Stephan Fuchs: Against Essentialism: A Theory of Culture and Society (2001)

Against Essentialism presents a sociological theory of culture. This interdisciplinary and foundational work deals with basic issues common to current debates in social theory, including society, culture, meaning, truth, and communication. Stephan Fuchs argues that many mysteries about these concepts lose their mysteriousness when dynamic variations are introduced.

Fuchs proposes a theory of culture and society that merges two core traditions–American network theory and European (Luhmannian) systems theory. His book distinguishes four major types of social “observers”–encounters, groups, organizations, and networks. Society takes place in these four modes of association. Each generates levels of observation linked with each other into a “culture”–the unity of these observations.

Against Essentialism presents a groundbreaking new approach to the construction of society, culture, and personhood. The book invites both social scientists and philosophers to see what happens when essentialism is abandoned.

Publisher Harvard University Press, 2001
ISBN 0674006100, 9780674006102
380 pages

publisher
google books

PDF

Real-World Economics Review, No. 1-59 (2000-2012)

“The movement for Post-Autistic Economics (PAE) was born through the work of Sorbonne economist Bernard Guerrien. The movement is best seen as a forum of different groups critical of the current mainstream: from behavioral and heterodox to feminist, green economics and econo-physics. Started in 2000 by a group of disaffected French economics students, Post-Autistic Economics first reached a wider audience in June 2000 after an interview in Le Monde.

It was supported by the Cambridge Ph.D. students in 2001 with the publication of ‘Opening Up Economics: A Proposal By Cambridge Students’, later signed by 797 economists.

PAE has challenged standard neoclassical assumptions and incorporated ideas from sociology and psychology into economic analysis. Specifically, the notions of utility theory, rational choice, production and efficiency theory (Pareto optimality), and game theory have been criticised.

Other topics include ‘Gross National Happiness’, realism vs. mathematical consistency, ‘Thermodynamics and Economics’, or ‘Irrelevance and Ideology’. Contributors include Bruce Caldwell, James K. Galbraith, Robert L. Heilbroner, Bernard Guerrien, Emmanuelle Benicourt, Ha-Joon Chang, Herman Daly and Richard D. Wolff.

In March 2008 the Post-Autistic Economics Review changed its name to the Real-World Economics Review.” (from Wikipedia)

Editor: Edward Fullbrook
Associate Editor: Jamie Morgan
Open-access journal
ISSN 1755-9472

wikipedia (Post-autistic economics)
authors (RWER blog)
publisher

PDF (Issue 59, March 2012)
PDF (Issue 58, December 2011)
PDF (PDF papers, all past issues)

Bent Flyvbjerg: Making Social Science Matter: Why Social Inquiry Fails and How It Can Succeed Again (2001)

Making Social Science Matter presents an exciting new approach to the social and behavioral sciences including theoretical argument, methodological guidelines, and examples of practical application. Why has social science failed in attempts to emulate natural science and produce normal theory? Bent Flyvbjerg argues that the strength of social sciences lies in its rich, reflexive analysis of values and power, essential to the social and economic development of any society. Richly informed, powerfully argued, and clearly written, this book opens up a new future for the social sciences. Its empowering message will make it required reading for students and academics across the social and behavioral sciences.

Publisher Cambridge University Press, 2001
ISBN 052177568X, 9780521775687
204 pages

wikipedia (Phronetic social science)
wikipedia (about the book)
publisher
google books

PDF (updated on 2012-7-29)