scholarly journals What is neoclassical economics? The three axioms responsible for its theoretical oeuvre, practical irrelevance and, thus, discursive power

2006 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Arnsperger ◽  
Yanis Varoufakis
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
19Th Century ◽  
Economic Models ◽  
Neoclassical Economic ◽  
Neoclassical Economics ◽  
Late 19Th Century ◽  
The Social ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Discursive Power ◽  
Theoretical Foundations

This paper offers a precise definition of neoclassical economics based on three axioms which lie at the latter's foundations. This definition is all inclusive in that it applies as much to the neoclassical economic models of the late 19th century as it does to today's more flexible and 'inclusive' models. The paper argues that these axioms, simultaneously, (a) provide the foundation for neoclassicism?s discursive success within the social sciences and (b) are the deep cause of its theoretical failure. Moreover, (a) and (b) reinforce one another as neoclassicism's discursive power (which is largely due to the hidden nature of its three foundational axioms) makes it even less likely that it will conduct an open, pluralist debate on its theoretical foundations (i.e. the three axioms which underpin it).

Frédéric Le Play and 19th-century vision machines

2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 66-93 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harry Freemantle
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
19Th Century ◽  
Linear Time ◽  
Western Civilization ◽  
Late 19Th Century ◽  
The Gaze ◽  
The Social ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Spectator ◽  
Historical Moment

An early proponent of the social sciences, Frédéric Le Play, was the occupant of senior positions within the French state in the mid- to late 19th century. He was writing at a time when science was ascending. There was for him no doubt that scientific observation, correctly applied, would allow him unmediated access to the truth. It is significant that Le Play was the organizer of a number of universal expositions because these expositions were used as vehicles to demonstrate the ascendant position of western civilization. The fabrication of linear time is a history of progress requiring a vision of history analogous to the view offered the spectator at a diorama. Le Play employed the design principles and spirit of the diorama in his formulations for the social sciences, and L’Exposition Universelle of 1867 used the technology wherever it could. Both the gaze of the spectators and the objects viewed are part and products of the same particular and unique historical formation. Ideas of perception cannot be separated out from the conditions that make them possible. Vision and its effects are inseparable from the observing subject who is both a product of a particular historical moment and the site of certain practices.

scholarly journals Has the Credibility of the Social Sciences Been Credibly Destroyed? Reanalyzing the “Many Analysts, One Data Set” Project

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 237802312110244
Author(s):  
Katrin Auspurg ◽  
Josef Brüderl
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Causal Reasoning ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Social Science Research ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Skin Tone ◽  
Data Set ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Many ◽  
Definition Of

In 2018, Silberzahn, Uhlmann, Nosek, and colleagues published an article in which 29 teams analyzed the same research question with the same data: Are soccer referees more likely to give red cards to players with dark skin tone than light skin tone? The results obtained by the teams differed extensively. Many concluded from this widely noted exercise that the social sciences are not rigorous enough to provide definitive answers. In this article, we investigate why results diverged so much. We argue that the main reason was an unclear research question: Teams differed in their interpretation of the research question and therefore used diverse research designs and model specifications. We show by reanalyzing the data that with a clear research question, a precise definition of the parameter of interest, and theory-guided causal reasoning, results vary only within a narrow range. The broad conclusion of our reanalysis is that social science research needs to be more precise in its “estimands” to become credible.

scholarly journals Subaltern Debris: Archaeology and Marginalized Communities

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Beatriz Marín-Aguilera
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Marginalized Communities ◽  
Social Sciences And Humanities ◽  
The Social ◽  
Patricia Hill Collins ◽  
Definition Of

Archaeologists, like many other scholars in the Social Sciences and Humanities, are particularly concerned with the study of past and present subalterns. Yet the very concept of ‘the subaltern’ is elusive and rarely theorized in archaeological literature, or it is only mentioned in passing. This article engages with the work of Gramsci and Patricia Hill Collins to map a more comprehensive definition of subalternity, and to develop a methodology to chart the different ways in which subalternity is manifested and reproduced.

Moral economy: What’s in a name

2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
James G Carrier
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Economic Activity ◽  
Moral Economy ◽  
Moral Value ◽  
The Past ◽  
Empty Symbol ◽  
The Social ◽  
State Of Affairs ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Moral Economic

The idea of moral economy has been increasingly popular in the social sciences over the past decade, given a confusing variety of meanings and sometimes invoked as an empty symbol. This paper begins by describing this state of affairs and some of its undesirable corollaries, which include unthinking invocations of the moral and simplistic views of some sorts of economic activity. Then, referring especially to the work of EP Thompson and James C Scott, this paper proposes a more precise definition of moral economy that roots moral economic activity in the mutual obligations that arise when people transact with each other over the course of time. It thus distinguishes between the moral values that are the context of economic activity and those that arise from the activity itself. The solution that the paper proposes to the confused state of ‘moral economy’ can, therefore, be seen as terminological, as the sub-title suggests, but it is intended to have the substantive benefits of a better approach to economic activity and circulation and a more explicit and thoughtful attention to moral value.

scholarly journals Inhabiting Relingos: Horizontal Harlem, Told Vertically

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannah Huxley
Keyword(s):  
19Th Century ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Rapid Growth ◽  
Critical Approach ◽  
Late 19Th Century ◽  
Rich Variety ◽  
Academic Scholarship ◽  
Cultural Renaissance ◽  
American Author ◽  
Definition Of

 From the period of its development during the late 19th century, Harlem has experienced rapid growth, both spatially and aesthetically. A rich variety of literature has emerged, and continues to emerge, from its diverse and multicultural scene, prompting a new critical approach in academic scholarship. This thesis explores the transnational impact of Harlem, from the emergence of its cultural renaissance to its contemporary aesthetic presence. Specifically, it will consider the recently published work of Latin-American author Valeria Luiselli, discussing the transnational dimensions of her novel, and the re-definition of Harlem as a space without aesthetic or spatial boundaries.

scholarly journals When Artists Became Intellectuals: Science as a Significant Other for the Female Artistic Persona

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 60-73
Author(s):  
Julia Dahlberg
Keyword(s):  
Social Status ◽  
19Th Century ◽  
Public Intellectual ◽  
Single Woman ◽  
Significant Other ◽  
Late 19Th Century ◽  
The Social ◽  
Artistic Self ◽  
The Prestige

The increasing appreciation of science posed an interesting challenge to art in the late 19th Century. Modernisation, professionalisation, secularisation and technical novelties all seemed to question the social status of the artist. Arguing that one possible way for individual artists to meet this challenge was to incorporate elements of the scientific persona with their artistic self, this article focuses on the Swedish-speaking, Finnish artist and writer Helena Westermarck (1857–1938). While constructing an intellectual comradeship with her brother, the internationally well-known sociologist and anthropologist Edward Westermarck (1862–1939), Helena Westermarck often referred to the exceptional intellectual and analytical capacities of the artist. Arguing that the prestige of science could be used to lend credibility to the artistic persona, the article will discuss some of the ideas that led Westermarck to gradually fashion her public appearance as an artist into the persona of a public intellectual, writer and self-supporting (single) woman on equal terms with her brother.

Secondary analysis in the social sciences and its relation to futures studies

2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 128-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristiano Vezzoni
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Secondary Analysis ◽  
Sociology Of Religion ◽  
Future Scenarios ◽  
Futures Studies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Research And Teaching ◽  
The Social ◽  
Definition Of

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to show the importance of secondary analysis to social sciences and to futures studies, both for research and teaching purposes. Design/methodology/approach – An illustration of the main characteristics of secondary analysis, presenting it as a theory-driven activity where the definition of the research design plays a fundamental role. Findings – This paper extends the secondary analysis approach to the study of the future. The utility of secondary analysis for futures studies is illustrated by means of the presentation of two examples developed in the field of the sociology of religion. Originality/value – The results are useful for those who want to develop sound and robust approaches to the study of social change, taking into consideration the simulation of possible future scenarios.

Conceptual and Theoretical Foundations of Social Capital

2009 ◽  
pp. 18-42
Author(s):  
Ben Kei Daniel
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Social Capital ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Analytical Tool ◽  
The Social ◽  
Scientific Legitimacy ◽  
Basic Understanding ◽  
Work Done ◽  
Conceptual Foundations ◽  
Theoretical Foundations

Social capital is a complex multifaceted and litigious theory, discussed in the Social Sciences and the Humanities. It is a theory increasingly researchers questioned its scientific legitimacy and yet paradoxically many other researchers continuously use it as a conceptual and theoretical framework to explain the structural and functional operations of communities. This Chapter discusses work done on the theory. It covers some of the theoretical controversy with a goal of aligning its conceptualization and distinguishing it from other types of capitals. The Chapter is organized first the basic theoretical and conceptual foundations of social capital are described. The aim is to present the reader with a basic understanding of what constitutes social capital, by opening discussion about various forms of capital(s)—as discussed in the disciplines of Economics and Sociology. Second, the Chapter discusses the origin of the theory as well as the work of key scholars who have contributed to the development of the theory. Furthermore, in order to identify the strengths and the weaknesses of the theory, the Chapter provides the reader with analysis of benefits and shortcomings of social capital both as a theoretical and analytical tool for studying communities.

From the “Nationals of the Superior Country” to the “Scumbags”: The Reversal of the Image of Chinese in Korea at the Late 19th Century (1896–1899)

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 76-115
Author(s):  
En-Mei Wang
Keyword(s):  
Social Status ◽  
19Th Century ◽  
General Public ◽  
Western Civilization ◽  
Overseas Chinese ◽  
Late 19Th Century ◽  
The Social ◽  
Korean Nationalism

After the end of the First Sino-Japanese War, the social status of the Chinese in Korea changed dramatically, and so did their image. They were viewed as the nationals of the superior country beforehand, but were considered “unruly,” “uncivilized,” “barbaric,” and “unsanitary and dirty” thereafter. This research aims to explore how and why this reversal of image happened by focusing on the reportages of the Independent from 1896 to 1899. The Independent, or Tongnip Sinmun, was one of the modern newspapers influenced by the Western civilization. Published fully in Korean, the Independent was meant to enlighten the Korean multitudes by reporting the situation of the nation to the general public. From 1896 to 1899, the Chinese were put in a position of “nationals without treaty,” which led to the fall of their status in Korea due to lack of protection of their country. Their image was further damaged because of the rise of Korean nationalism, which was elaborated along with the modernization. By examining the Chinese in Korea at the end of 19th century and the change of their image, this research tries to illustrate an intensive case of “Othering,” (that is, the birth of the Overseas Chinese) for the reason that they were considered to be not only superior, but also “Us” in the Hua-Yi system（華夷體系）before the War, and foreigners because of the Korean nationalism.

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