scholarly journals Critique and cognitive capacities: Towards an action-oriented model

2021 ◽  
pp. 019145372098786
Author(s):  
Magnus Hörnqvist
Keyword(s):  
Social Theory ◽  
Central Place ◽  
Critical Social Theory ◽  
Cognitive Content ◽  
Cognitive Capacities ◽  
The Social ◽  
Representational Model ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Scientific Standards ◽  
Critical Social

In response to an impasse, articulated in the late 1980s, the cognitive capacities of ordinary people assumed central place in contemporary critical social theory. The participants’ perspective gained precedence over scientific standards branded as external. The notion of cognition, however, went unchallenged. This article continues the move away from external standards, and discusses two models of critique, which differ based on their underlying notions of cognition. The representational model builds on cognitive content, misrecognition and normativity; three features which are illustrated with positions adopted by prominent exponents of critical social theory. An alternative understanding relies on action-oriented disclosure and the participants’ basic familiarity with the social world. On this reading, what clashes with unequal structures is skilful coping, rather than representations and normative standards. The action-oriented approach may overcome the dilemma of understanding both the impact and the possible transcendence of unequal structures, although it cannot ultimately replace representational critique.

Relations, Human and Non-human

2020 ◽  
pp. 106-135
Author(s):  
Milja Kurki
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
International Relations ◽  
Social Theory ◽  
International Relations Theory ◽  
Critical Social Theory ◽  
The Social ◽  
Critical Social

This chapter argues for an extension of how we think relationally via relational cosmology. It places relational cosmology in a conversation with varied relational perspectives in critical social theory and argues that specific kinds of extensions and dialogues emerge from this perspective. In particular, a conversation on how to think relationality without fixing its meaning is advanced. This chapter also discusses in detail how to extend beyond discussion of ‘human’ relationalities towards comprehending the wider ‘mesh’ of relations that matter but are hard to capture for situated knowers in the social sciences and IR. This key chapter seeks to provide the basis for a translation between relational cosmology, critical social theory, critical humanism and International Relations theory.

Stretching Situated Knowledge

2020 ◽  
pp. 87-105
Author(s):  
Milja Kurki
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Social Theory ◽  
Knowledge Production ◽  
Critical Social Theory ◽  
Situated Knowledge ◽  
Ir Theory ◽  
The Social ◽  
Standpoint Epistemology ◽  
Critical Social

This chapter, first of three to develop relational cosmology in conversation with critical social theory and IR theory, argues that at the heart of relational cosmology lies a commitment to situated knowledge. This perspective on knowledge production is similar in some regards to standpoint epistemology but also diverges from it in key respects. The chapter argues that IR scholarship can benefit from close engagement with relational cosmology suggestions as to how our knowledge is limited and how we might need to ‘deal with it’, especially in the social sciences, where there is a tendency to glorify the role of the human in knowing the human.

Critical Social Theory as a Means of Analysis for Caring in Nursing

2007 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane Sumner
Keyword(s):  
Social Construction ◽  
Social Theory ◽  
Delivery System ◽  
Nursing Practice ◽  
Healthcare Delivery ◽  
Critical Social Theory ◽  
Healthcare Delivery System ◽  
Norms And Values ◽  
The Social ◽  
Critical Social

Critical social theory (CST) is offered as a means to explore the social construction of the patient-nurse relationship within the power constraints of the healthcare delivery system. It is a tool that probes for gaps, silences, and false construction in discourse within this relationship in order to identify excluded or marginalized voices. It provides an opportunity to question historical influences, confront unquestioned norms and values and their relevance in today’s nursing practice. Power is examined as knowledge and as moral, and is explored within the patient-nurse hierarchy. As a method, CST facilitates understanding of caring in nursing.

The critical social theory of the Frankfurt School, and the ‘social turn’ in IR

2005 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 195-209 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Weber
Keyword(s):  
Social Theory ◽  
Juergen Habermas ◽  
Frankfurt School ◽  
Normative Theory ◽  
Critical Social Theory ◽  
Ir Theory ◽  
Philosophical Inquiry ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Status ◽  
Critical Social

Critical theory in the Frankfurt School mould has made various inroads into IR theorising, and provided many a stimulus to attempts at redressing the ‘positivist’ imbalance in the discipline. Many of the conceptual offerings of the Frankfurt School perspective have received critical attention in IR theory debates, and while these are still ongoing, the purpose of this discussion is not to attempt to contribute by furthering either methodological interests, or politico-philosophical inquiry. Instead, I focus on the near omission of the social-theoretic aspect of the work especially of Juergen Habermas. I argue that a more in-depth exploration of critical social theory has considerable potential in the context of the ‘social turn’ in IR theory. The lack of attention to this potential is arguably due in part to the importance of Habermas' contribution to cosmopolitan normative theory, and the status held by the cosmopolitan-communitarian debate as a key site of critical IR debate for many years throughout the 1990s. The productivity of the Habermasian conception of the discourse theory of morality within this set of concerns has been obvious, and continues.

scholarly journals Political praxis, social analysis and western modernization: a theoretical-political route for critical social theory

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 154-173
Author(s):  
Leno Francisco Danner ◽  
Fernando Danner
Keyword(s):  
Social Theory ◽  
Karl Marx ◽  
Social Systems ◽  
Social Classes ◽  
Critical Social Theory ◽  
Social Analysis ◽  
Erich Fromm ◽  
The Social ◽  
Political Praxis ◽  
Critical Social

This paper criticizes the emphasis placed by contemporary social theory and political philosophy on institutionalism as the basis for the understanding, legitimation and changing of institutions, or social systems, and society as a whole. The more impactful characteristic of institutionalism is its technical-logical structuring, based on an impartial, neutral and formal proceduralism that autonomizes social systems in relation to political praxis and social normativity, depoliticizing these social systems. Here, they are no longer depoliticized, but assume political centrality as the fundamental social subjects of the legitimation and evolution of institutions and society. The paper’s central argument is that it is necessary to re-politicize the institutions and the social subjects or social classes in order to ground and streamline a direct political praxis and the civil society’s social-political subjects as the basis for framing and legitimizing the current process of Western modernization. Recovering the politicity and the carnality of institutions, of social classes and of the evolution of society, is the fundamental task for a contemporary critical social theory that faces the strong institutionalism based on systemic theory. Such politicization is the unforgettable teaching of Karl Marx and Erich Fromm: the institutions have political content and political subjects, they are the result of social struggles for hegemony between opposed social classes which are political. Now, such politicity-carnality must be unveiled and used for an emancipatory democratic political praxis as the route for social analysis and political change, in opposition to the technical-logical understanding both of the institutions and of the social subjects.

scholarly journals Class conflicts, defense of rights and Social Work

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 20
Author(s):  
Jaime Hillesheim
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Theory ◽  
Social Service ◽  
Critical Social Theory ◽  
Professional Work ◽  
The Social ◽  
Political Project ◽  
Gyorgy Lukacs ◽  
Critical Social

Based on Marxian and Marxist assumptions, in particular, the contributions of György Lukács to law as ideology, we try to elicit reflection on the current theoretical and practical challenges to social service to prevent the profession from seeing its ethico-political project capitulate in view of the intensification of the capital offensive against labor. In this paper, the contradictions of the social worker’s work in defending and extending rights vis-a-vis the own logic of bourgeois sociability are discussed. We address the challenges imposed by the limits of such sociability, which require, to be faced, an understanding of critical social theory, given its potential to contribute to professional work in line with the values and principles of the aforementioned project.***Conflitos de classes, defesa de direitos e Serviço Social***A partir de pressupostos marxianos e marxistas, em particular, das contribuições de György Lukács sobre o direito como ideologia, procura-se, aqui, instigar a reflexão sobre os desafios teóricos e práticos do serviço social no tempo presente, para que a profissão não veja seu projeto ético-político capitular em face da intensificação da ofensiva do capital sobre o trabalho. No presente artigo são abordadas, essencialmente, as contradições do trabalho do assistente social na defesa e ampliação dos direitos em face da lógica própria da sociabilidade burguesa. São situados os desafios impostos pelos limites dessa sociabilidade que exigem, para o seu enfrentamento, a compreensão da teoria social crítica, haja vista seu potencial de subsidiar o trabalho profissional em consonância com os valores e princípios contantes do projeto supracitado.Palavras-chave: Luta de classes. Direitos. Emancipação Humana. Serviço social.

scholarly journals On the ontology of social pathologies

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Onni Hirvonen
Keyword(s):  
Social Theory ◽  
Social Ontology ◽  
Critical Social Theory ◽  
Pathological State ◽  
Social Pathology ◽  
Population Groups ◽  
Ontological Commitments ◽  
The Social ◽  
Short Presentation ◽  
Critical Social

The recent years have seen a rehabilitation of the concept of social pathology in the critical social theory. However, several pertinent questions about how to understand social pathologies remain. One of the big issues is, who is actually ill when a society is ill? Is it certain individuals, a large proportion of the population, groups, institutions, or the society as a whole? And what does it mean for these entities to be in a pathological state?This short presentation introduces four conceptions of social pathology that can be divided into roughly two camps. The “thin sense” of social pathology is more metaphorical and focuses on the socially caused and pervasive suffering of individuals while the “thick sense” of social pathology takes seriously the medical connotations of the word pathology and aims to apply them on the social or collective level. The aim in here is to highlight how the social-ontological commitments of the theories of social pathologies vary greatly. While it becomes clear that critical social theory can be achieved almost any combination of social ontological positions, the short analysis finishes with tentative desiderata for critical social ontology. 

Doing Critical IS Research

2011 ◽  
pp. 141-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dubravka Cecez-Kecmanovic
Keyword(s):  
Social Theory ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Social Consequences ◽  
Critical Social Theory ◽  
Complex Relationship ◽  
Information System Design ◽  
Is Research ◽  
The Social ◽  
Critical Process ◽  
Critical Social

Critical information systems (IS) research denotes a critical process of inquiry that seeks to achieve emancipatory social change by going beyond the apparent to reveal hidden agendas, concealed inequalities and tacit manipulation involved in a complex relationship between IS and their social, political and organisational contexts. It has its philosophical and theoretical roots in critical social theory (Held, 1980; Fay, 1987; Morrow and Brown, 1994). As a critical social researcher studies the social life of people in order to help them change conditions and improve their lives, so too does a critical IS researcher. By demystifying technological imperatives and managerial rationalism justifying a particular information system design, the critical IS researcher helps both IS practitioners and users understand its social consequences, envisage desirable alternatives and take action.

scholarly journals Pathologies of recognition: An introduction

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-9
Author(s):  
Neal Harris
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Social Theory ◽  
Social Research ◽  
Frankfurt School ◽  
Critical Social Theory ◽  
Social Critique ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Social Pathology ◽  
The Social ◽  
Critical Social

For generations, critical social theorists have turned to the framing of ‘pathology’ to provide a theoretical infrastructure for their critique. Such an approach famously undergirds much of the Frankfurt School’s canonical work. Axel Honneth, current chair of the Institute of Social Research, continues this tradition. While Frankfurt School approaches have largely tied pathology diagnosis to a critique of historically mediated reason, a plurality of alternate conceptions exist. With the ascendancy of an intersubjective approach to critical social theory, the pathologies of the social have increasingly been comprehended as ‘pathologies of recognition’. Advocates of such a framing point to the ease of establishing an immanent basis to their critique, and of the empirical evidence supporting the need for recognition. Yet, today’s academy is increasingly spilt between those who embrace a ‘pathologies of recognition’ framework, and those who consider the development a ‘domestication’ of the Critical Theoretical tradition. This special issue brings together contributors from both sides of this divide. While the optimal framing of social pathology remains contested, the contributors to this collection are committed to furthering forms of social critique which transcend the limited liberal framings of injustice and illegitimacy.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document