A Field-Theoretic Model of Religious Strength

2020 ◽  
pp. 88-122
Author(s):  
Brad Vermurlen
Keyword(s):  
Sociology Of Religion ◽  
Theory Model ◽  
Theoretic Model ◽  
Social Mechanisms ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
Strategic Action ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Making Sense ◽  
Strength Based ◽  
Strategic Action Field

Chapter 4 develops a field-theoretic model of religious strength. It starts by revisiting the question of religious strength vis-à-vis the secularization thesis, and then it lays out the five leading theoretical frameworks currently on offer in the sociology of religion for making sense of religious vitality. Next, this chapter critically reviews each of these theories, drawing out the “nugget of truth” in each but finally showing how each is ill-suited, or at least incomplete, for explaining the New Calvinist movement sociologically. What each framework gets right is integrated into a new approach to religious strength based on Fligstein and McAdam’s strategic action field theory. After working through some “nuts and bolts” of this theory, the chapter concludes with a systematization of the theory/model, in which seventeen general social mechanisms are specified as causes that together produced the Reformed resurgence.

Reformed Resurgence

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brad Vermurlen
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
Direct Result ◽  
Western World ◽  
Theoretic Model ◽  
Religious Leaders ◽  
Strategic Action ◽  
American Christianity ◽  
Local Strength ◽  
Strategic Action Field

One of the biggest movements in American Christianity, especially among younger Evangelicals, is a groundswell of interest in the Reformed tradition. In Reformed Resurgence, Vermurlen provides a comprehensive sociological account of this New Calvinist phenomenon—and what it entails for the broader Evangelical landscape in the United States. Vermurlen’s explanation of the Reformed resurgence develops a new theory for understanding how conservative religion can be strong and thriving in the hypermodern Western world. It is a paradigm using and expanding on strategic action field theory, a recent framework proposed for the study of movements and organizations but rarely applied to religion. This approach to religion moves beyond market dynamics and cultural happenstance and instead shows how religious strength can be fought for and won as the direct result of religious leaders’ strategic actions and conflicts. But the battle comes at a cost. In the same storyline by which conservative Calvinistic belief experiences a resurgence in its field, present-day American Evangelicalism has turned in on itself. Because a field-theoretic model of strength is premised upon an underlying current of disunity and conflict, it has baked into it a concomitant element of significant overall religious weakness. The vision of Evangelicalism in the United States, in the end, consists of pockets of subcultural and local strength within a broader framework of secularization as “cultural entropy,” as religious meanings and coherence fall apart.

Quality Improvement of Recycled Aggregate Concrete

2006 ◽  
Vol 302-303 ◽  
pp. 308-313 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vivian W.Y. Tam ◽  
X.F. Gao ◽  
C.M. Tam
Keyword(s):  
Compressive Strength ◽  
Recycled Aggregate Concrete ◽  
Recycled Aggregate ◽  
Two Stage ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Aggregate Concrete ◽  
Strength Based ◽  
Mixing Method ◽  
Strength Variability

The developments of recycled aggregate concrete pressing hard in construction activities; however, the limitations on their applications had never being ended. The focus of this paper is: i) investigating the waste management strategy in construction; ii) proposing the two-stage mixing approach (TSMA) to improve the quality of RAC; and iii) experimenting the TSMA and assessing the benefits possibly gained. It proposes a new approach in mixing concrete, namely, the two-stage mixing method, to improve compressive strength of RAC and lower its strength variability. The replacement ratio from zero to thirty is under experiment on their compressive strength. Based upon the experimental results, improvements of 31 % in strength at 28 days with 30 % RA substitute was achieved. The effect can be attributably to the porous nature of the RA and the pre-mix process which can make some pores filled up resulting in a denser concrete and thus leading to higher strength when compared with the traditional mixing approach. Therefore, two-stage mixing approach can open up a wider application of recycled aggregate concrete.

scholarly journals Shifting Cases: Advancing a New Artifact for Entrepreneurial Education

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 211-227
Author(s):  
Marlo Rencher
Keyword(s):  
Early Stage ◽  
Safety Net ◽  
Boundary Object ◽  
Entrepreneurial Activity ◽  
Entrepreneurial Education ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Making Sense ◽  
Midwestern University ◽  
Dynamic Case

Entrepreneurship, as applied here, involves helping students develop an entrepreneurial mindset by working in a university-supported startup that lacks the artificiality of a simulation or the safety net of heavy financial subsidization. This article chronicles an organizational-wide change at a private Midwestern university and the development of a new “artifact”—the dynamic case study—to complement a new approach to business and entrepreneurial education. After reviewing the function of case studies in a teaching and research context, I consider this new kind of case study as a boundary object and means for making sense of early stage entrepreneurial activity.

scholarly journals Conceptualising bereavement in profound and multiple learning disabilities

2016 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 186-198 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannah Young
Keyword(s):  
Learning Disabilities ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Emotional Wellbeing ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Making Sense ◽  
Cognitive Approaches ◽  
Grief Responses ◽  
Grief Reactions ◽  
Grief Theories

Purpose Bereavement and loss are key factors in poor emotional wellbeing among people with profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD). However, little attention has been drawn to this group in the grief and disability literature. The purpose of this paper is to make sense of bereavement and loss in people with PMLD, with reference to theoretical contributions to the field and studies of grief reactions. Design/methodology/approach A systematic review revealed 34 relevant published works. These were analysed for relevant contributions. Findings Three main types of theoretical contributions have been made; traditional grief theories, cognitive approaches and attachment-based perspectives. Although a limited number of case studies exist, a range of grief reactions have been reported in people with PMLD. Traditional grief theories and cognitive approaches are somewhat limited in making sense of grief responses in this group, while attachment-based perspectives may prove useful in providing theoretical and therapeutic direction. Research limitations/implications Further research is required to more accurately describe the nature of relationships in people with PMLD. Practical implications Major contributions to the field point to the value of facilitating engagement with the grieving process, through communication around the loss and training for staff. In addition, attachment-based perspectives are offering routes for establishing therapeutic relationships that may help to resolve behavioural difficulties. Originality/value This paper provides an overview of the perspectives within bereavement and disability, drawing together clear theoretical frameworks for future research and practice.

THEORIES OF DEMOCRATIZATION: LOCATING EU CONDITIONALITY IN THE BIGGER THEORETICAL PICTURE

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 114-121
Author(s):  
T. S. Rudnev ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
Free Standing ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Norm Diffusion ◽  
Growing Body ◽  
External Incentives

One of the primary goals of the European Union’s membership conditionality is to promote stability and de-mocracy outside its immediate borders. Thus, being subjected to EU conditionality can be a factor affecting democratization processes in candidate countries. The article attempts to locate the study of EU-induced de-mocratization within the bigger theoretical picture of democratization studies. This article starts with a dis-cussion of different theories and approaches to the study of democratization, including the theory of norm diffusion (Risse, 1999) and the theory of linkage/leverage (Levitsky and Way, 2002). After indicating how the study of EU-induced democratization can be and has been approached within those theories, and the arti-cle proceeds with an outline and analysis of a rather new approach utilizing an External Incentives Model (Schimmelfennig, 2003), which stemmed from the growing body of free-standing research dedicated specifi-cally to the problem of Europeanization. Thus, the article demonstrates that the study of Europeanization of candidate countries not only invited the application of pre-existing theoretical frameworks from different subdisciplines but also produced a new theoretical framework dedicated specifically to the study of Europe-anization.

None of the Above

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joel Thiessen ◽  
Sarah Wilkins-Laflamme
Keyword(s):  
Social Life ◽  
Sociology Of Religion ◽  
The United States ◽  
Spiritual Beliefs ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
Political Values ◽  
Beliefs And Practices ◽  
Social Divide ◽  
Large Groups ◽  
Central Claim

This book examines the nearly one-quarter of American and Canadian adults who say they have no religion. Who are they? Why, and where, has this population grown? How do religious nones in the United States and Canada compare? What are the dynamics of being a religious none in contemporary America and Canada, and how does this willful distance from organized religion impact other aspects of daily and social life? This book turns to survey and interview data to answer these questions against the backdrop of three theoretical frameworks in the sociology of religion: stages of decline, individualization and spiritualization, and polarization. The central claim is that there is a gradual religious decline happening in stages across time and generations and at different rates in various social, cultural, and regional contexts, leading to the rise of religious nones. Yet, this form of decline does not imply the disappearance of all things religious and spiritual, as a diversity of spiritual beliefs and practices along with nonbelief and secular attitudes coexist and are constantly evolving. The decline of organized religion among large segments of the American and Canadian populations also does not mean that religion is necessarily less relevant for everyday interactions and social life. If anything, that there are now large groups of religious and nonreligious individuals coexisting in both countries could mean there is a greater social divide and distance in moral and political values and behaviors along religious/nonreligious lines, as well as in interactions and attitudes between the religious and nonreligious.

Theories in Futures Studies: Examining the Theory Base of the Futures Field in Light of Survey Results

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matti Minkkinen
Keyword(s):  
Research Centre ◽  
Futures Studies ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
Making Sense ◽  
Theoretical Approaches ◽  
Survey Results ◽  
Theories Of Change ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
Theory Base

This review article opens discussion on theories in futures studies by analyzing survey results from Finland Futures Research Centre and using the results as an entry point to discussing theoretical lineages found in the literature. The survey, conducted in 2019, included twenty-four responses from researchers and postgraduate students. Altogether 192 different theories or theoretical frameworks were identified. Social science theories and conceptual frameworks were particularly prevalent in the responses, and the most common recurring themes included systems, complexity, and anticipation. The responses are discussed in terms of three levels: philosophy of science, theories of futures studies, and theories in futures studies. Theories in futures studies are further divided into theories of action, practices, and behavior; theories of change; and theories on the micro-, meso-, and macro levels. The results are contextualized and complemented by proposing five functionally differentiated theoretical approaches: (1) theories for forecasting, (2) theories for representing futures, (3) theories for pursuing desired futures, (4) theories for making sense of anticipatory processes, and (5) radical epistemological critiques. The analysis is intended to open discussion on theories rather than provide an exhaustive list of the most important theories. Nevertheless, we can conclude that the field has a rich theory base which could be emphasized in futures education and developed further. It is crucial that actors in the futures field are aware of the theories that guide them because influential theories take part in making the future.

scholarly journals Multi-Theory Model and Predictors of Likelihood of Accepting the Series of HPV Vaccination: A Cross-Sectional Study among Ghanaian Adolescents

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 571 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Asare ◽  
Peter Agyei-Baffour ◽  
Beth A. Lanning ◽  
Alex Barimah Owusu ◽  
Mary E. Commeh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High School Students ◽  
Hpv Vaccination ◽  
Educational Interventions ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Theory Model ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
School Students ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Vaccination Uptake

HPV vaccines are efficacious in preventing HPV related cancers. However, the vaccination uptake in Ghana is very low. Studies that utilize theoretical frameworks to identify contributory factors to HPV vaccination uptake in Ghana are understudied. We used multi-theory model (MTM) constructs to predict initiation and completion of HPV vaccination series in Ghanaian adolescents. Adolescents (n = 285) between the ages of 12 and 17 years old were recruited from four selected schools in Ghana to participate in the cross-sectional study. Linear regressions were used to analyze the data. Most participants were female (91.2%) and senior high school students (60.0%). Many of the participants had neither heard about HPV (92.3%) nor HPV vaccinations (95.4%). Significant predictors of adolescents’ likelihood of getting the first dose of HPV vaccination were perceived beliefs and change in a physical environment (p < 0.001), with each variable accounting for 6.1%and 8.8% of the variance respectively. Significant predictors of adolescents’ likelihood of completing HPV vaccination recommended series were perceived beliefs, practice for change, and emotional transformation (p < 0.001), with each variable accounting for 7.8%, 8.1%, and 1.1% of the variance respectively. Findings underscore important opportunities for developing educational interventions for adolescents in Ghana to increase the HPV vaccination uptake.

scholarly journals Taste matters: Cultural capital and elites in proximate Strategic Action Fields

2016 ◽  
Vol 70 (2) ◽  
pp. 211-236 ◽  
Author(s):  
Crawford Spence ◽  
Chris Carter ◽  
Javier Husillos ◽  
Pablo Archel
Keyword(s):  
Field Theory ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Private Sector ◽  
Cultural Capital ◽  
Empirical Research ◽  
Recent Literature ◽  
Professional Roles ◽  
Strategic Action ◽  
The Public ◽  
Strategic Action Field

Recent literature suggests that elites are increasingly fragmented and divided. Yet there is very little empirical research that maps the distinctions between different elite groups. This article explores the cultural divisions that pertain to elite factions in two distinct but proximate Strategic Action Fields. A key insight from the article is that the public sector faction studied exhibits a much broader, more aesthetic set of cultural dispositions than their private sector counterparts. This permits a number of inter-related contributions to be made to literature on both elites and field theory. First, the findings suggest that cultural capital acts as a salient source of distinction between elite factions in different Strategic Action Fields. Second, it is demonstrated how cultural capital is socially functional as certain cultural dispositions are strongly homologous with specific professional roles. Third, the article demonstrates the implications for the structure of the State when two culturally distinct elites are brought together in a new Strategic Action Field.

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