scholarly journals Symbolic revolutions. Mobilizing a neglected Bourdieusian concept for historical sociology

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Petzke
Keyword(s):  
Historical Sociology ◽  
Theoretical Work ◽  
Human Sciences ◽  
Political Field ◽  
Karl Mannheim ◽  
Internal Change ◽  
Structural Universals ◽  
Opening Up ◽  
Universal Mechanism ◽  
Theoretical Apparatus

AbstractThe article builds on a recent literature that has sought to underscore the relevance of Bourdieu’s field theory for historical-sociological analysis. It draws attention to symbolic revolutions, a concept that has been given short shrift in this literature and even in Bourdieu’s own expositions of his field-theoretical apparatus. The article argues that symbolic revolutions denote a universal mechanism of field-internal change which extends and complements a conceptual battery of mostly structural universals of fields. In a synoptic reading of Bourdieu’s field-theoretical work, the article fleshes out an ideal type of symbolic revolutions, with special regard to its dialectical features. It adds further analytical purchase to the concept by highlighting continuities and parallels with the work of Thomas Kuhn and Karl Mannheim. Finally, it argues that more recent studies by other authors on transformations in the psychiatric field, the field of social and human sciences, and the political field are in fact discussing instances of symbolic revolutions. It thus shows how the concept can help identify common properties among highly heterogeneous phenomena, opening up new avenues for historical-sociological investigations that can more systematically relate the general and the particular.

Experimenting on Theories

1999 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 261-273 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah Dowling
Keyword(s):  
Computer Simulation ◽  
Theoretical Model ◽  
Computer Program ◽  
Internal Structure ◽  
Experimental Work ◽  
Scientific Community ◽  
Theoretical Work ◽  
Virtual Laboratory ◽  
Experimental Type ◽  
Opening Up

The ArgumentThis paper sets out a framework for understanding how the scientific community constructs computer simulation as an epistemically and pragmatically useful methodology. The framework is based on comparisons between simulation and the loosely-defined categories of “theoretical work” and “experimental work.” Within that framework, the epistemological adequacy of simulation arises from its role as a mathematical manipulation of a complex, abstract theoretical model. To establish that adequacy demands a detailed “theoretical” grasp of the internal structure of the computer program. Simultaneously, the pragmatic usefulness of simulation arises from its role as a “virtual laboratory.” That role is made possible by black-boxing the internal structure of the program, such that the scientist can interact with the computer in an intuitive, “experimental” manner. Thus simulation is rendered authoritative, opening up encoded theories to a novel, “experimental” type of manipulation.

scholarly journals Zenobia’s story: how a victim of abuse uses isiXhosa to account for her actions

Literator ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 101-124
Author(s):  
M. Dlali ◽  
S. Mokapela
Keyword(s):  
Drug Abuse ◽  
Image Restoration ◽  
Theoretical Work ◽  
Medical Doctor ◽  
Taxi Driver ◽  
Tertiary Institution ◽  
The Core ◽  
Alcohol And Drug Abuse ◽  
Account Giving ◽  
Opening Up

This article explores the theoretical work in articulating the motivations and conditions for account-giving in isiXhosa in relation to image restoration. The account-making process, according to Warren (1989), is like a life in motion in which individual characters are portrayed as moving through their experiences, dealing with some conflict or problem in their lives and at the same time searching for a solution. The narrator discovers at the age of twelve that the person she is referring to as her mother is not her real mother and that her real mother died while giving birth to her. The situation at home deteriorates after the death of her father. Her desperation is further fuelled when her stepmother marries a taxi-driver who sexually abuses her. The narrator then resorts to alcohol and drug abuse to cope with her growing sense of not belonging. The opportunity for changing her life and opening up endless avenues for progress and advancement comes when the narrator passes matric and, through her father’s will, pursues her studies at a tertiary institution. She graduates as a top student and now practices as a medical doctor. This quest to understand the major stresses in each individual’s mind is at the core of this article.

scholarly journals Diversifying the Deliberative Turn: Toward an Agonistic RRI

2021 ◽  
pp. 016224392110672
Author(s):  
Deborah Scott
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Deliberative Democracy ◽  
Science And Technology Studies ◽  
Science And Technology ◽  
Political Field ◽  
Research And Innovation ◽  
Contemporary Science ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
Responsible Research ◽  
Opening Up

In its “deliberative turn,” the field of science and technology studies (STS) has strongly advocated opening up decision-making processes around science and technology to more perspectives and knowledges. While the theory of democracy underpinning this is rarely explicitly addressed, the language and ideas used are often drawn from deliberative democracy. Using the case of synthetic biology and Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI), this paper looks at challenges of public engagement and finds parallels in long-standing critiques of deliberative democracy. The paper suggests that STS scholars explore other theories of decision-making and explores what an RRI grounded in agonistic pluralism might entail. An agonistic RRI could develop empirical research around questions of power relations in contemporary science and technology, seek to facilitate the formation of political publics around relevant issues, and frame different actors’ stances as adversarial positions on a political field rather than “equally valid” perspectives.

The O–C diagrams of minor planets − a new approach to modelling the rotation

1999 ◽  
Vol 173 ◽  
pp. 185-188
Author(s):  
Gy. Szabó ◽  
K. Sárneczky ◽  
L.L. Kiss
Keyword(s):  
Error Analysis ◽  
Time Dependence ◽  
Theoretical Work ◽  
Minor Planet ◽  
Minor Planets ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Preliminary Results ◽  
Ccd Observations

AbstractA widely used tool in studying quasi-monoperiodic processes is the O–C diagram. This paper deals with the application of this diagram in minor planet studies. The main difference between our approach and the classical O–C diagram is that we transform the epoch (=time) dependence into the geocentric longitude domain. We outline a rotation modelling using this modified O–C and illustrate the abilities with detailed error analysis. The primary assumption, that the monotonity and the shape of this diagram is (almost) independent of the geometry of the asteroids is discussed and tested. The monotonity enables an unambiguous distinction between the prograde and retrograde rotation, thus the four-fold (or in some cases the two-fold) ambiguities can be avoided. This turned out to be the main advantage of the O–C examination. As an extension to the theoretical work, we present some preliminary results on 1727 Mette based on new CCD observations.

Peculiarity Parameters

1976 ◽  
Vol 32 ◽  
pp. 233-254
Author(s):  
H. M. Maitzen
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Magnetic Fields ◽  
Theoretical Work ◽  
Observational Evidence ◽  
Rotator Model ◽  
Peculiar Behaviour ◽  
Field Spectrum ◽  
Oblique Rotator ◽  
Ap Stars ◽  
The Way

Ap stars are peculiar in many aspects. During this century astronomers have been trying to collect data about these and have found a confusing variety of peculiar behaviour even from star to star that Struve stated in 1942 that at least we know that these phenomena are not supernatural. A real push to start deeper theoretical work on Ap stars was given by an additional observational evidence, namely the discovery of magnetic fields on these stars by Babcock (1947). This originated the concept that magnetic fields are the cause for spectroscopic and photometric peculiarities. Great leaps for the astronomical mankind were the Oblique Rotator model by Stibbs (1950) and Deutsch (1954), which by the way provided mathematical tools for the later handling pulsar geometries, anti the discovery of phase coincidence of the extrema of magnetic field, spectrum and photometric variations (e.g. Jarzebowski, 1960).

Electron holography of interfaces in electroceramics

1993 ◽  
Vol 51 ◽  
pp. 1088-1089
Author(s):  
Vinayak P. Dravid ◽  
V. Ravikumar ◽  
Richard Plass
Keyword(s):  
Space Charge ◽  
Direct Evidence ◽  
Materials Science ◽  
Theoretical Work ◽  
Electron Holography ◽  
Resolution Limit ◽  
Interference Phenomenon ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Electron Sources ◽  
Science Community

With the advent of coherent electron sources with cold field emission guns (cFEGs), it has become possible to utilize the coherent interference phenomenon and perform “practical” electron holography. Historically, holography was envisioned to extent the resolution limit by compensating coherent aberrations. Indeed such work has been done with reasonable success in a few laboratories around the world. However, it is the ability of electron holography to map electrical and magnetic fields which has caught considerable attention of materials science community.There has been considerable theoretical work on formation of space charge on surfaces and internal interfaces. In particular, formation and nature of space charge have important implications for the performance of numerous electroceramics which derive their useful properties from electrically active grain boundaries. Bonnell and coworkers, in their elegant STM experiments provided the direct evidence for GB space charge and its sign, while Chiang et al. used the indirect but powerful technique of x-ray microchemical profiling across GBs to infer the nature of space charge.

Seeking to uncover biology's chemical roots

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
pp. 435-443 ◽  
Author(s):  
Addy Pross
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Biological Systems ◽  
Significant Development ◽  
The Road ◽  
Physical Chemical ◽  
Systems Chemistry ◽  
Biological World ◽  
Inanimate Matter ◽  
The Origin Of Life ◽  
Opening Up

Despite the considerable advances in molecular biology over the past several decades, the nature of the physical–chemical process by which inanimate matter become transformed into simplest life remains elusive. In this review, we describe recent advances in a relatively new area of chemistry, systems chemistry, which attempts to uncover the physical–chemical principles underlying that remarkable transformation. A significant development has been the discovery that within the space of chemical potentiality there exists a largely unexplored kinetic domain which could be termed dynamic kinetic chemistry. Our analysis suggests that all biological systems and associated sub-systems belong to this distinct domain, thereby facilitating the placement of biological systems within a coherent physical/chemical framework. That discovery offers new insights into the origin of life process, as well as opening the door toward the preparation of active materials able to self-heal, adapt to environmental changes, even communicate, mimicking what transpires routinely in the biological world. The road to simplest proto-life appears to be opening up.

Social Cognition in Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 243-249
Author(s):  
Ronja Weiblen ◽  
Melanie Jonas ◽  
Sören Krach ◽  
Ulrike M. Krämer
Keyword(s):  
Tourette Syndrome ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Mirror Neuron System ◽  
Mirror Neuron ◽  
Theoretical Work ◽  
Neural Processes ◽  
The Social ◽  
Decision Making System ◽  
Social Decision Making ◽  
Work Done

Abstract. Research on the neural mechanisms underlying Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (GTS) has mostly concentrated on abnormalities in basal ganglia circuits. Recent alternative accounts, however, focused more on social and affective aspects. Individuals with GTS show peculiarities in their social and affective domain, including echophenomena, coprolalia, and nonobscene socially inappropriate behavior. This article reviews the experimental and theoretical work done on the social symptoms of GTS. We discuss the role of different social cognitive and affective functions and associated brain networks, namely, the social-decision-making system, theory-of-mind functions, and the so-called “mirror-neuron” system. Although GTS affects social interactions in many ways, and although the syndrome includes aberrant social behavior, the underlying cognitive, affective, and neural processes remain to be investigated.

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