that fosters positive experiences for future generations of female leaders, recommending a shift in focus from improving outcomes for specific groups to creating an inclusive leadership culture.

Pierre Bourdieu vis-à-vis Martin Heidegger: the first ‘conservative revolution’

As a philosophy student in 1950s Paris, Pierre Bourdieu experienced a ‘certain fascination’ with the German phenomenologists, Husserl and Heidegger. He later went on in 1975 to write a lengthy article on The Political Ontology of Martin Heidegger, translated into English in 1991. Recently, notable Bourdieusian theorists have emphasised this Heideggerian contribution to Bourdieu’s thought, stressing its significance alongside the classical sociological theorists (Marx, Weber and Durkheim). They thus directly assert or imply its continued importance for the genesis of new social theory. The present article argues against this position and it does so in part by using Bourdieu’s own reflections on Heidegger. Like Theodor Adorno, this analysis rooted Heidegger’s thought in his social position as a lower-class outsider to the patrician German university system. Going beyond Adorno, however, Bourdieu stressed the crises of interwar Germany including the crisis within the country’s academia. Drawing attention to the interwar ‘conservative revolution’ of Carl Schmitt, Oswald Spengler, Erich Jünger, and Fritz Lang, amongst others, Bourdieu delineated Heidegger’s ‘alchemical transformation’ of this conservative current into ‘philosophical form’ to create a symbolic revolution. The article concludes by discussing later scholarship as well as the posthumous publication of Heidegger’s journal, The Black Notebooks. These newly-published sources reveal Heidegger’s coded but virulent antisemitism. In light of these, it is argued that Heideggerian ontology can be used neither for philosophy nor for social theory.

Leveraging Influencer Relations Professionals for Sponsorship Disclosure in Social Media Influencer Marketing

This research investigates the role played by influencer relations professionals—also known as influencer intermediaries—in driving upfront and compliant disclosure of sponsorships in influencer marketing. Using semistructured interviews with 21 influencer relations professionals in Canada, the research identifies how influencer intermediaries can support sponsorship disclosure in three areas: (1) legal contracts and statements of work, (2) formal and informal content vetting processes, and (3) intermediary knowledge transfer. Using Bourdieu’s sociological theory of field as a theoretical lens and analytical tool, the findings identify how these intermediaries have access to forms of social, cultural, and technical capital that can influence best disclosure practices. This research has implications for theory and practice by contributing to research in influencer relations management and by suggesting sponsorship disclosure solutions that emerge directly from the perspectives of influencer relations professionals.