Sociological Imagination and Literary Intuition

2016 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 300-323 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara A. Misztal
Keyword(s):  
Digital Age ◽  
Social World ◽  
Sociological Imagination ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Impact ◽  
A Current

The paper argues that if imagination is paramount for sociology’s status and if literary intuition is a source of such imagination, we should rethink the value of literary insight for social analyses. It reviews the changing relationship between literature and sociology and shows how sociology can draw from literature as a starting point for understanding the social world and a way of invigorating sociological imagination. By framing the digital age as a current moment of change that has reconfigured the relation between sociology and literature, it illuminates the impact of challenges faced by both sociology and literature. It argues for the validity of literature for sociological use in the digital future and calls for more reflection on the utility and scope of the linkage. It asserts the literary inspired way of doing sociology, which takes advantage of the chance provided by the e-revolution, is one of ways forward for sociology.

Liszt at the Piano: The Impact of Iconography on mid-Nineteenth Century Musicology

2014 ◽  
Vol 55 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 131-144
Author(s):  
Suzanne Marie Francis
Keyword(s):  
Nineteenth Century ◽  
Music History ◽  
Collective Identities ◽  
Cultural Contexts ◽  
Maximum Benefit ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
The Social ◽  
Iconic Status ◽  
The Impact

By the time of his death in 1827, the image of Beethoven as we recognise him today was firmly fixed in the minds of his contemporaries, and the career of Liszt was beginning to flower into that of the virtuosic performer he would be recognised as by the end of the 1830s. By analysing the seminal artwork Liszt at the Piano of 1840 by Josef Danhauser, we can see how a seemingly unremarkable head-and-shoulders bust of Beethoven in fact holds the key to unlocking the layers of commentary on both Liszt and Beethoven beneath the surface of the image. Taking the analysis by Alessandra Comini as a starting point, this paper will look deeper into the subtle connections discernible between the protagonists of the picture. These reveal how the collective identities of the artist and his painted assembly contribute directly to Beethoven’s already iconic status within music history around 1840 and reflect the reception of Liszt at this time. Set against the background of Romanticism predominant in the social and cultural contexts of the mid 1800s, it becomes apparent that it is no longer enough to look at a picture of a composer or performer in isolation to understand its impact on the construction of an overall identity. Each image must be viewed in relation to those that preceded and came after it to gain the maximum benefit from what it can tell us.

A Simple Starting Point for Designing for and/or Assessing the Social Impact of Products

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hans Ottosson ◽  
Emma Hirschi ◽  
Christopher A. Mattson ◽  
Eric Dahlin
Keyword(s):  
Product Development ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Development Process ◽  
Social Impacts ◽  
Product Development Process ◽  
Impact Categories ◽  
Functional Characteristics ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Impact

In this paper we present a starting point for designing for and/or assessing the social impact of engineered products. The starting point is a set of tables comprising products, their general functional characteristics, and the accompanying social impacts. We have constructed these tables by first extracting a set of social impact categories from the literature, then 65 products were qualitatively reviewed to find their social impact. The resulting product impact tables can be used at either the beginning of the product development process to decide what social impact to design for and discover product functions that lead to it, or later to qualitatively assess the social impact of a product being designed and/or to assess the impact of an existing product.

The effects of ageing on female genital and sexual health

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (18) ◽  
pp. 1192-1195
Author(s):  
Dawne Garrett ◽  
Sandra Lawton
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Health ◽  
Older Women ◽  
Women’S Sexual Health ◽  
Functional Aspects ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
The Social ◽  
Reflective Questions ◽  
Skin Conditions ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Female Genital

This article will explore the impact of ageing on sexual function in older women and will reflect on the social influences on women's sexual ageing, identify the effects of ageing on sexual activity, particularly on genital skin, and consider the concerns from the perspective of older women. The article will then focus on vulval skin conditions and the functional aspects of living with these conditions. Finally, the article provides a starting point for nurses to consider their own knowledge, skills and attitudes through a series of reflective questions and recommendations for those working with older women to aid the identification of issues relating to older women's sexual health and vulval skin conditions, leading to further discussions to promote genital health.

Epistemology, social inquiry and quantum theory

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 228-242
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Monk-Turner
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Popular Culture ◽  
Quantum Theory ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Social World ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
The Social ◽  
Modern Physics

PurposeThis work examines assumptions of positivism and the traditional scientific method.Design/methodology/approachInsights from quantum mechanics are explored especially as they relate to method, measurement and what is knowable. An argument is made that how social scientists, particularly sociologists, understand the nature of “reality out there” and describe the social world may be challenged by quantum ideas. The benefits of utilized mixed methods, considering quantum insights, cannot be overstated.FindingsIt is the proposition of this work that insights from modern physics alter the understanding of the world “out there.” Wheeler suggested that the most profound implication from modern physics is that “there is no out there” (1982; see also Baggott, 1992). Grappling with how modern physics may alter understanding in the social sciences will be difficult; however, that does not mean the task should not be undertaken (see Goswami, 1993). A starting point for the social sciences may be relinquishing an old mechanistic science that depends on the establishment of an objective, empirically based, verifiable reality. Mechanistic science demands “one true reality – a clear-cut reality on which everyone can agree…. Mechanistic science is by definition reductionistic…it has had to try to reduce complexity to oversimplification and process to statis. This creates an illusionary world…that has little or nothing to do with the complexity of the process of the reality of creation as we know, experience, and participate in it” (Goswami, 1993, pp. 64, 66).Research limitations/implicationsMany physicists have popularized quantum ideas for others interested in contemplating the implications of modern physics. Because of the difficulty in conceiving of quantum ideas, the meaning of the quantum in popular culture is far removed from the parent discipline. Thus, the culture has been shaped by the rhetoric and ideas surrounding the basic quantum mathematical formulas. And, over time, as quantum ideas have come to be part of the popular culture, even the link to the popularized literature in physics is lost. Rather, quantum ideas may be viewed as cultural formations that take on a life of their own.Practical implicationsThe work allows a critique of positivist method and provides insight on how to frame qualitative methodology in a new way.Social implicationsThe work utilizes popularized ideas in quantum theory: the preeminent theory that describes all matter. Little work in sociology utilizes this perspective in understanding research methods.Originality/valueQuantum insights have rarely been explored in highlighting limitations in positivism. The current work aims to build on quantum insights and how these may help us better understand the social world around us.

Stress and Anxiety in the Digital Age

2022 ◽  
pp. 118-123
Author(s):  
Humera Waseem Khan ◽  
Arti Jain
Keyword(s):  
Digital Age ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social World ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
High Status ◽  
The Social ◽  
The World ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Mental Fitness ◽  
Digital Stress

While digitalization undoubtedly has improved the access to information and communication with the world, increased cases of cyberbullying, harassment, cyber abuse, and suicide numbers have also surfaced among teens. The hype of the online world, the celebrity culture, and their high status seldom generate the fear of inadequacy, dissatisfaction, and isolation which ultimately aggravate the feeling of anxiety and depression. This chapter will underline the causes of the digital stress and technology-related anxiety among adolescents, their deteriorating psychophysical behavior, factors disintegrating their mental fitness and physical well-being, and most importantly, the answer to the problem. Various small steps can be taken to avoid serious problems such as talking with your family and friends. Some other approaches include cutting off from the negative digital surroundings, limiting the watch time, etc. With the growing online world, there is an urgent need to control the exposure one gives to the social world.

Yahweh and His Clio: Critical Theory and the Historical Criticism of the Hebrew Bible

2006 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 149-168 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. D. Miller
Keyword(s):  
Critical Theory ◽  
Cultural History ◽  
Hebrew Bible ◽  
Social World ◽  
Historical Criticism ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Social ◽  
Ancient Israel ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Impact

Discussion about the reconstruction of the history of ancient Israel seldom interacts with theoretical literature on the nature of history. Modern attempts to write Israel’s history, however, have been shaped by their theoretical underpinnings for the past two centuries. This essay explores the epistemological underpinnings of the historical criticism of the Hebrew Bible, outlines trends in historiographical theory, and assesses the impact newer theories of intellectual cultural history can have on studies of the history of the social world of ancient Israel.

Arabic Folk Linguistics

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasir Suleiman
Keyword(s):  
Social World ◽  
Conceptual Frameworks ◽  
Folk Linguistics ◽  
Arabic Speakers ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
The Social ◽  
Arabic Sociolinguistics ◽  
Arabic Speaking ◽  
Classical Arabic

This article addresses some long-standing issues in Arabic sociolinguistics. The starting point is the concept of diglossia, which has become the port of entry for any discussion of the semiliquid language situation in the Arabic-speaking world. It first outlines the most abiding criticisms against diglossia and then offers thoughts on these as a prelude to discussing Arabic folk linguistics. It is argued that a folk linguistic perspective should be incorporated in studying Arabic in the social world. This perspective is important in developing an insider understanding of the language that may be at odds with the findings of modern linguistics. To aid the process of developing this perspective, the article adopts the terminology and conceptual frameworks Arabic speakers use in describing their language situation wherever possible—hence, the choice of fusha and ‘ammiyya instead of any of their translations into English, including Classical Arabic and vernacular, which Haeri uses.

scholarly journals Using, Citing and Publishing Scholarly Content in the Digital Age: Case Study of Humanities Researchers

2015 ◽  
Vol 53 (1(105)) ◽  
pp. 7-19
Author(s):  
David Nicholas
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Open Access ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
International Study ◽  
Digital Age ◽  
Arts And Humanities ◽  
The Social ◽  
Academic Researchers ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Way

PURPOSE: The research upon which this article is largely based comes from a year-long international study of trustworthiness in scholarly Communications in the digital age, Essentially, the main thrust of the project was to determine the impact of the digital transition and the new products it has ushered in, such as open access publications and the social media, on academic researchers’ scholarly practices. This paper focuses and reflects further on the disciplinary differences of scholarly researchers when it comes to using, citing and publishing and, especially, whether arts and humanities researchers are any different in the way they think and behave to their counterparts in the sciences and social sciences. APPROACH/METHODS: An international survey of over 3650 academic researchers examined how trustworthiness is determined when making decisions on scholarly reading, citing, and publishing in the digital age. The survey asked respondents whether or not they agreed with comments and ąuotes about scholarly behaviour obtained from pre-survey focus groups and interviews. Data from focus groups, interviews and the published literature are also used to explain further the results of the survey. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: In generał, it was found that traditional methods and criteria remain important across the board. That is, researchers have moved inexorably from a print-based system to a digital system, but have not significantly changed the way they decide what to trust, where to publish, what to cite or use. Social media outlets and (non-peer reviewed) open access publications are not fully trusted. However, there were some significant differences according to the discipline of the respondent and this papers focuses upon these differences by comparing the views and behaviour of arts and humanities researchers with those from other disciplines. The main findings were: a) journals and the metrics that surround them are clearly not so important to humanities scholars, but nevertheless still pretty important; b) humanities researchers take a lot more care about what they use and where content comes from; c) humanities researchers look slightly more favourably on the social media. Originality/value: As far as it is known this is the first comprehensive study of digital humanities researchers and their decisions on what they use and cite and where they choose to publish.

scholarly journals Formation of sociological imagination in students of technical institutions in education in the process of teaching sociology

2021 ◽  
pp. 17-22
Author(s):  
L. Lipich ◽  
O. Balagura
Keyword(s):  
Social Problems ◽  
Modern Society ◽  
Social World ◽  
Social Processes ◽  
Sociological Imagination ◽  
Educational Institutions ◽  
Teaching Sociology ◽  
Educational Role ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Status

The article is devoted to the problem of formation of sociological imagination in the process of teaching sociology to students studying in technical educational institutions. The concept of “sociological imagination”, introduced into scientific circulation by the American sociologist Wright Mills, is being clarified. It turns out that the concept of sociological imagination has acquired the status of one of the main in modern sociology and began to play an important educational role, and in sociological science, respectively, methodological and methodological. Attention is paid to the peculiarities of teaching sociology in technical educational institutions, and in view of this, the problem of forming the sociological imagination of students. The fact is that sociology in technical educational institutions is not professional, so it is taught exclusively as a general discipline of worldview. The purpose of teaching sociology in such higher education institutions is to promote the formation of students’ sociological imagination, ie to help future specialists in engineering to develop the ability to think socially, ie to adequately perceive, comprehend and interpret social processes and phenomena, analyze and be ready to solve complex social problems. The solution of this problem involves the use of such methods of teaching sociology, which would be related to the specific practices of modern society, taking into account the universal and professional interests of future professionals. The own experience of teaching sociology at the National Transport University is analyzed. There are examples of using different methods of teaching sociology, aimed at forming a sociological imagination that allow students to perceive the social world around them and relate their professional problems with general social problems, educate and shape their civic position and increase their general cultural level.

The Social World as Will and Idea: Schopenhauer's Influence upon Durkheim's Thought

1988 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 674-705 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stjepan G. Mestrovic
Keyword(s):  
Human Nature ◽  
Sociological Theory ◽  
Social World ◽  
The Unconscious ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
The Social ◽  
Intellectual Context ◽  
Nature Perception ◽  
The Mind ◽  
Unity Of Knowledge

The starting-point for this analysis is a remark made by André Lalande, that Durkheim was so enamoured with Schopenhauer's philosophy that his students nicknamed him ‘Schopen’. The intellectual context shared by Schopenhauer and Durkheim is explored, especially with regard to the opposition between the id-like ‘will’ and the mind. Schopenhauer's influence upon Durkheim's contemporaries is examined briefly. Then, this new context for apprehending Durkheim's thought is applied to selected problems in Durkheimian scholarship, problems that have to do with the dualism of human nature, perception, the unconscious and the unity of knowledge relative to the object-subject debate. The implications for sociological theory are also discussed.

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