On planning, planning theories, and practices: A critical reflection

The futility of defining planning suggests that there is no planning as a recognizable practice. Sociology of knowledge definitions imply three kinds of planning practices: (1) Generic “planning”—what people do when they are planning; (2) Knowledge-centered “something” (e.g., spatial) planning; and (3) Real planning practiced in specific contexts, from metro-regional planning for Jakarta to transportation planning for the Trans-Europe Network, and enacted in general contexts, for example, informal- or Southern planning. Planning theories are linked to different practices: generic “planning” theories and “something” (e.g., regional, community, environmental, or Southern) planning theories. Selected topics illustrate the “planning” theory discourse and spatial planning theories are briefly reviewed. Three generations of planning practice studies are reviewed: the first, a-theoretical; the second, the “practice movement,” who studied practice for their own theorizing; and the third, informed by practice theories. Five books about planning show how their planning theorist authors understand planning practice. While recognizing planning as diverse practices, they hardly apply “planning” theory to planning practices. “Planning” theories are divorced from enacted planning practices, “something” (e.g., spatial) planning theories include constructive adaptations of “planning” theories and paradigms, but knowledge about real planning practices is limited. Implications from these conclusions are drawn for planning theory, education, and practices.

Community of Practice as a teaching approach in a postgraduate environment. An insider ethnography of a higher education institution in South Africa

This auto-ethnographic description of the experiences in the development of the teaching and learning approach, at the postgraduate level, introduces the impact of the community of practice in the development of the learning processes in South Africa, with an international view. The principles of community of practice are outlined and the theoretical grounding is provided in terms of the notion of assemblage theory, the definitions of fundamental and derivative epistemic authority, as well as the assemblage boundary and the personal intents of the community of practice members. The theoretical grounding is then applied through several iterations of the community of practice between 2006 and present. The adaptive nature of the community of practice as an assemblage and the function as a sociology-of-knowledge system are outlined.

Political ideas of the network society: why digitalization research needs critical conceptual analysis

In this article, I argue for an interpretive approach to digitalization research that analyzes the concepts, narratives, and belief systems in digitalization debates. I illustrate this methodological proposal by assessing the spread of network ideas. Many political actors and digitalization researchers follow network ideas, e.g. by claiming that the rise of a network society must lead to network governance. In contrast to this narrative, I argue that there are multiple visions of the digital society, each of which follows a specific pattern of epistemology, social imaginary, and political proposals. These competing self-interpretations must be investigated by digitalization research in order to map and evaluate different pathways into a digital society. For doing so, critical conceptual analysis draws on political theory, critical conceptual history, and the sociology of knowledge. It offers two major benefits for digitalization research. Firstly, it provides a systematic overview of competing governance rationalities in the digital society, enabling a critical evaluation of their potentials and proposals. Secondly, it enhances the methodological rigor of digitalization research by reviewing the narratives researchers themselves tell. I substantiate these claims by analyzing and historicizing the above network narrative. Tracing it back to cybernetics, I show that it has been used multiple times in efforts to reshape the way we think about society and politics, including our concepts of subjectivity, power, and governance.

An Eliasian analysis of students’ views on guidelines against sexual harassment and abuse in sport

This article explores an important measure in current prevention policies in sport: guidelines against sexual harassment and abuse. Because little is known about how people involved in sport understand and relate to such guidelines, it fills a gap in current research on sexual harassment and abuse prevention in sport. We draw on ‘video elicitation’ focus group interviews with sport students in Norway. Our analysis is guided by Norbert Elias's sociology of knowledge and particularly his concept of ‘degrees of involvement and detachment’. First, we found that the students had limited knowledge about the sexual harassment and abuse guidelines. Second, we saw how their discussions alternated between different positions when reflecting upon the guidelines’ usefulness. From a relatively detached position, the students supported the general idea of guidelines. From the more involved position they voiced concern related to conduct regulations that conflicted with valued aspects of sport practice and mentioned problematic aspects of sport culture that the guidelines do not target. In a blend of involvement and detachment, the students drew on their sport experiences to reflect critically on both the potentials and limitations of the sexual harassment and abuse guidelines. Finally, we draw some implications of the analysis for the improvement of prevention work.

Inclusive Educational Spaces and Social Pedagogical Recognition: Interaction- and Social-Pedagogy-Inspired Analysis of Space Dynamics in Compulsory, Upper-Secondary and Post-Secondary Education

The purpose of this article is to provide a new understanding of the essence of inclusive educational spaces as a pedagogical phenomenon that presents different scientific approaches to the concept of educational space, and the importance of interpersonal interactions in educational spaces, and also presents the authors’ interpretations of their essence. The analytical basis is a literature review of various studies from the domains of symbolic interactionism, social constructivism, ethnomethodology, the sociology of knowledge, education, pedagogy and social pedagogy. Empirical sequences in the reviewed literature that exemplify inclusive educational spaces are derived from the organisational and practical work of compulsory and upper-secondary schools related to newly arrived students and students who use alcohol and narcotics, and from the context of the organisational and practical work of universities related to the education of future actors. The importance of recognizing the role of creative educational spaces as a leading requirement for the preparation of students for future communicative interactions in professional communication is revealed, and the structural characteristics of these spaces’ content and functional load are provided. Inclusive educational spaces and professionals’ inclusive approach demand that schools practically and collaboratively organise work with students in the educational space, show support for them and give them room to manoeuvre to ensure that professional actors in the school and university thrive in their practical work with students, both in relation to the expected normative right and deviant acting in the educational space and in relation to laws and governing documents that, to a certain extent, govern practical work in these educational spaces. The study contributes to the development of knowledge regarding (1) dealing with social interaction and inclusive educational spaces combining (a) the experiences of students in educational space, (b) the experiences of professional actors in educational space, and (c) the development of integration and social pedagogical recognition in educational space; (2) the significance of these social interactions and inclusive educational spaces in the creation and recreation of students’ and professionals’ identities; and (3) alternative social pedagogical approaches to analysing inclusive educational spaces in compulsory, upper-secondary and post-secondary education.

ISLAM PROGRESIF DAN TAN MALAKA (Reposisi MADILOG Sebagai Metode Pemikiran Islam Progresif)

Progressive Islam is a relatively new Islamic movement in the dynamics of the Contemporary Islamic movement. Progressive Islam places the domination of the social system of capitalism as its main problem. Progressive Islam aims to create change, which is pursued through the realization of its agenda, one of which is formulating a reality-based method of thinking. The problems and agenda of Progressive Islam parallel the problems and formulation of method of thought Tan Malaka. Tan Malaka has been against the social system of capitalism. Tan Malaka has a methodological work based on reality, MADILOG. This study aims to show the parallels between Progressive Islam and Tan Malaka, and to position MADILOG as a method of Progressive Islamic thought. This study uses qualitative research methods with literature study techniques. The data in this study were analyzed using the sociology of knowledge approach and the philosophy of critical realism. The result is that the parallel between Progressive Islam and Tan Malaka lies in four aspects. Then, MADILOG can be positioned as a method of Progressive Islamic thought. Keywords: Progressive Islam, Tan Malaka, MADILOG Abstrak: Islam Progresif merupakan gerakan Islam yang relatif baru dalam dinamika gerakan Islam Kontemporer. Islam Progresif meletakan dominasi sistem sosial kapitalisme sebagai problem utamanya. Islam Progresif bertujuan untuk menciptakan perubahan, yang diupayakan melalui realisasi agenda-agendanya, salah satunya merumuskan metode pemikiran berbasis realitas. Problem serta agenda Islam Progresif paralel dengan problem dan rumusan metode pemikiran Tan Malaka. Tan Malaka telah melawan sistem sosial kapitalisme. Tan Malaka memiliki karya metodologis berbasiskan realitas, MADILOG. Penelitian ini bertujuan menunjukan paralelitas antara Islam Progresif dan Tan Malaka, serta memposisikan MADILOG sebagai metode pemikiran Islam Progersif. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode penelitian kualitatif dengan teknik studi pustaka. Data dalam penelitian ini dianalisis dengan menggunakan pendekatakan sosiologi pengetahuan dan filsafat ilmu realisme kritis. Hasilnya adalah paralelitas antara Islam Progresif dan Tan Malaka terletak pada empat aspek. Kemudian, MADILOG bisa diposisikan sebagai metode pemikiran Islam Progresif. Kata Kunci: Islam Progresif, Tan Malaka, MADILOG

To the History of Russian Sociology of the 1920–1930s: Soviet Marxism vs “Sociology of Knowledge”

In the 1920’s Marxism, having become the state ideology of Soviet Russia, took a leading position among the political ideologies of Europe in terms of its influence on the minds and hearts of people. The teachings of K. Marx and F. Engels received various interpretations, among which “sociology of knowledge” in the interpretation of M. Scheler and K. Mannheim earned the most recognition in the academic environment. It originated in Germany in the mid 1920’s as a result of criticism of the Marxist “theory of ideology”, of “economist” limitations of the materialistic vision of man, of history and society. In the USSR “sociology of knowledge” was understood to be the most refined attempt to overcome Marxism. The essential characteristics of Marxism and “sociology of knowledge” as interpreted by K. Mannheim are revealed, while being subjected to comparative and critical analysis. The first reaction of Soviet Marxist sociologists to “sociology of knowledge” is analyzed. In the light of this reaction, it was presented as “social fascism”. The specifics of how the teachings of K. Marx and F. Engels existed in the USSR during the 1920s–1930’s are evaluated. “Historical materialism” is qualified as a sociological methodology of suspicion, and the practice of its application by the Bolsheviks as a form of discrimination and persecution in society based on social class and social group affiliation.

From an Aristotelian Ordo Essendi to Relation: Shifting Paradigms in the Study of Religions in the Light of the Sociology of Knowledge

The article raises the question of how the multiplication of topics, turns, and perspectives in the currents of the study of religions can be explained. After the concept of a paradigm shift (Thomas Kuhn) is introduced, the study examines the epistemological consequences of the question What is religion? It is based on analyzing the practice of defining “religion” in German-language encyclopedias of the past three centuries. Surprisingly, the structure of these articles is largely persistent throughout this long period and consists mainly of etymology, definition (Wesensbestimmung), and a typology of “religion.” From this, an Aristotelian paradigm can be deduced. The claim for universality entailed in this paradigm ultimately led to a crisis and since the 1960s the study of religions has developed alternative approaches that emphasize aspects of human interaction, communication, and reciprocal relationships. I propose to subsume these new perspectives under the term “a relational paradigm.” Examples and consequences for this paradigm are offered in the conclusion.