Weber's Ideas Research Articles

Смешанная модель: Макс Вебер и реальность

The article is devoted to the analysis of the semi-presidential, or mixed, model (system) of power. This structure is of a particular interest, not least due to the fact that it creates favorable conditions for the authoritarian evolution. Of course, an authoritarian regime can form in both the presidential and parliamentary systems, but the semi-p residential model holds much greater potential for such a development of events. The main flaw of the semi-presidential system is that the president is normatively placed above all institutions of power, but at the same time retains prerogatives that do not allow him to remain politically impartial. This position of the president in the system of power distorts his political self-identification. He begins to perceive himself as an analogue of an absolute monarch and monopolizes power via legal means. One of the fathers of the mixed model was Max Weber, whose idea of a plebiscitary president marked the beginning of the formation of a new type of a republican form of government, first enshrined in the Constitution of (Weimar) Germany in 1919. This is why the author thoroughly examines Weber’s concept, his role in the development of the Weimar Constitution, and compares his views with the normative model reflected in the Constitution. The article shows that although the Weimar Constitution did not adopt all of Weber’s principles and moved much further away from the model of a presidential republic, the main Weberian ideas were included in the form of certain norms. The final part of the article presents a number of critical considerations about certain provisions of the Weberian concept and the Weimar model of power.

The Adoption of Artificial Intelligence in Bureaucratic Decision-making: A Weberian Perspective

This work questions AI´s role in bureaucratic decision-making. The Weberian conception of bureaucracy, based around the concept of an ideal bureaucracy in which authority is distributed, delegated, clearly delimited and hierarchical and that enshrines the following of formal rules, task specialization through division of labor, legal certainty and a predilection for efficiency in recordable and accountable decisions can serve as a framework to orient how governments should approach the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) given the many problems associated with its careless deployment. Using theoretical analysis, this work explains Weberian ideas of bureaucracy and contrasts them with real-life cases of implementation of AI in bureaucratic decision-making, often with detrimental results for society. After identifying and framing issues related to AI, e.g., lack of transparency, attempts to shift accountability from humans to technology, the exacerbation of bias and potential for systemic discrimination, the paper proposes Weberian prescriptions that should help public administration make careful decisions about the adoption of AI and the consequences of its implementation. The article also engages with Weber critically, rejecting the notion that public administrators do not engage in politics and asserting that AI decision-making is necessarily political as well, as it entails exercising power over citizens.

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.

Max Weber and the Two Universities

Abstract: A set of events, long term trends, and internal conflicts has come to a head in the recent controversy over the Harvard President, the university's political role, and academic freedom. These raise questions about the traditional model of the vocation of scholarship and the role of the professor, and specifically about the continued relevance of the picture Weber himself famously presented. A recent book by Wendy Brown makes the case for a new model of 'responsibility' which reflects the idea that the role of the professor should be to kindle the 'desire' for a just and sustainable future through critique. The method of genealogy is presented as the means for both identifying harms resulting from usual practices and showing their historical contingency and thus the promise of their radical reform. This would represent the new 'responsibility' that notions of academic freedom conflict with and which the traditional scholar fails to fulfill. But the idea of radical contingency also conflicts with the Weberian idea that historical processes are intelligible and that the proper role of the professor is to clarify value-choices and identify their this-worldly implications without imposing them. Is this outdated? And is there a role for the traditional scholar in the purpose-oriented university?

Dialectics of Traditional Authority and Post-Colonial Modern State: The Case of Somaliland

This article investigates the development of states within societies that have undergone colonization, with a specific focus on Somaliland and its clan-based structure. Our aim is to contribute to the ongoing discourse surrounding the interplay between traditional clan affiliations and the pursuit of a nation-state, which is a critical issue with significant implications for political stability and international recognition in the region. To achieve this, we employ a methodology that includes reviewing relevant literature, synthesizing theoretical perspectives, and conducting in-depth sociological analyses, incorporating Weberian ideas of authority into our examination. This comprehensive approach enables us to gain a deeper understanding of Somaliland's unique socio-political landscape, which has been shaped by its colonial past and entrenched tribal dynamics. In our analysis, we critically assess the role of clan structures, such as the Guurti council, and their relationship with attempts to establish a rational state system. Our findings indicate that although clannism remains deeply ingrained in Somaliland's society, achieving harmony between these affiliations and modern state-building initiatives is crucial for the region's progress. In conclusion, we synthesize these insights to provide recommendations for policymakers and stakeholders, emphasizing the importance of strategies that recognize and address the dynamics of clan affiliations while promoting a strong state identity. Adopting such an approach is essential for fostering stability in Somaliland and supporting its aspirations for recognition.

Narratives of Disenchantment and Secularization: Critiquing Max Weber's Idea of Modernity ed. by Robert A Yelle and Lorenz Trein (review)

Narratives of Disenchantment and Secularization: Critiquing Max Weber's Idea of Modernity ed. by Robert A Yelle and Lorenz Trein (review)

Analysis of Merariq Kodeq Tradition Practiced by Sasak Indigenous People in Lombok Based on Max Weber and Georg Simmel's Theory

Sasak ethnic group still maintains the ancient tradition of abducted marriage or called Merariq, in which women are hidden in the homes of male relatives with the approval of traditional institutions. The tradition called 'merariq' initially required the consent of both parties and was only conducted under the strict supervision of traditional elders. The study aims to analyze Merariq Kodeq tradition practiced by Sasak indigenous people in Lombok from the point of view of max weber and georg simmel's theory. The study used a qualitative method with a literature review approach. The concept of social action initiated by Weber represents traditional Merariq tradition of Sasak indigenous people in Lombok. Compared to other sociologists, Weber's ideas are comprehensive.

The Position of Marginalized Groups in the Elite Captured Local Level Planning Process in Nepal

The participatory planning and budgeting process at the local level encourages citizens to participate in the selection, implementation, and management of development plans. Over the last few decades, the elite captured planning process in Nepal is criticized for being unfair to the marginalised groups. This paper, through a critical qualitative assessment of the local level planning process, explored the role of political actors and the marginalised communities in the local level decisions. It adapted the Weberian idea of power networks where elites can implement their will, even against the will of others. It revealed that the influence of traditional political elites - i.e., Panchas – has shifted to the newly elected or selected political elites, the neo-elites, represented by the local leaders including elected Mayors, with some exceptions. The neo-elite control in the local planning process is as strong as it was in the past despite there being progressive provisions in the constitution, laws and systems. The distribution of plans among influential leaders, bhagbanda, is widely practised at the local level. As a result of these progressive provisions and the follow-up of the seven-step planning process, the neo-elites started consulting with the representatives of the marginalised communities in planning-related decisions. It is recommended that the political parties re-orient the neo-elites to be pro-people. Neo-elites who are inclusive, and follow the progressive laws and the formal systems of the nation, are to be prioritized.

Евристики Макса Вебера про університет та освіту і виклики ХХІ століття

The article is devoted to the study of Max Weber's view of the problems of education and the university in the light of its latest actualizations. The chosen subject is studied using both philosophical and sociological tools. Max Weber's concept is studied in the context of its historical conditions of formation and development, in comparison with classical and modern concepts, as well as in terms of its heuristic capabilities in describing, analyzing and explaining modern problems and challenges in the field of education in general and in the university world in particular. On the basis of the historical and cultural retrospective of Weber's Germany at the end of the 19th century, the prerequisites for the formation of the Weberian concept are studied and compared with the socio-cultural situation at the beginning of the 21st century. The authors of the article, critically approaching Weberian epistemologiсs, separately focus on the theoretical and methodological limitations and vulnerabilities of the application of the Weberian concept in the modern world, while pointing out the epistemological advantages and opportunities that it offers. Such subjects as the importance of the political in educational activities; perspectives of the university in the society of commodification; the importance of the worldview component in comparison with generally significant knowledge; place of scientific asceticism and its limitations are revealed. Weber's ethical concepts (“absolute ethics”, “ethics of persuasion”, “ethics of responsibility”) and their heuristic possibilities in the analysis of transformations of the university and education are analyzed in detail. The logical and epistemological gaps in Weber's concept are critically examined, its internal complexity is shown, built on the basis of the ontology of the plurality of social orders. A conclusion is made about the potential of Weber's concepts and ideas for analyzing the current state of the university, science and education.

STATUS AS PERFORMANCE IN ROMAN SOCIETY

Roman social historians have tended to focus on the choice between the modern terms ‘status’ and ‘class’ to characterise the nature of the groups that made up Roman society. Both these concepts seek to describe antiquity in modern sociological terms rather than relying on the limited perspective of the original actors; each can be seen as problematic, so that in recent years historians have often assumed instead a simpler division between ‘elite’ and ‘non-elite’, and/or avoided the issue by focusing on the dynamics of social relations rather than the nature of social groups. This paper argues for the continuing usefulness of the Weberian idea of status, as a complement to the Marxian idea of class, but with a greater focus on the idea of performance, drawing on the sociology of Erving Goffman and Judith Butler. This emphasises the complexity of status; the way that its performance changes in different contexts, and depends both on the choices of the actor and the expectations of the audience, with judgements about the success of the performance always provisional and changing over time. It concludes with reflections on the ways in which status, understood as ideological power, could have functioned effectively within Roman society as a source of genuine authority.

Agile communication evaluation and measurement

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze what the concept of agility means for communication evaluation and measurement and to challenge assumptions of goal-oriented and organization-centric approaches to evaluation and measurement.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is a development debate based on a literature review, regarding agility, evaluation theory, communication evaluation approaches and what agility means for communication measurement.FindingsAgility teaches that what works is more important than what was agreed upon in advance, so it is with more emphasis on needs rather than objectives. Regarding evaluation, the findings show that in today’s communication evaluation theory, evaluation is equated with summative evaluation of smart designed and fixed objectives. In agility, evaluation is always formative, to foster development and improvement within an ongoing activity. Consequently smart objectives are no longer valid as fixed benchmarks and ex ante and ex post evaluations do not exist; instead evaluation is an on-going and forward looking activity during action. Regarding measurement, the basic focus in agility on user needs implies that qualitative methods are more obvious than quantitative. The classic Weberian idea of “Verstehen” is helpful to understand how to focus on needs rather than objectives. This paper finally explores the merits of action research and sense-making methodology as applicable measurements in which “Verstehen” is the basis.Research limitations/implicationsAgility is a very radical concept. The practical and theoretical implications of agile evaluation and measurement mean a total change for practice as well as for communication measurement and evaluation theory building.Originality/valueThe value of this paper is that it is the first to include agility into communication evaluation and measurement and that it, consequently, moves beyond organization-centric concepts of evaluation and measurement by bringing the often overlooked user needs into the game.

The Limits of Weberian on Anti-Corruption Approaches in the Indonesian Municipalities

The study of corruption in the Indonesian municipalities comprises a broad variety of analysis, ranging from patron-client, clientelism, rent-seeking, etc. The various analysis of corruption indicates that there has been a gradual increase in the scholar’s attention associated with the high number of corruption cases in the Indonesian local governments, especially after reform period. Yet, the high attentions of scholars are still insufficient to formulate a best anti-corruption approach. In the public administration discourse, the scholars got often stuck to find a suitable approach to reducing corruption in the Indonesian local governments. The tendency of academia’s has explained solely by a bureaucracy analysis on the part of a Weberian discourse is one sided. Although the Weberian idea has provided some interesting ideas to frame corruption, the scholars still face difficulty in capturing a full image of the corruption problem. That means corruption is not always easy to explain from a single perspective. The failed of Weberian perspective to understand corruption could be reflected through a performance of local governments that is implemented anti-corruption programs in the bureaucracy. Thus, we need to be diagnosed in seeing the failure of a Weberian idea to formulate anti-corruption approaches in the Indonesian municipalities. I also would like to discuss the possibility of alternative perspective in the contextualizing anti-corruption approaches in the Indonesian municipalities.

JESSÉ SOUZA: A RELAPSE INTO THE INTERPRETATION OF UNIVERSAL MODERNITY?

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to discuss Jessé Souza’s interpretation of Brazil. To this end I develop two interrelated arguments. The first, presented in the first part, is the idea that Jessé Souza in Selective modernity uncritically absorbs a certain ambiguity present in Max Weber’s theory of modern rationalization: namely, the Weberian idea that, on the one hand, singularities define the process of formation of modern societies, and, on the other, the European model of society would expand to all parts of the world. These orient Jessé Souza’s critique of the classical interpretation that Brazilian modernity is atavistic. The second argument is a logical consequence of the first, intending to show that his concept of selective modernity makes the same mistake of assuming an ideal of modernity upon which Brazil, as a historical reality, should model itself.

The Anxious and the Climbers: Ambivalent Attitudes Towards Democracy Among South Africa's Middle Class

Beyond the hopes placed in Africa’s emergent middle class as an engine of economic growth, some analysts see this group as a bastion of political stability and enduring de-mocratisation across the continent. This paper’s approach differs from that of most studies, which treat the middle class as a homogeneous group, through two key contributions. First, using cluster analysis, I propose a novel way of conceptualising social class that broadly draws on the Weberian idea of shared life chances. I apply this method to South Africa and identify five social classes characterised by their members’ living standards, overall life satisfaction, and self-perceived upward mobility. Second, the empirical analysis reveals significant discrepancies in attitudes towards democracy between the downwardly and upwardly mobile strata of the middle class, which I term the “anxious” and the “climbers,” respectively. On the one hand, the “climbers” show the highest generic support for democracy as a form of government, whereas the “anxious” middle class displays feelings of resignation. On the other hand, I find indicative evidence of a status-quo bias among the “climbers.” Rather than assuming a more demanding or critical stance in politics, they allow their political priorities to be at least partly shaped by an interest in securing and expanding attained living standards; being upwardly mobile is even associated with a higher tolerance for government attempts to constrain freedom of information, opinion, or expression.

On the Hegemony of Technical Rationality and the Importance of Distinctions

The point of departure in this article is the hegemony of technical rationality when it comes to the justification of music education. This is considered as an example of uniformity, sameness, and homogeneity, or worse, simplicity and naivety—or even worse, a sweet innocence—regarding understanding and thoughts about life, society, and culture in societies proclaimed to be characterized by pluralism, diversity, and heterogeneity. This discussion is related to my previous and ongoing work concerning rethinking the concept of the intrinsic value of musical experience. This work draws on Hannah Arendt's critical thinking about the modern understanding of the active human life, Martin Heidegger's discussion of the fundamental technical understanding of the world of the modern era, and Max Weber's ideas on how the rationality of technology and economy seems to have become an essential part of modern bourgeois society's ideals of life as a whole. When it comes to the importance of differences or, maybe better, distinctions, I relate to Jacques Derrida's deconstructionism.

Repetição, Originalidade e Tradução

<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" align="JUSTIFY">http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/2175-8026.2016v69n1p223</p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" align="JUSTIFY">O objetivo deste artigo é o de apresentar parte dos resultados de uma pesquisa envolvendo os conceitos de repetição, originalidade e tradução. Os resultados apresentados aqui envolvem a elaboração crítica de trabalhos cujo contexto de circulação primordial é a teorização de matriz anglófona. A base do artigo se constitui a partir da contraposição entre as ideias de Edward W. Said sobre a repetição e a originalidade, expostas em seu livro <em>The World, the Text, and the Critic</em><span style="font-style: normal;">, e as ideias de Samuel Weber a respeito da tradução expostas em seu livro </span><em>Benjamin's -abilities</em><span style="font-style: normal;">. A hipótese central do artigo é que a passagem da “origem” para a “originalidade”, assim como da “tradução” para a “tradutibilidade”, descortina um potencial conceitual que é constitutivo do estatuto da teoria literária dos últimos anos. </span></p>

Global Age Essays on Social and Cultural Change by Martin Albrow (review)

268 Max Weber Studies of Weberian ideas in the 21st century is n at work just across the Channel. Peter Ghosh St Anne's College, University of Oxford Peter Ghosh Martin Albrow, Global Age Essays on Social and Cultural Change (Frankfurt am Main: Vittorio Klostermann, 2014), 250 pp. ISBN 978 3-465-04211-2. €23.90. The fourteen essays collected in this anthology span a period of almost twenty years, during which the well-known author devel oped and elaborated his thesis regarding the emergence of a new age, the global age, that he argues has succeeded the modern age. Some reservations against the label notwithstanding, the thesis falls thus squarely within the 'postmodernist' body of work that has been particularly influential in the Anglo-Saxon world, but it also goes somewhat beyond that literature by endeavoring a positive char acterization of what makes the contemporary age unique, namely its globality. If we follow Albrow, then it is precisely this global ity which brings modernity to a close and ushers in an entirely new phase in the history of humankind. But should we follow him? Albrow himself mentions one pos sible objection to his sweeping claim: Might one not conclude, as indeed several globalization scholars have done, that the 'epochal shift' that has been in the making for more than three decades now, is better to be understood as an 'extension of modernity' beyond the spatial boundaries of the West, where it had been concentrated for two to five centuries, to all parts of the globe, thus integrating the entire social world into a 'single system' (38)? As Albrow's affirma tive usage of the term 'global' or 'world society' and his consequent rejection of methodological nationalism show, he does sympathize with the latter idea but dismisses the former. Why so? The main reason Albrow cites for his rejection of the extension thesis is that it underrates the 'rupture' represented by the above shift while at the same time overrating the supposed 'continuities' of globalizing developments with modern institutional arrange ments and 'symbolic orderings', which, however, they actually supplant and render obsolete in his assessment (39). Manifestations of the rupture Albrow sees are (1) the massively increased mobil ity, interconnectedness, and world awareness of billions of people© Max Weber Studies 2015. Book Reviews 269 around the world and the emerg and places of centrality that are their counterparts of the mode equate society with the nation-s sense anymore); (2) the appeara business organizations, financia which, like the former, have been ical innovations (especially in th portation, information, and com credibility to the idea of world tation to humankind as the ulti ity and ethicality; (3) the demise in post-Holocaust and Hirosh growing emphasis on our capab destructiveness, environmental the collapse of socialism, as sugges as the turning point at which m begins (40,48,73ff„ 81,116ff.). In and of themselves, Albrow' Whether or not they usher in a beyond the modern age is a diff depends less on 'the facts' than employed. This, I believe, is Alb tualization of modernity is charac modern, or 'old modernity' in h chy, command and control, asse have been phased out in the age really? That they have lost some the West does not mean they h everywhere. A theorist of globa such 'paradigms' are the above-m the methodological nationalism dred years of (Western) intellect has become a liability in an era horizons and to treat humanity as behave responsibly (81ff.); techno of modernity' [113]) that directs o guities of technological change constraints, positional goods, and of the future' (129); and perhap (145ff.).© Max Weber Studies 2015. 270 Max Weber Studies All of these features can certainly be li ing modernity to them is arguably mo could easily draw up another list of f are associated with the modern, but ar account even though they are no less points to a first weakness in Albrow's the lack of a sufficiently worked out out such a theory, any list of features ap and this is a second weakness, if we fa by modernity, then its juxtaposition t edly differs substantially from it becom or faith rather than being grounded i...

Max Webers historische Sozialökonomie / L'économie de Max Weber entre histoire et sociologie by Hinnerk Bruhns (review)

264 Max Weber Studies abundantly, all the kinds of extradisci call for. Their framework excluded it—little of it had to do with 'dis ciplinary history.' But if one restricts one's account of 'historiogra phy' to disciplinary history narrowly conceived, one ought not to be shocked, shocked, to discover that extradisciplinary considerations do not play a particularly large role. Stephen Turner University of South Florida Stephen Turner Hinnerk Brahns, Max Webers historische Sozialökonomie / L'économie de Max Weber entre histoire et sociologie (Harrassowitz: Wiesbaden, 2014), xxi + 272 pp. ISBN 978-3-447-10309-1. €54.00. The series of 'Studies in Cultural and Social Sciences' published by Harrassowitz and edited by a trio of distinguished Weberians (Stefan Breuer, Eckhart Otto, and Hubert Treiber) continues to produce notable books on Weberian themes, though of course the series has a much wider remit than this. The present volume brings together a selection of essays by Hinnerk Bruhns, who is surely one of the most interesting and individual thinkers in the wide field of Weber stud ies. The volume is to be welcomed precisely because, although he is already well-known to readers of this journal, it allows us to under stand and appreciate his thought and identity much more fully. Two features in his biography immediately stand out: first, that in origin he is not a 'Weberian' but an ancient historian (xv); secondly that, while German by birth, since 1979 he has been based in France, and his deep commitment to Franco-German cultural interchange is clearly signalled by the twin titles of this book. (Nor should we over look his Italian connections and publications.) In both respects he feels (and I think justly) that he has enjoyed a good deal of freedom in reading and writing about Weber, and describes his engagement with him as 'pragmatic' (xiv). In other words, Weber is not to be taken either as a canonical text or an author in isolation, but should be seen as part of a wider stream of authors who have interested him as a practising historian—men such as Gustav Schmoller, Werner Sombart, Otto Hintze, M.I. Rostovzeff and Fernand Braudel. Hintze and Braudel both receive chapters in this collection (II.5, III.4), while Sombart and Schmoller are (respectively) almost continuously and frequently present throughout. There are then two more specialised essays which link Bruhns, Weber, and the ancient historian Christian© Max Weber Studies 2015. Book Reviews 265 Meier, of which I am by no mea reader should also bear in mind th is in large part essayistic, is far m printed here, and if I may make a no bibliography of his publicati allowed us to see more easily (for tion of Hintze's essays into Fren ceedings of a day conference on book on historical economics in G Weber (2004); and that he wrote also in 2004.1 No doubt he had his piece here, but still this is an obv comparison, and in principle its Once we understand this ident book's purposes. For while it is not only about him. It is also a dition of Weberian ideas, where engagement of French social scien is a major cultural fact in itsel with justifiable pride. As a resu like Weber's approach to moder is, it is 'one-sided'; it takes a parti ing points) and works out from French title of the book, which a is going to be paid to Max Web torian than is usually the case. T linked to a particular textual ag another significant presence in much from 'the entire Weberian oeuvre' but rather 'from its hard core and large parts of that which surrounds this core' (236). The overall result is a strongly historical Weber, an economistic Weber, an empirical Weber, and—as the inclusion of Hennis shows—there is also a significant dash of politics here, moderated as political econ omy. What is largely excluded is what we may call the sociologists' Weber. One hears little about the category of the 'social', ideal-types, 'Economy and Society' (except for c.2 of the final text on 'Funda mental sociological categories of economic activity') or the processes of rationalization...

A World of Paper: Louis XIV, Colbert de Torcy, and the Rise of the Information State, by John C. Rule and Ben S. Trotter

A World of Paper: Louis XIV, Colbert de Torcy, and the Rise of the Information State, by John C. Rule and Ben S. Trotter. Montreal & Kingston, McGill-Queen's University Press, 2014. xvii, 829 pp. $49.95 CAD (cloth). A welcome addition to the growing corpus of books on the history of information in early Europe, A World of Paper by the late John Rule and his former student Ben Trotter elegantly expands our understanding of diplomacy during the reign of the Sun King. The authors ask new questions of documents in the archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and draw on a vast amount of scholarship on bureaucracy. Rule and Trotter use the methods of scholars like Eric Ash, James Cortada, Jacob Soli, and Cornelia Vismann to bring the study of information within the purview of diplomacy. Questioning just what is modern about bureaucracy with the help of contingency theory, the authors analyze Jean-Baptiste Colbert de Torcy's foreign affairs department during the latter part of Louis XIV's reign to show both that this ministry was highly specialized and organized by 1715 and that this system is not so different from bureaucracies of our time. The idea of strict barriers between patrimonial and bureaucratic systems already questioned by many scholars (esp. Peter Burke) is shown to be even more problematic in this close study of one of Louis XIV's major ministries. Moving away from Weber's idea of bureaucracy as a machine, the authors emphasize complex human activity and changeable, but sometimes routinized task-based work, as the driving forces in Torcy's department. Throughout the work the authors embrace contingency theory, which posits that organizational effectiveness reaches its pinnacle when structures are specialized to match the needs and size of the organization. They adopt this theory as a means of introducing flexibility in bureaucracy studies so as to avoid using evidence about the period between 1661 and 1715 as index of modernity (p. 30). The book is a long one, and almost half of the printed pages are dedicated to comprehensive notes. The text could have been split into multiple monographs (a biography of Torcy, a prosopography of the commis, and a study of the foreign ministry's portfolio) yet as a whole it is a testament to the life work of Rule. It is premised on the idea that administrative history should not judge the past by a Weberian idealized rationality but rather focus on the actual workings of power (p. 32). For Rule (1929-2013), the book is the culmination of decades of work, but it is also a publication that reflects Trotter's contributions and research (pp. xiv-xv). Rule and Trotter carefully map out the history of the foreign office under Louis XIV as a bureaucracy in motion, one that depended on unique, skilled individuals as much as it was shaped by the institutional, social, and economic structures of the regime. The title of the book refers to the great waves of paperwork that streamed into and out of the foreign secretary's chambers at Versailles, or later in Paris at Torcy's private residence. Discussion of the ministry's materiality and its inner workings animate this book even more so than the professional biographies of the clerks or ambassadors working under Torcy or his father Croissy. The things of ministers, clerks, and diplomats--their mail, horses, pens, gifts, and residences--open up a new appreciation for just how an ancien regime ministry functioned from day to day. Things move, and so Rule and Trotter describe the movements inherent in diplomacy, explaining the importance of equerries and the relais de poste, not to mention the complications of a mobile court. …

Switching labels: The role of Weberian ideas in market change. A case study of the German wine market

How do cultural ideas shape market construction? What do ideas ‘do’ to actors in markets? The paper presents an empirical case study of the reconstitution of the German wine market following an EU legislative intervention. I use Bourdieu's theory of fields to analyse the actors’ economic, social and cultural capitals and the impact of these capitals on the actors’ positioning in the political debate. Sensitised by recurring problems in the empirical data analysis, I then, however, argue that Weber's notion of ideas, as presented in his famous switchmen metaphor, is better suited than, or indeed should serve as a complement to, Bourdieu's frame of analysis. It is better suited, I argue, because it refers to a unique and irreducible source of culture while Bourdieu's capitals remain ‘tools' in a struggle for power and dominance in the field.