Social Institutional Theory Research Articles

Précis: The Mind-Body Politic

The Mind-Body Politic is a study in the new discipline of political philosophy of mind, that aims to develop an embodied and enactive theory of social institutions, building on our 2009 study of the mind-body relation and mental causation, Embodied Minds in Action. In this sequel, we distinguish between (i) destructive, deforming social institutions–characteristic of contemporary neoliberal nation-states, and (ii) constructive, enabling social institutions, and defend what we call the mindshaping thesis and the enactive-transformative principle. The upshot is an activist, transformative philosophical theory.

Coordination as Naturalistic Social Ontology: Constraints and Explanation

In the paper, I propose a project of social coordination as naturalistic social ontology (CNSO) based on the rules-in-equilibria theory of social institutions (Guala and Hindriks 2015; Hindriks and Guala 2015). It takes coordination as the main ontological unit of the social, a mechanism homological across animals and humans, for both can handle coordination problems: in the forms of “animal conventions” and social institutions, respectively. On this account, institutions are correlated equilibria with normative force. However, if both humans and animals solve coordination problems in a similar way, and only humans have social institutions, how do the latter evolve? I suggest identifying possible causes of this evolution among cognitive capacities like mindreading and imitation by building dynamic models. Social ontology becomes constrained by the evolution of the forms of coordination and by the cognitive mechanisms involved in the emergence and persistence of social institutions. It means that it becomes bound to what might be derived from social institutions, i.e., social roles, structures and their derivatives. It shows how conceptual relations might emerge from causal. I conclude the paper with the discussion of the relationship between involved types of explanation, mechanistic and equilibrium ones.

INSTITUTIONAL ASPECTS OF SCIENTIFIC SCHOOL ACTIVITY

The article examines the problem of institutional aspects of the activities of scientific schools. The methodological basis of the study includes the ideas of the evolutionary theory of social institutions. Dialectical and causal methods are the main methods of analysis. The article demonstrates the role of institutions in the process of formation, decline and revival of the school on the example of the Austrian school of economics. The development of the school took place in accordance with the institutional requirements that existed at that time, the school reached the rare case of four to five generations of “teacher-pupil”. The loss of the institutional academic environment after the Anschluss of Austria is interpreted as the most important factor leading to decline. The process of the school revival is analyzed in the context of the used scientific institutions (conferences, research centers, scientific journals). The theoretical and practical value of the paper is to confirm the thesis that the transformation of scientific schools into invisible colleges that do not require geographical localization, in the case of a school revival, has its own specifics. In our opinion, the work of scientists in different scientific centers with joint distance communication initially requires the concentration of a “critical mass” around one of them. For the Austrian school, the Mises Institute acted as such a center. In addition, the fruitful functioning of a scientific school requires the task of preparing new scientists, which cannot be without academic institutionalization, i.e. opening the master's and doctoral programs.

Методологічна база досліджень культурних інститутів

The article deals with the "atomistic", "holistic", "teleological" theories of social institutions, which form the methodological basis for the Cultural Institutions Studies. The "atomistic" theories of institutions (D. North, D. Hodgson, E. Ostrom) relate to the conclusions of the institutional economics put emphasize on the importance of certain normative models and frameworks of social behavior, which are the institutions. Representatives of the "holistic" theories of institutions (G. Spencer, E. Durkheim, T. Parsons) highlight the connection between institutions ("structures") and their contribution to a society ("function"), and distinct institution are described as interdependent and necessary for functioning of the society in general. Representatives of the "teleological" approach in explaining the essence of social institutions (P. Gielen, S. Miller, Ch. Taylor, etc.) focus on the realization of a common goal, which is a set of interrelated individual goals, which are perceived by distinct individuals as their personal goal, but which makes sense only in the interaction of all participants of joint actions. Such actions most find their expression in the cultural sphere: team games, dances, theatrical performances, musical events, academic activities, etc. Recourse to these concepts allows us to outline the problematic field of cultural institutions studies as a research area, which is based on the latest investigation in cultural studies, sociology, and cultural economics. The main tasks of cultural institutions studies are related to the creation of descriptions of institutional practices, the elucidation of the patterns of functioning of cultural institutions, the prediction of future changes in institutional cultural practices in the context of cultural economy and cultural policy. In consideration of the basic approaches to the definition of a social institute, the essential characteristics of a cultural institute are revealed, which are manifested in three aspects: normative and regulatory aspect (complex of values, norms, rules), behavioral and procedural aspect (behavioral models, institutional roles, forms of joint interaction), organizational aspect (cultural institutions that produce, preserve and promote cultural good).

Модернизация инженерного образования в России: исторические корни современных проблем

The paper is devoted to the problem of the higher engineering and technical education modernization in Russia, that has acquired special significance due to the need for breakthrough technological development of the state. An assumption about the relevance of addressing the historical premises of modern problems of domestic engineering education and the study of experience in successfully resolving them is made. The purpose of the study is to conduct a historical and sociological analysis of the interaction of Russian society and the institute of higher engineering and technical education. The formation of engineering education in different periods of the history of Russia is traced, the factors that determine its current state are identified. The research method is manual quality content analysis, that combines the methodology of traditional content analysis (highlighting significant elements of the text and their quantification) and in-depth qualitative analysis of the text. Empirical object is the scientific publications of representatives of scientific and pedagogical staff of Russian technical universities. The analysis of the interaction of Russian society and higher engineering and technical education is carried out within the framework of a structurally functional paradigm based on the theory of social institutions by Herbert Spencer. In consequence it was concluded that the modernization of Russian technical universities is certainly necessary, but it cannot be carried out in isolation and should become a full part of the modernization of society as a whole.

Transcendence in Postmetaphysical Thinking. Habermas' God

Habermas emphasizes the importance for critical thinking of ideas of truth and moral validity that are at once context-transcending and immanent to human practices. in a recent review, Peter Dews queries his distinction between metaphysically construed transcendence and transcendence from within, asking provocatively in what sense Habermas does not believe in God. I answer that his conception of “God” is resolutely postmetaphysical, a god that is constructed by way of human linguistic practices. I then give three reasons for why it should not be embraced by contemporary critical social theory. First, in the domain of practical reason, this conception of transcendence excludes by fiat any “Other” to communicative reason, blocking possibilities for mutual learning. Second, due to the same exclusion, it risks reproducing an undesirable social order. Third, it is inadequate for the purposes of a critical theory of social institutions.

Whither the University? Universities of Technology and the Problem of Institutional Purpose

There is a need to provide an appropriate normative conception of the modern university: a conception which identifies its unifying purposes and values and, thereby, gives direction to institutional role occupants, governments, public policymakers and other would-be institutional designers. Such a conception could admit differences between modern universities; differences, for example, between so-called universities of technology and other universities. Indeed, it is preferable to frame the issue at the level of higher education or university systems rather than at the level of individual universities. According to the teleological normative theory of social institutions, social institutions are organizations or systems of organizations that provide collective goods by means of joint activity; universities are no exception. So what are the fundamental collective good(s) that universities of technology, or the larger systems of which they are a part, ought to be providing and how are they travelling in this regard? This is the question addressed in this paper.

When and why Conventions cannot Be Social Institutions

The paper focuses on the issue of compatibility of social institution and convention. At first, it introduces the modest account of conventionality building on five distinctive features – interdependence, arbitrariness, mind-independence, spontaneity, and normative-neutrality – which constitute conventional behaviour, then it presents the two major theories of social institutions that explain them in terms of rules, or equilibria. The argument is that conventions cover a wide-ranging area and cannot be identified with the category of institutions because it would be too restrictive and contradictory to the initial modest account.

Legacy of Menger’s Theory of Social Institutions

Abstract The aim of the article is to examine the legacy of Menger’s theory of social institutions. We argue that Menger’s insights about the origin of social structures inspired later contributions in three main areas: theory of spontaneous order, theory of money, and theory of law.

Analysing sustainability certification systems in the German housing sector from a theory of social institutions

Sustainable residential buildings and a sustainable housing development (‘sustainable housing’) are key factors in the sustainability strategy of the German government. Certification systems have been developed to assess sustainable housing and to better inform stakeholders and hence improve sustainability in the housing sector. Currently, however, a variety of different certification systems exists to assess sustainable housing using different sets of indicators. The supply of different certification systems to measure the same (‘sustainability’) raises questions of validity of the assessment instruments. Also, different stakeholders hold different interests with regard to sustainability certification systems, which leads to investigate the legitimacy of certification systems. In this study, we applied the theory of social institutions to investigate legitimacy of sustainability certification in the housing sector. To find out about the validity of sustainability measurement, this article presents a survey where real estate stakeholders were asked to evaluate indicators applied by different sustainability certification systems. Results showed high heterogeneity of tastes towards indicators of sustainable housing. Results also identified potential ‘areas of conflicts’ where stakeholders differed most widely in the evaluation of indicators.

EXPLAINING VARIATION IN WORK ETHIC IN EUROPE

ABSTRACT This paper presents unique descriptive and explanatory analyses of cross-national variation in work ethic in 44 European countries (European Values Study 2008). A strong work ethic is the conviction that people have a moral duty to work. To explain differences in the adherence of the work ethic between countries two alternative theories are tested: modernisation theory and social institutional theory. Modernisation theory hypothesises that richer, more highly educated and urbanised countries have a weaker work ethic. Alternatively, social institutional theory predicts that countries' religious heritage, generosity of the welfare state and political history can explain differences in work ethic between countries. Multilevel regression models on an unprecedented set of 44 countries show that the modernisation hypotheses are supported. With regard to institutions, it is shown that work ethic is stronger in countries with an Islamic and Orthodox heritage as compared to a Protestant and Catholic heritage and in ex-communist countries and countries with less generous welfare states. When both theories are tested simultaneously, variance decomposition suggests that social institutional theory has more explanatory power than modernisation theory. Religious heritage is shown to be the most important factor to explain variation in work ethic between countries. Thus, although our modern societies become increasingly secularised, religious heritage still impacts our norms and values about work in a significant manner.

Micro‐situational Foundations of Social Structure: An Interactionist Exploration of Affective Sanctioning

AbstractMicro‐interaction dynamics of affective sanctioning have been widely acknowledged but rarely related to the emergence of social phenomena. This paper aims to highlight the constitutive force of interaction activity by critically analysing two sociological models, Bourdieu's theory of practice and Barnes's Performative Theory of Social Institutions (PTSI). Such a comparison allows me to reveal two differing models of social phenomena currently operating in sociological debates: an extrinsic structuralist model which tacitly conveys macro‐structural phenomena as prior and determinant of individuals and their micro‐interactions, and an intrinsic structuralism model which prioritizes individuals’ interactions and conceives them as constituting both the individual and the structural. I argue that the latter's emphasis on the dynamics of mutual susceptibility to affective sanctioning as underpinning consensus among inherently heterogeneous individuals provides a platform to further support the tenets of Interactionism and helps to expose Bourdieu's over‐deterministic methodological individualism prevalent in most sociological theory. I conclude that by conceiving emotions as causal, rather than the effect of social forces, sociological theory can provide an explanation of both individual practices and systemic phenomena which resolves macro‐structural tensions. In doing so, I suggest an ontological understanding of the “social” which supports the Interactionist central tenet that the local takes priority over wider structural phenomena.

Organizing Insurgency: Networks, Resources, and Rebellion in South Asia

A central question in civil war research is how state sponsorship, overseas funding, involvement in illicit economics, and access to lootable resources affect the behavior and organization of insurgent groups. Existing research has not arrived at any consensus, as resource wealth is portrayed as a cause of both undisciplined predation and military resilience. A social-institutional theory explains why similar resource wealth can be associated with such different outcomes. The theory argues that the social networks on which insurgent groups are built create different types of organizations with differing abilities to control resource flows. There is no single effect of resource wealth: instead, social and organizational context determines how these groups use available resources. A detailed comparative study of armed groups in the insurgency in Kashmir supports this argument. A number of indigenous Kashmiri insurgent organizations received substantial funding, training, and support from Pakistan from 1988 to 2003, but they varied in their discipline and internal control. Preexisting networks determined how armed organizations were built and how material resources were used. Evidence from other South Asian wars shows that this is a broader pattern. Scholars of civil conflict should therefore explore the social and organizational processes of war in their research.

Bringing Work Back in Islamic Ethics

Religion and work are seldom discussed. The two have caused scholars to question the religion’s role with work. This paper reviews research on the integrate between religion and work by examining issues of concept, definition, measurement, and reviewing research that examines the relationship of work and religion with respect to: different times, types of people, organize human interactions and sources of knowledge. We then discuss the methodological requirement for reintegrating work studies into social institutional theory and indicate what the conceptual payoffs of such integration might be. These payoffs include breaking new conceptual ground, resolving theoretical puzzles and envisioning the nature of new social institutions

Creating flows of interpersonal bits: the automation of the London Stock Exchange, c. 1955–90

This article deals with the concept of market information. In particular, it argues that references to the so-called conduit metaphor, which represents markets as a series of information flows, hide the localized, historically contingent and materially mediated practices of the economy. Following the tradition of the performative theory of social institutions, this article argues that the specific meaning of ‘market information’ and its concrete manifestations (e.g. prices) depend on the sociotechnical character of the calculative practices through which market participants orient their economic actions. The point is illustrated through a historical reconstruction of the introduction of price and quote dissemination technologies in the London Stock Exchange between 1955 and 1990. By highlighting the historical and technological contingency of prices, the case of the London Stock Exchange shows that it is impossible to provide a universally and temporally invariant definition of market information.

The bootstrapped artefact: a collectivist account of technological ontology, functions, and normativity

In 2006, this journal addressed the problem of technological artefacts, and through a series of articles aimed at tackling the ‘dual nature of technical artefacts’, posited an understanding of these as constituted by both a structural (physical) and a functional (intentional) component. This attempt to conceptualise artefacts established a series of important questions, concerning such aspects of material technologies as mechanisms, functions, human intentionality, and normativity. However, I believe that in establishing the ‘dual nature’ thesis, the authors within this issue focused too strongly on technological function. By positing function as the analytic axis of the ‘dual nature’ framework, the theorists did not sufficiently problematise what is ultimately a social phenomenon. Here I posit a complementary analytic approach to this problem; namely, I argue that by using the Strong Programme’s performative theory of social institutions, we can better understand the nature of material technologies. Drawing particularly from Martin Kusch’s work, I here argue that by conceptualising artefacts as artificial kinds, we can better examine technological ontology, functions, and normativity. Ultimately, a Strong Programme approach, constructivist and collectivist in nature, offers a useful elaboration upon the important question raised by the ‘dual nature’ theorists.

Rumo a uma sociedade melhor: uma análise da agenda de reformas econômicas de J. S. Mill

O artigo tem como objetivo analisar a agenda de reformas econômicas apresentada por J.S.Mill aos seus conterrâneos à luz de sua visão do funcionamento das instituições sociais. Argumenta-se, por um lado, que a preocupação do autor com o papel das instituições na manutenção da coesão social fez do gradualismo uma marca registrada do seu pensamento. Argumenta-se, por outro, que, apesar do caráter localizado e pontual das reformas propostas, Mill desejava promover o progresso social e modificar de forma significativa a sociedade vigente. As reformas deveriam pavimentar o caminho para um arranjo social superior com contornos bastante diferentes daqueles prevalecentes em sua época.

A Method for Social Ontology

How should critical realism affect the practice of social science? This paper responds to this and related questions by suggesting some methodological implications of the realist theory of emergence. Given that critical realism understands causation as the interaction of emergent causal powers, and that the theory of emergence describes the type of structural relations that underpins such powers, we can practise social ontology by seeking to identify these structural relations in the social domain. Such methods, however, cannot stand or fall purely on philosophical grounds; their validity also depends on whether they work. Hence this paper briefly illustrates the application of the method to social ontology, using examples from the theory of social institutions.

A social institutional approach to identifying generation cohorts in China with a comparison with American consumers

Identifying distinctive target segments is a fundamental challenge faced by international marketers. This paper describes an approach to understanding consumer market structures in an important international market, China, and to segmenting Chinese consumers by integrating insights from generational cohort and social institutional theories. We conduct two empirical studies to verify how China's recent momentous ideological events could give rise to and affect the life experiences of different generation cohorts in the country. The results of Study 1 support the conceptual framework and establish three distinct cohorts in China: Red Guards, Modern Realists, and Global Materialists. Study 2 builds on the findings of Study 1: it links cohort differences to differences in consumer values (materialism) and choice behaviors (foreign vs local brands), and then compares them with parallel consumers in the United States. This paper outlines and tests an approach to segmentation that can help international firms identify distinct segments in and design effective marketing strategies for China.

Credit Card Use and Abuse: A Veblen ian Analysis

(2007). Credit Card Use and Abuse: A Veblen ian Analysis. Journal of Economic Issues: Vol. 41, Papers From The 2007 AFEE Meeting, pp. 567-574.