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Modernity and Self-Identity: Self and Society in the Late Modern Age.

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... The ideas of "second modernity" (Beck, 1992;Beck & Beck-Gernsheim, 2002) and "late modernity" (Giddens, 1991) interpret the features of a distinctive period of modernity, marked by the collapse of traditions and rising uncertainties. The erosion of stable life patterns and growing risks require active personal choices and autonomy. ...
... With various theoretical focuses, both Giddens's (1991) conception of "late modernity" and Beck's (1992) idea of "second modernity" describe a unique phase of modernity, which is primarily marked by its "uncertainty". From Giddens's (1991) perspective, the late modern period has largely detached itself from the influence of traditional customs and habits, realizing its global impact through the rapid development of industrial technology and growing capitalism. ...
... With various theoretical focuses, both Giddens's (1991) conception of "late modernity" and Beck's (1992) idea of "second modernity" describe a unique phase of modernity, which is primarily marked by its "uncertainty". From Giddens's (1991) perspective, the late modern period has largely detached itself from the influence of traditional customs and habits, realizing its global impact through the rapid development of industrial technology and growing capitalism. Late modernity introduces new risk parameters previously unknown (e.g. the threat of nuclear power), thereby diminishing the reliability of following established behavioral patterns (Giddens, 1991, p.4). ...
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The individualization thesis has been widely applied to explain women’s increasing autonomy in romantic relationships and marital decisions across both Western and non-Western contexts. In China, individualization is believed to have enhanced women’s freedom in love and marriage, supported by the 1950 Marriage Law, which abolished arranged marriages and granted women equal legal status to men. However, Chinese women still face notable constraints in exercising full autonomy over their choice of partners and the timing of marriage. Parental involvement in matchmaking, pressure from media discourses that stigmatize “leftover women”, and social expectations continue to define women’s happiness in relation to timely marriage and childbearing. Importantly, Confucian family and gender norms now appear to have a greater influence on women’s romantic choices than they did during the early reform era. With the “return” of Confucian marital values and increasing parental involvement in matchmaking, does the individualization thesis still sufficiently explain Chinese women’s marital freedom? By addressing the “nonlinear” aspect of second modernity, this article aims to deconstruct the concept of “traditions” within the marital sphere. It argues that traditions have re-emerged in an “evolved” form, blending both traditional and modern requirements within China’s unique context of individualization. The nonlinear nature of individualization offers a dynamic perspective for understanding the complex relationship between tradition and modernity in rapidly transforming societies like China.
... Climate risk can be considered as such a fateful moment for the municipalities, considering their potentially dramatic impacts. However, expert advice does not necessarily provide clarity in what decisions to make (Giddens 1991). ...
... It could be argued that it is reasonable for municipalities to engage experts to reduce epistemic uncertainty rather than striving to develop comprehensive in-house expertise on all aspects of climate risk. On the other hand, as underlined by Giddens (1991), and exemplified below, the use of experts does not automatically generate clarity in which decisions to make. One municipality from our literature review obtained climate risk analyses from a group of experts, only to forward the report to a second group of experts for interpretation (Karlson et al. 2023). ...
... Historical events may no longer offer a sufficient framework for preparing for future impacts (Diffenbaugh 2020;Sydnes et al. 2021) due to global warming altering conditions for the occurrence of extreme weather and climate events (e.g., Hodnebrog et al. 2019;Myhre et al. 2019). Probabilistic predictions must be combined with anticipatory capabilities to prepare for the unexpected, to enhance municipal resilience to the impacts of climate change (Giddens 1991;Anderson 2010). Analogizing future risks to those of current, familiar risks can limit how municipalities act and adaptas exemplified by Karlson et al.'s (2023) analysis of how the coastal municipality of Stavanger deals with physical climate risks; "it is as if the approach to handling well-known flooding and storms is simply reapplied to unwanted consequences of climate change" (p.12). ...
... It is widely posited that in a globalising market economy, almost everyone will experience periods of unemployment or necessitated retraining (Meijers & Wijers 2000). Amidst this uncertainty, individuals are compelled to cultivate their own identities and organisational structures (Beck 1992, Giddens 1991. This requires establishing meaningful connections between education, work, and personal biography (Meijers and Wijers 2000). ...
... Therefore, a striking finding on benefits in the present study is the strength of those personal benefits that positioned and motivated some graduates to mobilise an experience and a culture that will turn their lived situations into an individual life story or narrative (Giddens 1991, Touraine 2000. Accordingly, venturing into self-employment was established as an important personal and anticipated professional benefit through which NTG developed or hoped to develop further their personal career identities and biographies and make meaningful connections between education, work, and biography (Meijers and Wijers 2000). ...
... To be able to support such individuals who think about their transition from university to work from a personal perspective, higher education institutions need to think about new forms of career guidance and teaching approaches that empower learners to be actors in their life projects (Giddens 1991, Touraine 2000 and pursue careers that they have reason to value (Sen 2001). Accordingly, higher education institutions are challenged to promote a wider view on purposes of education that looks beyond training for instrumental reasons to preparing learners for life. ...
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studies on the transition from university to the workforce have revealed that non-traditional students (Nts) often face more challenges , including discrimination and a higher likelihood of securing lower-quality jobs compared to traditional students. Despite these findings, there is a scarcity of studies examining the specific benefits Nts derive from obtaining a university degree and their labour market experiences including their future career plans. Moreover, many studies do not deeply explore these issues from the perspectives of disadvantaged graduate groups. Drawing on Bourdieu's notion of capital and current discourses on graduate employment opportunities, this paper uses the perspectives of non-traditional graduates (NtG) to discuss the benefits of obtaining a university degree, their labour market experiences, and their future career plans within the context of Uganda. the benefits were found to be social, economic, personal, and professional, with notable overlap between social and personal benefits, revealing tensions between individualism and collectivism in Ugandan society. Various factors were found to positively and negatively shape NtG's labour market experiences, with further training and self-employment being key aspects of their future career plans. the paper discusses the implications of these findings for understanding the intersection of education , labour market dynamics, and societal values.
... Further, we highlight the role of lifestyle politics theory and social identity theory (SIT) to better understand how different target audiences react to the signal (CA) and the conditions under which CA will likely be effective in a polarized society. Lifestyle politics theory suggests that factors such as globalization and digitalization have heightened individual self-reflexivity and political expression (24)(25)(26), making consumers more likely to engage with companies that mirror their political and social values. This is particularly true for individuals with strong political convictions, who may engage in political consumerism-the intentional purchase or avoidance of products or services based on political motives. ...
... For example, previous work has found such alignment to lead stakeholders to see the company's actions as affirmations of their values (e.g. (10)), and increase purchase intention (25), positive attitudes toward the company (26) or the sociopolitical issue (27). Conversely, those whose political orientations diverge from the company's stance may view CA initiatives with skepticism (12) or outright opposition (14,35,36). ...
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In our polarized societies, more companies are taking a stand on divisive sociopolitical issues. However, given the mixed findings from previous studies, it remains unclear whether Corporate Activism (CA) is more likely to hurt or help a company's performance and reputation, or shape the public's attitudes toward the sociopolitical issue involved. To better understand the impact of CA in polarized societies, it is valuable to study moderating factors, especially those linked to polarization. A meta-analysis of 72 scholarly works is conducted to examine the impact of CA on various outcomes (e.g. ads and social media engagement, cognitive and attitudinal reactions, public's intentions and actions, emotional reactions, social and ethical engagement, workplace, and employee perceptions) and the role of moderators (a sociopolitical issue's political leaning and controversy level, political orientation of the target audience, key demographics). The analysis reveals a positive, albeit small, effect size (0.085 [95% CI (0.0542, 0.1158)]) with the most impact on two outcomes: cognitive and attitudinal reactions, and emotional reactions. It further reveals that companies adopting liberal-leaning CAs elicit more favorable responses than those adopting conservative CAs and that liberals respond positively to CA, while conservatives are more neutral. However, when there is alignment between the CA's political leaning and the audience's political orientation, conservatives have a stronger positive response than liberals. Also, younger audiences view CA more positively. Finally, per national culture, while power distance and individualism positively moderate the reaction to CA, uncertainty avoidance has a negative effect.
... Our underlying ethical and ontological view suggests that it also has a eudaimonic basis, as individuals assess both the pleasurable (and preferential) aspects of their lives as entrepreneurs and their reasons for valuing the sources of such pleasure, thus underscoring self-respect, acceptance, realisation, meaning, and personal growth (Kimmitt et al., 2020). Being hyperreflexive (Giddens, 2020), modern individuals emphasise the way they feel and think about their lives-and this sense of inwardness, as Taylor articulates it, explains much of the current appeal of satisfaction concepts as measures of the good life. However, as argued above, there is more to ELS than pleasure or preference fulfilment. ...
... Theoretically and empirically, ELS channels the experience of enterprising toward a sense of overall success and psychological well-being. As modern individuals partly realise a good life by affirmative articulation and thought (Giddens, 2020;Taylor, 1992), their evaluations of the enterprising experience as a significant "living experiment" and self-organised engagement will significantly impact their overall psychological wellness. Previous research has explored entrepreneurs' well-being, and has increasingly illuminated the precursors and consequences of well-being in entrepreneurship; nonetheless, it has overlooked this integral and successful expression of entrepreneurial life and identity (Kautonen et al., 2017). ...
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This study explores how being satisfied with one’s life as an entrepreneur is a crucial ethical and psychological outcome of early volition and, subsequently, a vital resource in the development of a richer eudaimonic experience from entrepreneurship. We develop and test our predictions based on two independent datasets: American and Swedish business owners and early stage entrepreneurs. We argue and demonstrate that satisfaction with life as an entrepreneur conveys a distinct state of entrepreneurial well-being and constitutes a crucial self-evaluation which mediates the effects of early volition in entrepreneurship on long-term eudaimonia. We contribute to the emerging conversations on entrepreneurship, business ethics, and well-being.
... This process is referred to as active intervention and transformation. (Giddens, 2008). ...
... Modernization is a phenomenon of change, which means that no one can avoid this transformation of modernity, and should face it instead; modernity brings a dynamic element into one's life (Brooks, 2010); this change is due to the transformation of modernity, which is likened to the movement of a person from adolescence to adulthood. Although self-identity becomes problematic in the transformation of modernity and opposed to the relationship of the self with societies that still trust traditional contexts, modernization has a role in balancing opportunities and potential conflicts in a balanced measure (Giddens, 2008). Therefore, each strength becomes critical in adapting and reconnecting with their goals amid modernity (Adkins, 2004). ...
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This study aims to describe the aspects of influence and identity shaping of female characters in the novel "Sayyidaat Alqomar" by Jokha Alharthi based on Ann Brooks' perspective. This research is oriented towards discussing three aspects, namely postfeminist deconstruction, differences, and women's identity. This type of research is descriptive qualitative research with feminist analysis. Data analysis techniques in this study use the Miles and Huberman method with three stages: data reduction, data presentation, and conclusions. The results of this study are as follows: (1) The influence of postfeminist deconstruction is identified in two aspects. First, gender equality in the relationship between husband and wife and inequality among women. Second, traditional stereotypes that female characters respond as representations of deconstruction with responses to ignore and voice criticism; (2) the differences that affect the identity of female characters are identified, that a woman can own both masculine and feminine sides; and (3) the form of female identity influenced by two factors. First, external factors: destiny and modernization. Second, experience factors: hobbies, work, and trauma. These findings confirm the diversity of Women’s identity in Modernization and pave the way for postfeminist studies towards Omani women.
... This paper has explored TV journalisms' response to an unexpected 'fateful event' of late modernity (Giddens, 1992). The unexpectedness and severe impacts of the UK energy crisis, as a 'fateful event', requires TV journalism to speak to audiences as those being affected by the crisis. ...
... For those for whom the energy crisis is undermining their ability to pay for energy, and in turn, to cook and stay warm (i.e. destabilising a present and near future sense of stability / ontological security - Giddens, 1992) the observed TV journalism appears engaged in a 'symbolic annihilation of hope' at this time. ...
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How does journalism communicate to audiences who are experiencing crisis? Existing literature suggests that journalists use reporting templates and related practices to report crises with elite narratives and myths (and some ‘disruptive factors’, on occasion). Their news audiences, it follows, are understood as observers of abstracted crisis rather than as those who are experiencing crisis impacts as immediate and affecting. Such thinking becomes challenged by the emerging UK energy crisis. Analysing the corresponding TV journalism shows its reporting responds to several unique disruptive aspects of the crisis (i.e. its ‘seriality’, ‘unpredictability’ and ‘impacts’) rather than reproduce expected myths and authority skew. Additionally, it forms potentially transformative coverage with an included critical commentary on elite inaction and profiteering. Still, omitted at the same time is any relevant explanation and assistance for those audiences affected by the soaring energy costs. The paper argues, subsequently, that this journalism is producing a crisis subjectivity that serves only to reflect back accounts of ‘close suffering’ and uncertainty to audiences, without any sense of hope, support or meaningful action.
... Una dimensión fundamenta del discurso de buena madre actual tiene que ver con el conocimiento y manejo del riesgo, lo que algunos han llamado "maternidad de control total de riesgo" (Lee et al., 2010). De acuerdo con Beck (1999) y Giddens (1991) vivimos en una sociedad del riesgo, con ansiedad acerca del futuro y obsesionada con colonizarlo. Para ello la información experta es la clave, las personas a las que confiamos por su formación y experiencia el análisis y cálculo de los riesgos y las fórmulas para mitigarlos. ...
... 84) While Becker's reflections illuminate the profound inner conflicts that drive these behaviors, the research findings indicate that the project managers' focus on control and self-assertion can sometimes come at the cost of deeper self-reflection and acknowledgment of their own limitations. This neglect of existential awareness risks leading to burnout (Maslach, 1996) and a disconnection from the broader social and symbolic context (Giddens, 1991), which Becker argues is essential for true selfrealization. Becker further elaborates on this existential dilemma: "But it is more than creature anxiety, it is also man's; anxiety, the anxiety that results from the human paradox that man is an animal who is conscious of his animal limitation" (Becker, 1973). ...
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This article synthesizes the enduring contributions of Henry Mintzberg's framework on managerial roles with insights from Ernest Becker's exploration of existential themes, emphasizing their relevance amidst contemporary business landscapes shaped by technological advancements and organizational dynamics. The evolution of managerial practices in response to modern challenges, such as AI and digital communication, suggests the integration of Mintzberg's framework with contemporary perspectives for effective adaptation. Drawing parallels between Mintzberg's emphasis on organizational structures and Becker's existential insights into human behaviour, the article underscores the significance of symbolism and holistic understanding in deciphering both managerial activities and existential concerns. The article reflects on Becker's notion that confronting existential anxieties can catalyse transformative personal growth and foster genuine connections and offering profound insights for navigating complexities in managerial practice.
... By contrast, sociology-the discipline I was trained in-has long been concerned with analyzing the rise of the "individual" as a key part of the uneven growth of modernity over the past number of centuries (see, variously, Taylor 1989;Giddens 1991;Foucault 1975Foucault , 1978Bauman 2000Bauman , 2004. Indeed, for most sociologists interested in studying the nature of identity in modernity, it would make little sense to analyze its complexities without giving serious consideration to the role that one's individual sense of self would-and does-play in its contemporary dynamics of identity-making. ...
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This article explores the recent rise in the use of self-identification as a key element of legitimacy in contemporary claims to Indigeneity. Emphasizing self-identification as a central dynamic of all identity-making in contemporary nation-states, the article argues nonetheless that this element of identity is insufficient for making ethical claims to Indigeneity. Emphasizing instead the importance of ongoing Indigenous relationality (i.e., kinship), it argues that genealogical databases potentially exacerbate the potential to engage in non-relational forms of belonging that undermine Indigenous communities’ and nations’ autonomy in defining the boundaries and contours of their citizenship. I undertake this argument in three broad parts. Part one undertakes a selective discussion of sociologist Stuart Hall’s conceptualization of identity, highlighting what I regard as two relevant elements key to his identity-making framework. Part two then undertakes a brief discussion of Geonpul scholar Aileen Moreton-Robinson’s discussion of white possessiveness as a useful lens for framing the growing self-Indigenization/Pretendianism literature as variegated examples of analyzing its practice; and finally, part three explores the potential of genealogical databases to encourage possessive/non-relational forms of identity-making, what I term here “inert kinship”. The article then concludes with a brief discussion regarding how genealogical databases might be used ethically with respect to claiming Indigenous belonging, and why this is key to the upholding of Indigenous sovereignty.
... En este modo, la ciudadanía se expresa a través de opciones de estilo de vida, valores personales y autorrealización (Giddens, 1991). En consecuencia, la actividad política se entiende como que emerge de abajo (subpolítica) y no como el privilegio del Estado y la sociedad civil (Beck, 1994) difuminando así cada vez más los límites de lo privado y lo público en el ámbito de la vida cotidiana. ...
... Thus, it is clear that existing perceptions of the prevalence of PTSD are inaccurate (Gardner, 1983). The very term "post-traumatic stress disorder" is traumatogenic, its symptoms seem ambiguous, and methods and procedures for its diagnosis need to be clarified (Giddens, 1991). ...
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The article presents the results of a study of the peculiarities of the mental health of an individual in the conditions of martial law. The article describes the main factors of the military state that cause mental injuries and their psychological consequences for military personnel. Some aspects of human behavior in emergency situations and military operations are distinguished. The positive, neutral and negative vectors of the influence of psychological factors of war on the participants of the war were identified and their content was revealed. The relevance of the study is determined by the course of recent events in Ukraine, in particular, Russia's wars against the Ukrainian people. The adaptive and maladaptive factors of the nature of adaptive psychological qualities that are formed in combatants in the conditions of military affairs as aspects of the neuropsychological manifestation of personality are characterized. The situation of the psychological return of combatants to peaceful living conditions was separately considered and the need to organize appropriate measures for social and psychological rehabilitation was substantiated. Data on foreign approaches and experience of such rehabilitation of war veterans are presented. Current problems of psychological diagnosis of combat post-traumatic stress disorder are considered. The importance of the formation of mental health during the war is emphasized. The purpose of the article is to study the mental health of an individual in the conditions of martial law as an aspect of neuropsychological perception of reality. In the research process, the method of analysis, synthesis, research and scientific method was used. The result of the study is the determination of the characteristics of the neuropsychological state of the individual in the conditions of martial law.
... This possibility of modeling forms in children an idea of their abilities and talents, which contributes to the self-realization of their individuality in society. In addition, the organization of musical and game activity especially promotes the formation of spiritual and cultural development of the personality of the primary school students (Giddens, 1991). The child becomes more motivated to learn about the world and selfrealization. ...
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The research presented in the article testifies to the effectiveness of computer modeling in the conditions of musical and game activities of elementary school students. The relevance of the research is determined by the intensive development of innovative digital technologies that influence the development of society, form new approaches to the world, and contribute to the effective acquisition of new knowledge and skills as a neuropedagogical aspect. The purpose of the research is to study the effectiveness of the organization of musical and game activities as an aspect of younger schoolchildren by means of computer simulation. To increase the effectiveness of research, it is necessary to analyze aspects of neuropedagogy. In order to better "know" his student and decide on the choice of work methods in the future, it is advisable for the music teacher to evaluate not only his physical data and temperament, but also to find out by testing his general functional features organizations the brain and the leading modality. Accordingly, the main approaches to the organization of music and game activity were analyzed and the effectiveness of computer modeling in the context of the formation of music and game abilities and skills in younger schoolchildren was determined. The research methodology is formed by analytical and research methods, analysis of musical and game activities, methods of synthesis, analysis and interpretation, computer modeling technologies are used. The results of the study show that computer simulation is the most effective in the modern educational process.
... Scientists J. Dewey (1938), A. Giddens (1991) and others investigated aspects of the formation of hubristic motivation as a psychological phenomenon of personality. According to some scholars, Steve Peha (2011), education determines the perspective of future social development. ...
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The article highlights the conceptual aspects of personality motivation as an important phenomenon of human well-being achievement. During the analysis of theoretical approaches to the definition of hubristic motivation highlighted the psychological phenomenon of personality self-regulation as a manifestation of neurophysiological processes. The article presents the findings of scientists regarding motivation factors, in particular, the principle of self-regulation formation in the context of pedagogy and neuropsychology. The components of the psychological aspect of self-regulation in the context of self-awareness and determination of personality behavior, which contributes to self-realization and socialization are analyzed. In order to determine the most effective factors of personal motivation for self-development, the neurophysiological characteristics of the individual were determined. The article is based on the results of an experimental study, namely, determining the indicators of motivation to learn among primary school students as a manifestation of self-regulation in achieving success in a particular case. The study of motivation was carried out according to the Milman method. The indicators of the study became the basis for determining the effectiveness of hubristic motivation as a neurophysiological manifestation of personality. The study was conducted on the basis of the integrative method of synthesis and analysis, based on the results of the research, descriptive and scientific method of studying the basics of neuropsychology and neuropedagogy. The method of questioning was used during the research on the method of determining personality motivation. The results of the study became the basis for conclusions about the factors of self-regulation of personality in elementary school as a manifestation of hubristic motivation.
... The conceptualization of the latest concept of place highlights another important trend driven by the increasing mobility (including everyday) of people. Different geographical locations are becoming closer and more accessible, and in the course of people's daily lives, various spatial constraints are becoming less important, which means that our daily lives and identities can be linked to multiple places at the same time [9,17,23]. ...
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Facebook (FB) has increasingly entered the daily lives of Latvians, and, as in other countries, the various virtual communities created within this social network site are directly connected to or even derived from communities existing in the physical world, such as place-based. This article focuses on two such virtual communities that have emerged as groups of residents of Rīga city neighbourhoods, focusing on the analysis of the images posted in these groups. There are several research questions which are centred on the neighbourhood places that are depicted in the FB posts. What do they say about the everyday mobility and borders of the neighbourhood? What places cause joy and worries? How do these visual representations differ in two FB groups? In exploring these questions, both qualitative and quantitative approaches and methods were used. An additional methodological question arose: which of these approaches is the optimal way for such a small-scale ad hoc study? At the end of this pilot study, it was concluded that the visual content (mainly photographs) generated by FB groups of urban residents is a valuable reference material that helps researchers understand specific neighbourhoods as if they were looking through the eyes of residents. Their vision has recorded not only the places of their neighbourhood. Comparing the content of the two FB groups, there are significant differences in this regard. By combining qualitative and quantitative image content analysis, more reliable results can be achieved, but at the same time, quantitative content analysis (both sampling and image coding) require relatively huge resources, especially if the aim is to automate workflow, which raises the question of how rational the use of this or that approach is.
... Drivers of collective action has claimed that psychological demands for emotional security, social acceptability, and recurrence are overseen. Some argue that social institutions remain unchanging due to the unavoidable desire for "ontological security," as this portrays society as conservative and social structures as the result of human emotional fragility (Giddens, 1991). Douglas pointed out the cultural shift caused by religion when she says that religion does not explain but has to be explained (Douglas, 1986, p. 36). ...
... Religious identity conflict between their personal and professional identities, calls for identity negotiation (Nias, 1985;Nias, 1989). A self-reflexive response (Giddens, 2002) as part of an internal dialogue between differently positioned voices in the society-of-mind (Hermans, 2011) would make identity negotiation possible. The teacher negotiating his/her religious identity, would put into parenthesis his/her own values and beliefs, while not necessarily undermining them (Jackson, 1997;Jarvis, 2008;Jarvis, 2009a). ...
... Lorsqu'il est désiré, l'enfant revêt cependant une valeur inestimable, de même que les bénéfices affectifs et identitaires que procurent la paternité et la maternité. C'est l'une des conditions structurantes de l'attrait qu'exercent l'assistance médicale à la procréation et l'adoption et du fait que, parmi les nouveaux mouvements sociaux mobilisés sur les questions relatives à la vie (« life politics » [Giddens 1991]), on compte maintenant des groupes qui militent pour l'accès à la parentalité et aux enfants : des associations de personnes infertiles, de pères divorcés, de gais et de lesbiennes, de candidats à l'adoption. ...
... De Giddens [¤(1990Giddens [¤( ), ¤(1991], je retiens la notion de réflexivité institutionnelle du savoir. L'auteur désigne par cette expression le processus selon lequel le savoir sociologique (mais aussi anthropologique) et les notions qui en constituent le métalangage non seulement se construisent à partir des concepts des « gens ordinaires », mais pénètrent à nouveau l'univers de l'action qu'elles avaient initialement pour but de décrire lorsque les mêmes acteurs se les réapproprient. ...
... Het individualisme groeide uit tot een massaverschijnsel, mede door nieuwe communicatiemedia en nieuwe productietechnieken. Traditionele instituties van de samenleving zoals de familie, buurtgemeenschap, kerk, politieke partij en vakbond verloren steeds meer hun bindende en identiteitverlenende functie (Giddens 1991). Voorheen boden deze instituties mensen een min of meer vanzelfsprekend handelingsrepertoire voor hun bestaan. ...
Article
In de voorbije halve eeuw hebben zich ingrijpende wijzigingen voorgedaan in de classificatie van cultuur. Traditionele kunstopvattingen en culturele scheidslijnen zijn geërodeerd en vervangen door meer gedifferentieerde en minder hiërarchische patronen van cultuurproductie en consumptie. Voorheen als hoger beschouwde cultuuruitingen hebben aan prestige ingeboet en zijn steeds meer tot een mogelijke optie onder vele geworden. Susanne Janssen gaat in haar oratie na hoe deze veranderingen samenhangen met bredere maatschappelijke processen en daarmee verbonden ontwikkelingen binnen het culturele veld
... Maar belangrijker (voor de onderzoeker althans) is, dat ze hun handelingspatroon ook kunnen expliciteren en communiceren. Zo een reflectieve zelfidentiteit (Giddens 1991) veronderstelt op zijn minst een andere onderzoekershouding. De wetenschapper die ten velde trekt stelt zich alvast veeleer symmetrisch op. ...
Article
De Franse socioloog Pierre Bourdieu heeft een belangrijke stempel op de kunstsociologie gedrukt. In dit artikel plaatst Pascal Gielen vanuit empirische bevindingen enkele kanttekeningen bij de premissen die Bourdieus veldtheorie veronderstelt. De auteur eindigt met een pleidooi voor een meer symmetrische kunstsociologie die een beter evenwicht vindt tussen onderzoekers en onderzoekssubjecten, tussen empirie en theorie, en last but not least: tussen mensen en kunstwerken.
... Als zodanig voelen ze zich onderdeel van een groep mensen die ook 'durft' en op dezelfde manier naar de toekomst kijkt. Giddens (1991) beweert dat voldoening eveneens een moreel fenomeen is omdat een zelfbeeld wordt gekoesterd een goede en achtenswaardige persoon te zijn. Ik denk dat de kopers die er nu inkomen, en de kopers die wij tot nu toe hebben ontmoet, wel een bepaald soort mensen zijn: die wat zien in het leven in de stad, in een wijk in ontwikkeling. ...
Article
De fysieke en sociaaleconomische herstructurering van oude stadswijken gaat veelal gepaard met imagocampagnes. Een belangrijk onderdeel daarvan is de thematisering van nieuwe woningbouw: tot verbeelding sprekende architectuur wordt verbonden met een uitgekiende branding van het project. Doelgroepen voor deze woningbouw zijn mensen met een middeninkomen. Zij twijfelen echter over de (blijvende) vestiging in deze wijken. Met het thematiseren van een ‘mediterraan gevoel’ in het Rotterdamse woningbouwproject Le Medi, pretenderen beleids- en plannenmakers een sfeer te realiseren die de nieuwe stedelijke middenklasse aantrekt. Dit artikel geeft inzicht in de overwegingen van stedelingen met een middeninkomen een woning te kopen in Le Medi in de ‘krachtwijk’ Bospolder-Tussendijken en in de emoties die zij hierbij ervaren.
... Dit hangt nauw samen met de democratisering van het hoger onderwijs, groeiende sociale mobiliteit en verscheidenheid, en met de emancipatie van groepen die zich voorheen aan de onderkant van de machtspiramide bevonden (arbeiders, vrouwen, jongeren en minderheden) en die hun smaak hebben weten te 'importeren' in hogere kringen en zo bestaande culturele hiërarchieën ter discussie stelden (Bryson 2005;Van Eijck & Knulst, 2005;Stein, 2005;Wouters, 2007). Bovendien hebben algemene individualiseringsprocessen (Beck & Beck-Gernsheim, 2002;Giddens, 1991) geleid tot fragmentatie van smaakculturen en levensstijlen. Mensen zijn minder geneigd dan vroeger om zich te conformeren aan traditionele culturele hiërarchieën en collectieve smaakpatronen en ze worden ook steeds meer geacht individuele keuzes te maken en een 'authentieke' persoonlijke smaak aan de dag te leggen. ...
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Journalistieke aandacht voor cultuur, zoals recensies van voorstellingen en boekbesprekingen, draagt bij aan de vorming van culturele hiërarchiën. Op basis van een uitgebreide inhoudsanalyse van elitekranten in de periode 1955-2005 gaan wij na in hoeverre de aandacht voor verschillende culturele vormen is verschoven in Frankrijk, Duitsland, Nederland en de VS. Deze landen verschillen niet alleen naar bredere sociaal-culturele kenmerken (zoals de mate van sociale mobiliteit) maar ook naar de organisatie van hun culturele velden (zoals de structuur van de krantenmarkt en de positie en omvang van de lokale culturele industrie). Meer specifiek beantwoorden wij de vraag hoe de aandacht voor hogere en populaire kunstvormen verschilt tussen deze landen en over de tijd.
... Maar Giddens ziet het 'zelf' als een cognitief project waarbij individuen steeds keuzen moeten maken, zich steeds moeten afvragen wie ze zijn en willen zijn, wat ze moeten doen, hoe ze dat moeten doen. Ook lichamelijke processen zijn daarbij object van bewustzijn, reflexie en handeling, maar gevoelens hebben daarin geen plaats (Giddens 1991). 6 Door het 'voelende zelf' te introduceren en het onlosmakelijk te verbinden met het 'denkende zelf' geeft Hochschild een belangrijke aanvulling op deze benadering. ...
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This chapter draws on fieldwork data by analysing cosmetic and reconstructive surgery standards with the aim of identifying and analysing the criteria used today to grant or deny certain types of surgical interventions which do not emerge from the medical necessity to address physiological dysfunctionalities. The ethical complexities of bodily modification interventions are intertwined with the medical decision-making capacity of the individual, and the evidence-based approach to surgery is contrasted with those instances in which the surgery aims at addressing psychological states rather than physiological ones. The chapter takes on the topic of how societal norms influence perceptions of physical appearance and how normative standards are often used as a main access point for the surgeon to evaluate the legitimacy of bodily modification requests. A key area is the surgeon’s assessment of whether patients are mentally and emotionally prepared, ensuring they have realistic expectations and are making informed decisions.
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The perception and communication surrounding vaginal size, particularly concerns about looseness (lost penis syndrome/vaginal laxity), remain significantly understudied from a social scientific perspective. Drawing on interdisciplinary perspectives in the theoretical part and first-person perspectives based on qualitative interviews and data from online forum discussions in the empirical part, this research addresses this gap, revealing women’s meaning-making processes, and coping strategies and effects of perceived vagianal laxity on the identity, sexuality, relationships and quality of life. Findings reveal how societal norms and experiences with partners, peers and professionals (medical, therapeutic, sex-educational) heavily influence women’s self-perception, leading to feelings of inadequacy. The exerted norms prioritize a narrow ideal of vaginal tightness, equating it with desirability and sexual competence while dismissing natural variations in vaginal size. Women internalize these perceived deficiencies, shaping individualized perspectives on their genitals, seeking to compensate for or impede symptoms by individual strategies (sex-practices, training, cremes, supplements), non-surgical treatments (laser) or surgeries to improve function and appearance. The discussion depicts the shaping of the neoliberal vagina, effectively reproduced by shame, individualization, loneliness and capitalized performance- and optimizationorientation. This phenomenon is elaborated alongside three effective areas, namely, identity and restrictive social and sexual roles, silencing and pressure due to (un)professional sex educational and health care systems, and the dual role of media, shaping stereotypes and norms but also being a place for shamefree connection and coping. vaginal laxity, neoliberalism, sex education, counseling, sexual function, intimacy
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The present article is an attempt to investigate educational space from the viewpoint of aesthetic to find some presuppositions which can make change in educational spaces according to Islamic aestheticism which can, in turn, direct the learners’ behaviors in the process of perception, feeling, thoughtfulness toward dynamism and the final goal of Muslim human. The methodology used is analytic-inferential which uses texts, analysis of views and the experiences. The findings delineated that it is possible, through the capabilities of the educational spaces, to design spaces that can actualize the present potentials of students and bring about a range of aesthetic features which can create harmony, calmness, power, pleasure, spirit, and attraction for students. On such bases, the principles of Islamic aestheticism have taken the goal-orientation of life, social involvement, and accompaniment of science and wisdom along with inquisitiveness in educational spaces into consideration Keywords parameters aestheticism educational spaces Islamic-Iranian architecture
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This chapter delves into the broader social and historical context of Australia, a settler-colony that has been shaped by colonial legacies, contemporary neoliberalism and global capitalism. It traces our current overlapping crises—social, environmental, existential—through a modernity/coloniality framework, unravelling Australia’s power dynamics and social hierarches which inevitably impact the lives of young people, albeit in different ways and to different degrees. At the coalface of these crises, the chapter considers the forms of violence—symbolic and cultural—that cause social suffering for young people as they craft identities and make lives within this historical moment. Finally, this chapter examines how young people, despite being characterised as politically apathetic, are resisting, surviving and thriving through spectacular, creative and quiet forms of activism, leading and partaking in social movements, and building new communities and ways of being from the ground up.
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This introductory chapter sets the stage for an in-depth exploration of two research projects conducted with young people in Australia during the tumultuous years of 2019 and 2020. It begins with a story that highlights important reflections and poetic knowledges from a participatory action research project with young people during COVID-19 lockdowns in the state of Victoria. It then examines the confluence of crises that defined this timeframe, including COVID-19, but also acknowledging the slow and steady violence of coloniality and capitalist and neoliberal systems. The chapter also considers the epistemic crisis of representation, mobilising disciplinary reflexivity to unpack constructions of young people across time and during other contexts of crisis. Finally, the chapter concludes with an overview of the theoretical, conceptual and epistemic anchoring for the community-based activist research that was undertaken and details of the two projects that are the focus of this book: Cartographies of Youth Social Justice, Voice and Action; and the Youth Participatory Arts Action Research (YPAAR) project.
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This chapter provides a critical overview of the existing literature relevant to the three key fields, i.e., corporate (organizational) identity, cross-cultural communication on social media and multimodality. Within the three fields, attention is largely given to discursive studies on corporate (organizational) identity, studies on interpersonal interaction and studies of social semiotic multimodality on social media. It ends by critiquing the literature in the aforementioned fields and identifying the research niches that need to be addressed.
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The article presents the results of the study of the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic in the context of tolerance of uncertainty. Respondents (N = 2,837) answered a series of questions regarding how they are dealing with the COVID-19 situation, and MSTAT-II questionnaire. It was found that the emotional background is dominated by such emotions as fear, irritation, anxiety and sadness. Tolerance of uncertainty turned out to be negatively associated with all negative emotions, which allows us to consider it as a resource that reduces negative experience in the current situation. Data was also obtained regarding the relationship between the characteristics of the COVID-19 pandemic experience with the age and gender of the respondents.
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The theme of the article highlights the main aspects regarding the impact of the development trends in post-industrial society on the formation of communicative competencies. The aim of the article is to reveal the essence of electronic tutoring and mentoring as one of the important factors in the formation of communicative skills of foreign students. The article identifies the features of the organization of tutoring and mentoring using innovative technologies, the achievements of the information and post-industrial society. Theoretical bases for defining the concept of communicative competence, post-industrial society, electronic tutoring, and mentoring are substantiated. The urgency of the problem lies in the presentation of new psychological and pedagogical approaches, it also lies in the formation of competence in a post-industrial society such as the use of electronic learning tools to increase efficiency, the use of information and communication technologies to develop the competence of students and teachers, and organization of learning based on organizational approach. Methods of analysis and synthesis, research method, and method of content analysis were used to determine the peculiarities of the formation of communicative competence in foreign students in the conditions of electronic tutoring and mentoring. In the course of the study, it was proved that the implementation of theoretically sound conditions of electronic tutoring and mentoring will contribute to the formation of communicative competence among foreign students.
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Using English prison inspectorate reports the article reports a Goffmanesque-informed discourse analysis of official accounts about the younger inmates of London’s Feltham prison and the conditions characterizing their lived experiences in this prison environment. The construction of this prison estate captures dilapidation, unhygienic conditions, and endless social danger. The stigmatizing construction of the child prisoner intimates a pervasive culture of violence and bullying resulting in their aversion to purposive activities. While, at first blush, prison inspec-torate reporting is based on the policy of ensuring a safe and rehabilitative prison experience for youth it is argued that the nature of the reporting of incarceration obviates a critique of the wider political fabric that custodial interventions reproduce. The Inspectorate operates within the state’s dominant class stratified political ideology. The adoption of a generic labelling discourse in the reports minimizes the communication of harms inflicted on children by criminal ‘justice’ that can only worsen their wellbeing and reproduce the harmful intensity of their imported marginality.
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In dit artikel wordt onderzocht of twee centrale aspecten van secularisering hand in hand gaan: een afname van het aantal christenen en een toenemende privatisering van het christelijk geloof. Via een analyse van gegevens over achttien westerse landen en voor Nederland over de periode van 1970 tot 1996 laat dit artikel zien dat afnemende christelijke kerkelijkheid opmerkelijk genoeg niet gepaard gaat met een afnemende publieke relevantie van het christelijk geloof. In plaats daarvan zien de auteurs een dialectische relatie tussen beide dimensies.
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This research sought to understand how honour and shame are defined in both Matt. 5:38-42 and Unhu Philosophy, and how they can be analysed alongside each other as a possible way of curbing political violence in Zimbabwe. To explore the possibility of how the Matthean Jesus’ context illuminate the Zimbabwean context the researcher used Social Scientific Exegesis to answer three critical questions; how are the values of honour and shame defined in Matthew 5:38-42?, what is Unhu philosophy and how do the concepts of honour and shame feature within it?, what are the differences and similarities between understandings of honour and shame in Jesus’ ethics as reflected in Matt. 5:38-42 and the way honour and shame feature in Unhu Philosophy? This research contains six chapters. Chapter one is the introduction providing the aim and focus of the study, research questions, the importance of the study and the methodology. Chapter two focused on honour and shame in Matthew as well as the understanding of honour and shame in the Jewish and Greco-Roman world behind the text. Chapter three gives an overview of the Sermon on the Mount and undertakes the Social-Scientific exegesis of Matt. 5:38-42. Chapter four provided a general overview of the African context and investigated how the Bible should be interpreted from a Postcolonial perspective. Chapter five focused on honour and shame in Unhu Philosophy and chapter six concluded the research by indicating similarities and divergences between the Matthean Jesus’ context and the Unhu Philosophy oriented Zimbabwean context. The research identified some similarities in the role played by the values of honour and shame in the Matthean Jesus’ community and the Zimbabwean community in as far as violence was/is concerned. This research established that the Matthean Jesus’ approach to violence as captured in Matt. 5:38-42 was different from his contemporaries. While the Matthean Jesus participated in the game of honour and shame he also changed the game’s rules. This research concluded that if the custodians of Jesus’ ethics i.e., the Church adopt the Matthean Jesus’ approach she might contribute effectively to the stopping the vicious circle of political violence in Zimbabwe and contribute positively to the dialogue of national healing and reconciliation. Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za
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In an increasingly globalized world, social cohesion and fragmentation are critical themes shaping contemporary society, particularly in India. This study delves into the philosophical underpinnings that define social cohesion, while analyzing the forces contributing to social fragmentation. Drawing on both classical and modern philosophical thought, the research investigates how identity, culture, and political discourse influence these phenomena. The motivation behind this study is to bridge theoretical insights with practical implications for fostering unity in a diverse society, a necessity in today's era of socio-political divisions. Methodologically, this study adopts an interdisciplinary approach, integrating philosophical analysis with sociological and historical perspectives. By employing qualitative data, literature reviews, and case studies, the research critically assesses the dynamic interactions between collective social ideals and divisive trends. The findings suggest that while social cohesion is rooted in shared values and inclusive practices, fragmentation often arises from identity politics, economic inequalities, and cultural conflicts. The study concludes that a balance between unity and diversity is essential for social harmony. It highlights the significance of philosophical inquiry in addressing contemporary challenges of cohesion, providing valuable insights for policy interventions, community development, and educational frameworks. The research offers a holistic understanding of how philosophy can contribute to reducing fragmentation, emphasizing the need for sustained efforts to promote inclusivity, justice, and social stability in modern India. ocial cohesion and fragmentation have become pivotal concepts in understanding the dynamics of contemporary societies, especially in the context of increasing globalization, rapid technological advancements, and heightened political polarization. In recent years, both cohesion and fragmentation have been influenced by a range of factors, including identity politics, economic inequalities, migration, digital communication, and cultural transformation. The balance between social unity and division is crucial in determining a society's resilience, stability, and capacity for sustainable development. As globalization brings diverse communities into closer proximity, these interactions create opportunities for cohesion but also lead to tensions that can fragment societies. In India, with its rich diversity in language, religion, caste, and ethnicity, the question of social
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