| 1. |
- Abrahamsson, Bengt
(författare)
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Det gick som det gick. Om inre logik, särskilt i organisationer
- 1994
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Ingår i: Sociologisk forskning. - : Sveriges Sociologförbund. - 0038-0342 .- 2002-066X. ; 31:3, s. 3-22
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Whatever happened, happened. Some notes on inner logic, especially in organizationsThe notion that social events partly arise as a consequence of inner logic, i.e. that patterns and structures emerge outside of, or even in opposition against, plans and goals is a common element in social science. Inner logic is a summary term for social processes developing autonomously, i.e. without any individual or group intending them. Organizations quite often contain inner-logic processes. If, as this author maintains, fruitful organization theory has to build on rationalistic assumptions, how then do we handle instances of inner logic? A first step may be to break up the traditional link between structuralism and functionalism, maintaining the former and rejecting the latter. Organizations are intentionally dynamic, i.e. depend on order and predictability. To the extent that inner-logic processes appear in organizations, they should be analysed as confrontations between opposing rationalities rather than as spontaneous reactions of a ”system” . Also, frequently recurring organizational forms such as hierarchy are more fruitfully regarded as e.g. transaction-cost outcomes rather than as functional responses to system needs. Rationalism and structuralism are compatible, rationalism and functionalism are not.
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| 2. |
- Agevall, Ola
(författare)
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Weber, kausaliteten och oändligheten
- 1994
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Ingår i: Sociologisk forskning. - : Sveriges Sociologförbund. - 0038-0342 .- 2002-066X. ; 31:3, s. 57-78
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Weber, causality and infinityWhile it is widely acknowledged that Max Weber was a neo-kantian of some sort, comparatively little has been done to trace down how this affects other parts of his work. This article argues that Weber’s theory of causality can be viewed as an answer to problems evolving from his neo-kantian framework. The aim of the article becomes twofold. First, to give an exposition of Weber’s theory of causality, and second to use this piece of theory as an example of how parts of Weber’s methodology are designed to solve problems posed by the neo-kantian framework. The neo-kantian framework referred to can be summarized in the theses that (I) reality offers an infinite plenitude, and (II) that there is nothing in reality itself that can present us with its interpretation. Taken together, these theses result in the necessity for the subject to make a selection from the infinite reality. These theses are applied to the problem of selecting causes from the infinite causal chain. In order to solve this problem, Weber takes recourse to the adequate cause theory, a variant of jurisprudential theory founded by Johannes von Kries. The last part of the article gives an exposition of some of the basic characteristics and consequences of adequate cause theory.
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| 3. |
- Ahrne, Göran
(författare)
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Delvis människa, delvis organisation
- 1993
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Ingår i: Sociologisk forskning. - : Sveriges Sociologförbund. - 0038-0342 .- 2002-066X. ; 30:1, s. 59-78
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Partly human, partly organizationIn this article the phenomenon of organization is discussed and its consequences for the understanding of human actions and human choices are examined. Affiliation to organizations are found to be both restrictions on and preconditions for most human action. In this connection families are regarded as organizations as well as enterprises, voluntary associations and states. Human action is primarily action on behalf of organizations where individuals are partly human, partly organization. To understand the meaning of action on behalf of organization it is important to realize that people rarely choose their organizational affiliation. People are selected. This means that actions on behalf of organizations cannot be regarded as expressions of individual choices. Actions on behalf of organizations are generally characterized by a dual involvement.
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| 4. |
- Ahrne, Göran
(författare)
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Organiseringen av det civila samhället
- 1994
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Ingår i: Sociologisk forskning. - : Sveriges Sociologförbund. - 0038-0342 .- 2002-066X. ; 31:2, s. 38-45
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The organization of civil societyThe three societal spheres state, market and civil society are compared from an organizational perspective. A state is a certain kind of organization with compulsory affiliation. The state is an empirical category that is fairly easy to describe. A market is made up of the interaction of several organizations in exchange. Most actors on a market are people acting on behalf of organizations. Also states are present in markets buying arms for example, or as employers on the labour market. There are several kinds of organization mentioned in connection with civil society such as voluntary associations, social movements and networks. It is concluded that the organizations of civil society are not very persistent. Moreover the notion of civil society is not more incompatible with the state than with other organizational arrangements. As a conclusion it is argued that it is more relevant to understand social processes in terms of types of organization that in terms of states, markets and civil society.
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| 5. |
- Berggren, Christian, et al.
(författare)
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Pyramider eller horisontella nät? Kreativitet, kompetensutveckling och prestationskrav i olika slags industriella produktionssystem
- 1993
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Ingår i: Sociologisk forskning. - : Sveriges Sociologförbund. - 0038-0342 .- 2002-066X. ; 30:3, s. 30-46
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Pyramids or horisontal nets? Creativity, competence and performance in different types of production systemsIn recent years, we have witnessed a marked increase in the international interest in industrial networks and in relations between manufacturers and suppliers. An important reason for this is the expansion of the Japanese automobile industry. This industry is organized into a huge structure of subcontractors, vertically related and dominated by demanding large-scale enterprises. An entirely different pattern can be found, especially in northern Italy, but also in southern Germany and in Denmark, where enterprises form horisontal networks. In these geographically dense areas, small and medium-sized firms both cooperate and compete intensely. The respective roles of suppliers and manufacturer are diffuse, social mobility is high and the development of new products rapid. Swedish research on working life has tended to focus on processes within firms and public administration. Industrial structure has largely been accepted as given, while its effects on competence and performance has been neglected areas of research. In this article a research project is presented, which aims at investigating the effects of industrial structure on the developmental potential of, and work conditions in, firms. Our intention is to study vertical pyramids, especially in the automobile industry, and horisontal networks in, for instance, the sailing-boat industry. A central problem concern the effects of different types of industry on creativity and scope for action in small and medium-sized companies.
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| 6. |
- Bertilsson, Margareta
(författare)
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Sociologins kärna – i förändring?
- 1990
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Ingår i: Sociologisk forskning. - : Sveriges Sociologförbund (Swedish Sociological Association). - 0038-0342 .- 2002-066X. ; 27:3, s. 11-26
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The article focuses on the three key concepts of modern social science, state, market, and society, and the three paradigmatic disciplines that these concepts have generated: political science, economics, and sociology. By relating to some recent discussions it is argued that there is a distinct logic to each one of these paradigmatic concepts. But in the course of its actual development, not the least in the Scandinavian welfare states, society is prone to merge with the state, and sociology, accordingly, tends to develop as social administration. Such a disciplinary melange leads to a distinct empiricist methodology and to a fatal break with the classical concern of sociology with the development of social theory. Modern social administration — disguised as sociology — has cut the link with normative (state theory) discourse, and prides itself on being naturalistic and realistic in its study of social facts. Oblivious of the power sources that render neutrality to its discourse, administrative sociology risks developing into unreflected morality. The article turns, finally, to the recent 'communitarian' trend in social and moral philosophy and suggests that communitarianism, in one form or the other, will affect the purportedly neutral discourse of social administration.
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| 7. |
- Björnberg, Ulla
(författare)
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Familj mellan marknad och stat/politik. En fråga om kön, klass och makt
- 1994
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Ingår i: Sociologisk forskning. - : Sveriges Sociologförbund. - 0038-0342 .- 2002-066X. ; 31:2, s. 26-37
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The family between market and state. A question of gender, class an powerWith reference to the far-reaching social and economic changes from a global perspective, the focus of the political discussions is now laid on the conditions of family life. The family is a third sphere between the market and the state. As such, it cannot be analysed independently of changes on the labour market and in the political economy. In this article, the thesis is advanced that the family policies must be analysed with reference to class and gender. The way in which changes in the composition of classes affect the current political process in Sweden is problematised. The significance of analysing the class relation of the service society from a gender perspective is particularly stressed. Sweden is currently a gender segregated class society. The higher classes are male dominated, and the lower classes are female dominated. A gender-based ’class struggle’ has emerged within strata. The solidarity within and between strata is weakened, since the struggle is also a gender struggle, and men tend to emphasise their higher status against women, not to equalise it. The bill about care allowance is critically scrutinised from class political and gender political perspectives. While presented as an issue of equality between family forms, it is argued, in this article, that its purpose is to strengthen a traditional family form in the working class.
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| 8. |
- Björnberg, Ulla
(författare)
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Familjepolitik i EG-länderna ur ett kvinnoperspektiv
- 1993
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Ingår i: Sociologisk forskning. - : Sveriges Sociologförbund. - 0038-0342 .- 2002-066X. ; 30:3, s. 3-29
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Family policies in the EC-countries from a female perspectiveThe purpose of this article is to problematize the family policies in the EC-countries from a female perspective. The article emphasizes the family policies as motherhood policies in the twelve EC-countries. In my examples, I have focussed particularly on the phase of childbirth and the care for small children in the family cycle. My interest is to analyze the implication of the family policies for women’s life chances, integrity and autonomy. In the article, an overview of the rules that afflict mothers’ possibilities to be employed and attain autonomy is presented. A majority of the EC-countries have introduced separate taxation between spouses with the motivation to stimulate women’s employment. Many rights concerning possibilites to conciliate employment and family have been introduced in the EC-countries during the late 1980’s and the early 1990’s. The rule systems are difficult to grasp and appear to work in the opposite direction in their consequences, which renders comparisons between the countries more difficult. Many questions can be asked concerning the joint effects of the taxation system, allowance regulations and rights concerning possibilities to conciliate employment and family for women in different social strata respectively, and detailed studies of how the rule systems work for these women in different social strata are required. A general conclusion is that mothers are nowadays granted the right to employment and the right to keep it when they have children. Men have almost in all EC-countries received extended possibilities to take leave in connection to their becoming fathers. Simultaneously, married/cohabitant women’s economic dependence on men is asserted/reinforced by tax-systems, allowance regulations and shortages of child care. I also stress the need to study rules within the different social security systems in detail. This becomes particularly relevant when one studies women, since social security systems are based on paid work. Since women have salaried work on odder premises, they run the risk of not qualifying for support or not being insured at all. In the article, I argue the family policies shall be directed more particularly towards theproblems of the women and the children in the families. The gender-neutral perspective that in most cases is pre-dominant is in fact a male perspective. It is chiefly mothers who put the most effort and time into families. It is mothers that de facto have the main responsibility for the children in the family. Therefore it is also essential that the family policies more consciously proceed to strengthen the women’s (and the children’s) position and direct measures towards the problems that mothers have in families.
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| 9. |
- Brante, Thomas
(författare)
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Teori och typologi: Om förhållandet mellan makrosociologi, institutionella sfärer och social handling
- 1994
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Ingår i: Sociologisk forskning. - : Sveriges Sociologförbund. - 0038-0342 .- 2002-066X. ; 31:2, s. 3-25
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Theory and typology. Macrosociology, institutional spheres and social actionThe conceptual triad ’state-market-civil society’ is taken as point of departure for a discussion of the broader issue of the uses of typologies in sociology. It is argued that in order to avoid being subordinated to politically loaded notions pervading public discourse, a genuine sociological typology should meet two demands; its dimensions should be derived from a macro-sociological theory, and it should be underpinned by a micro-sociological theory of action. In this way, a typology will serve as a pipeline between micro and macro theories, and also as a checking point for estimating the coherence between these two levels of analysis. As an illustration, Mary Douglas’ grid-group model is introduced. This typology is derivable from Durkheim’s macro-sociology, but it has a weak microfoundation. Two theories of action are discussed and compared; the theory of rational choice and the theory of interaction rituals. After demonstrating that the theory of rational choice is incommensurable with the ”multi-rational” premises of the grid-group model, itis indicated that an elaboration of the Goffmanian theory of interaction rituals would constitute a viable micro-foundation for the grid-group model. Finally, it is concluded that from the point of view of grid-group, ’civil society’ is a highly ambiguous category that should be replaced by the categories of ’community’ and ’isolate’.
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| 10. |
- Carleheden, Mikael
(författare)
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Alternativ eller rekonstruktion: Om Habermas kritik av Marx
- 1994
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Ingår i: Sociologisk forskning. - : Sveriges Sociologförbund. - 0038-0342 .- 2002-066X. ; 31:3, s. 79-91
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Alternative or Reconstruction? - On Haberm as criticism of MarxShould we understand Habermas’ works in social theory and politics as an alternative to or a reconstruction of Marx? I try in this article to present the possible arguments for both standpoints. It is shown that if we take our point of departure in Habermas’ distinction between ”labour” and ”interaction”, we must treat his writings as an alternative to Marx. If we, however, start out with his distinction between ”life world” and ”system”, then we must understand them as a reconstruction. In the first case it becomes clear that the concepts ”labour” and ”interaction” are opposites and can be used to ground opposite social scientific paradigms, but in the second case it becomes just as clear that Habermas’ criticism of the system’s colonisation of the life world is modelled after Marx’ criticism of political economy. Taken together, Habermas two forms of criticism of Marx leads him to transfer the Marxian form of criticism of modem society from the capitalistic economy to the paternalistic social state. That is, Habermas doesn’t locate reification in the capitalistic mode of production. In society of today reification is the product of the social state.
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| 11. |
- Carlson, Per, 1967-, et al.
(författare)
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Självmord, mord och kultur
- 1994
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Ingår i: Sociologisk forskning. - 0038-0342 .- 2002-066X. ; 31, s. 78-89
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)
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| 12. |
- Carlson, Per, et al.
(författare)
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Självmord, mord och kultur. En jämförelse av tio länder i Europa
- 1994
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Ingår i: Sociologisk forskning. - : Sveriges Sociologförbund. - 0038-0342 .- 2002-066X. ; 31:4, s. 78-89
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Suicide, homicide and culture. A comparison of ten european countriesThe present study investigates the way in which the homicide and suicide rates of ten European countries are related to each other. Is there empirical support for a psychoanalytically based hypothesis of a reverse relationship between homicide and suicide? Or are certain cultural values and patterns more important for such links? Rank correlations and regressions of age-standardised suicide and homicide rates, for men and women in the European countries were conducted. Similar analyses in relation to values as defined by World Values Survey were also performed. There was a slight tendency for countries with high homicide rates to have low suicide rates, and vice versa (among men). For women, however, the relationship was found to be positive and stronger throughout. Countries with high female homicide rates often also had high female suicide rates. The cultural values which could be associated most closely with suicide and homicide rates were religiously and sexually coloured moral attitudes. Suicide rates were lower in countries where God plays a greater role in peoples’ consciousness. Countries where attitudes to abortion, euthanasia, divorce etc were negative, usually also had lower suicide rates for both sexes. The relationship between homicide rates and these attitudes was, for men, the opposite. In countries with a strong belief in God and low religious and sexual tolerance the male but not the female risk of being murdered is higher than in countries with a weaker belief in God. The hypothetical relation between homicide and suicide rates, suggested by psychoanalytically inspired theories, seems to be more readily explained by cultural patterns, in particular a complex of attitudes towards religious and sexual matters.
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| 13. |
- Darvishpour, Mehrdad, 1960-
(författare)
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En bild av kvinnornas försämrade situation i Iran
- 1993
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Ingår i: Sociologisk forskning. - : Sveriges Sociologförbund. - 0038-0342 .- 2002-066X. ; 30:3, s. 47-62
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A picture of the deteriorating situation for women in IranAfter the Islamic Revolution in Iran 1978-79, the situation has become much worse for women, in terms of rights and resources. The aim of this article is to describe this change with the help of demographic data and to argue that it is the result of the repressive policy of the Islamic regime and, ultimately, of islamic ideology. In particular, Iranian women suffer from the return to more traditional laws of marriage and from reduced opportunities to get an education, or a job.
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| 14. |
- Dryler, Helen
(författare)
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Flyttningar, socialt stöd och psykisk ohälsa
- 1993
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Ingår i: Sociologisk forskning. - : Sveriges Sociologförbund. - 0038-0342 .- 2002-066X. ; 30:1, s. 46-58
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Internal migration, social support and mental illnessThis paper analyses whether internal migration has any negative effects on the mental health of mobile individuals. The study is based on 2042 persons who were interviewed in both the 1974 and 1981 Swedish level of living survey. Mental health is measured by several questions to the respondents about his/her psychological well-being and analyzed by means of logistic regression. For mobile men it is found that their mental health is poorer compared with non-mobile men; for women no such effect is found. Furthermore, the higher risk for mental ill health among mobile men can to a small degree be explained by health selection and social support. Before their migration the male migrants were in worse mental condition than the male non-migrants and the social support they received at their new place of residence was lower. The most striking result however, is that, among men, an interaction effect is found between geographical mobility and social support. Mobile men with low social support experience much more mental strain than both mobile men with high social support and non-mobile m en (with or without social support).
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| 15. |
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| 16. |
- Ekström, Mats
(författare)
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Sociologiska förklaringar och variabelanalysens gränser. En kritisk analys med exempel från medicinsk sociologi
- 1993
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Ingår i: Sociologisk forskning. - : Sveriges Sociologförbund. - 0038-0342 .- 2002-066X. ; 30:2, s. 26-58
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Sociological explanation and the limits of variable analysis. A critical analysis with examples from medical sociologyIn this article there is presented a critical analysis of variable-oriented methodology and its possibilities of generating sociological explanations, this with concrete examples from medical sociology. Three types of causal explanations are identified: (1) causality as quantitative distributions, (2) causality as substantial and contextual relations and processes, and (3) causality as abstract properties and mechanisms. These types of causality correspond to different dimensions of the object of sociology. The article brings into focus the limited possibilities of variable analysis when it comes to: (1) bridging the often large gap between abstract structures and contextual observable actions and conditions, (2) paying regard to the contextual constitution of social properties, (3) providing new knowledge concerning the substantive content of causal relations and processes, (4) creating quasiexperimental closures anchored in the open and complex social reality, and (5) providing knowledge of internal relations and of dynamic and creative processes.
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| 17. |
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| 18. |
- Eriksson, Ingalill
(författare)
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Den svenska sociologins dolda historia - fallet Gustaf Steffen
- 1994
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Ingår i: Sociologisk forskning. - : Sveriges Sociologförbund. - 0038-0342 .- 2002-066X. ; 31:3, s. 44-56
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Hidden History of Swedish Sociology - The Case of Gustaf SteffenAccording to the official history of Swedish sociology, it started in 1947 when Torgny Segerstedt was appointed professor in sociology at the University of Uppsala. This article treats the largely hidden history of Gustav Steffen (1864 - 1929), who was professor in sociology and economics in Gothenburg 1903-1929. Steffen was oriented towards Europe and lived many years in Germany, England and Italy. He worked as a correspondent for Swedish newspapers and he made several empirical studies of relevance for social policy. Steffen was also a social democrat and member of parliament. The sociology of Gustav Steffen was influenced by the philosopher Henri Bergson, especially his philosophy of intuition. According to Steffen, the most important task is to promote a life in close contact with both nature and society and combined with studies in philosophy and science. Today, when there is a renewed interest in the relation between professional knowledge and intuition, and in ecology and intuition, students in sociology should know more about this pioneer of Swedish sociology. Gustav Steffen was hidden partly for political reasons and partly because his sociology did not fit the scientistic ideal of the first generation of Swedish sociology. Today, times may be ripe for an appreciation of Gustav Steffen as a sociologist.
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| 19. |
- Forsberg, Pia
(författare)
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Valfrihet och välfärd. En diskussion och analys av det liberala valfrihetsbegreppet
- 1993
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Ingår i: Sociologisk forskning. - : Sveriges Sociologförbund. - 0038-0342 .- 2002-066X. ; 30:2, s. 59-78
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Freedom of choice and welfare. A discussion and analysis of the neo-liberal concept of freedom of choiceSweden is today witnessing large changes within its welfare sector which has been driven through by the present government. In this paper the ideological basis for the present politics is regarded as constituting two apparent contradictory demands. On the one hand there is the demand for “more family” and on the other, the demand for “more market". This paradox by the government can be solved by the use of the vague concept “freedom of choice”. This paper is an attempt to formulate and understand the concept, that is, to analyse its meaning and social consequences. The government’s key strategy is to make the “welfare-consumer” vote with his/her feet and to leave one service for another, so in this way they can express preferences on a market. By doing so they will not only become more satisfied themselves, but they can also exercise influence over the whole institution. Subsequently the “invisible hand” will automatically create efficency and quality. This paper argues that to properly understand the possibilities of and obstacles to a more substantial freedom of choice within social welfare, it is necessary to proceed from the characterstic distinguishing qualities of different services. This is illustrated by a comparison between the dental service and child care. It is less complicated to replace one dentist for another, than to break down the interwoven ties between a child, a parent and an institution because the choice in the second case is more socially embedded and restricted. It is the governments intention to reduce political influence over welfare production and increase the power of markets and economic steering, i.e . to encourage influence and steering by “exit” instead of “voice” (Hirschman 1972) which they believe will increase the individuals freedom of choice. This is a much more complicated matter than is generally agreed by the government, and implies social consequences which it has not taken into account.
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| 20. |
- Furåker, Bengt
(författare)
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Systemskifte med förhinder?
- 1994
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Ingår i: Sociologisk forskning. - : Sveriges Sociologförbund. - 0038-0342 .- 2002-066X. ; 31:2, s. 46-62
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A shift of system with obstacles?To begin with, the article discusses the concepts in the theme of the Swedish Sociological Association’s annual meeting 1994, ”State, market and civil society” . It is argued that the democratic character of the state and its positive role in providing social services should not be underestimated, that the market category tends to make the process of production invisible,and that the ideas about civil society are muddy. Then, the Swedish societal model is described with the help of modified versions of these concepts. It was built upon a compromise between labour and capital and it is characterized by a generous transfer system, a large public service production, a market-oriented but rather regulated capitalist economy,and a comparatively weak civil society. In recent years, neoliberalism has gained ground and reforms have been carried out weakening the role of the state and the public sector. However, the alleged positive results of the shift of system have not appeared and this is no doubt a problem for those advocating such reforms. The process may nevertheless continue, since the prerequisites of the compromise between labour and capital have been undermined with, among other things, the growing internationalization of the economy.
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| 21. |
- Gustafsson, Rolf Å
(författare)
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Ekonomi, politik, civilitet: Ett handlingsteoretiskt bidrag till diskussionen om marknad, stat och civilsamhälle
- 1993
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Ingår i: Sociologisk forskning. - : Sveriges Sociologförbund. - 0038-0342 .- 2002-066X. ; 30:4, s. 3-32
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Economics, politics and civility - towards an action-theoretical discourse on market, state and civil societyIn the recent Swedish debate on the welfare state a controversy has arisen over the potentials and pitfalls of the market, the state and civil society. It is argued that there is a tendency to hypostatize this triad. The article sets out to show that the difficulties this raises can be counteracted by inserting an action-theoretical frame of reference into the debate. Three main alternative frames of reference are considered: rational choice, Weberian sociology and Habermas’ communicative action. These are analyzed from the perspective oftheir contextualizing and autonomizing potentials, i.e . in terms of how they relate actorsto their social context, and how they handle the problem of voluntarism. It is shown that rational choice theories - basically relevant to the economics of scarce resources - face insurmountable difficulties when confronted by the utilitarian dilemma formulated by Parsons in the late 30s. Weber can be associated with an analytical approach to politics - focusing on binding decisions taken by legitimate source of authority - but his approach still fails to resolve the problem of human agency and autonomy. At this point, a crucial distinction is made between primary and secondary feedback in models of action. It is argued that Habermas/Schluchter, in their interpretation of Weber, implicitly make such a distinction. This opens up a socio-political dimension in models of action. Nevertheless, in the Weberian case, the agent is still regarded as a rule-follower, and the intersubjective foundations of value systems remain a puzzle. The significance of the theory of communicative action lies in its attempt to handle the problem of civility, as formulated by Ferguson and Tönnies; the human being is regarded as a rule-maker. It is misleading to regard the state, the market and civil society as alternative entities or arenas for social welfare activities. It is more fruitful to focus on the analytic concept of civility as a necessary precondition for political and economic measures designed to enhance autonomy.
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| 22. |
- Hammarström, Gunhild
(författare)
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Begreppet solidaritet i generationsstudier - en kritisk diskussion
- 1994
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Ingår i: Sociologisk forskning. - : Sveriges Sociologförbund. - 0038-0342 .- 2002-066X. ; 31:3, s. 23-43
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Solidarity in intergenerational studies - a concept under debateIn intergenerational studies the concept of ’solidarity’ has been crucial in analyses of the relations between the generations. The concept of ’solidarity’ is based on Durkheim’s concept of ’mechanic solidarity’, and is developed out of theories about cohesion in small groups presuming connections between contact, affection and value similarity. The concept of ’intergenerational solidarity’ is assumed to be a single higher-order construct of various dimensions correlated with each other. Some earlier empirical studies fail to support these presumptions, which in spite of this has not led to a critical discussion, or reconsideration of the theoretical presumptions of this concept. The purpose of this presentation is to put the concept of ’intergenerational solidarity’ under debate in the light of these earlier results and of empirical results from a Swedish survey conducted in three family generations. The survey includes two parent generations; one older and one middle-aged, and two child generations; the middle-aged ones and one younger generation, totally 888 subjects between 15 and 97 years of age. The analyses show that presumed connections between the various solidarity dimensions are lacking. The lack of correlations refer especially to the parent generations, and to a lesser degree to the child generations, which might be explained by the asymmetric relationship between parents and children. Theoretically, this lack of correlation might be due to its origin in small group theory and its presumption of voluntary group membership. Family and kinship relations are not voluntary, and as intergenerational relationships are asymmetric, it would be difficult to find a unitary and higher-order concept suitable for both parents and children. The analysis suggests that Durkheim’s concept of ’mechanic solidarity’ does not apply to family and kinship relations. The conclusion is that some of the theoretical presumptions concerning the concept of ’intergenerational solidarity’ are not applicable to family and kinship relations. As an alternative to the concept of ’solidarity’, Weber’s concepts of Vergemeinschaftung and Vergesellschaftung are suggested.
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| 23. |
- Holmberg, Carin
(författare)
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Välfärdsstaten och den obligatoriska heterosexualiteten
- 1993
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Ingår i: Sociologisk forskning. - : Sveriges Sociologförbund. - 0038-0342 .- 2002-066X. ; 30:4, s. 56-67
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The welfare state and compulsory heterosexualityThe welfare state has been scrutinized from different angles. Here the author tries to show how the welfare state enforces heterosexuality as a norm for the good life. Welfare reforms regarding family law, adoption, insemination, and some social insurances, are discussed. Sweden and Denmark are used for comparison, since Denmark is the only country in the world which gives homosexuals right to civil marriage. This civil marriage has a special name: partnership (partnerskap). One question that can be asked is if partnership challanges the norm of heterosexuality since lesbian and gay lives are accepted by the state. But there is a similarity as well as a difference between the laws regarding equality between the sexes (jämställdhet) and the laws regarding homosexuals. In the first case it is man who is the norm for the good life and women are given the same rights as men. In the second case it is the heterosexuals who are the norm for the good life but homosexuals are only given some of their rights.
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| 24. |
- Hydén, Lars-Christer
(författare)
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Vad får man från ’socialen’? Sociala insatser vid socialbyråer i Stockholm
- 1993
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Ingår i: Sociologisk forskning. - : Sveriges Sociologförbund. - 0038-0342 .- 2002-066X. ; 30:3, s. 63-81
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- What do you get from the social welfare office? Measures taken at social welfare offices in StockholmFor two years 400 clients were studied with respect to the type of measure taken. There were four main types of measure. The majority of clients received social allowance at some occassion and some of them for a long period of time. Many clients also received “advice and support”, and measures which may be called “administrative”; for example help to seek support from other authorities, or advice how to seek such support. A small number of clients were placed at various institutions, some with coercion, others voluntarily. To a very large extent, clients turned to the social welfare office because of economic problems. That clients, above all, needed economic support was also the opinion of social workers, even though some of them had the ambition to do something about the clients social and psychic problems. Nothing in the study indicates that the social welfare offices and the social workers did perform, or were expected to perform, the task of changing the lives of clients. That is to say; social welfare offices and social workers seem to have worked as a factor inhibiting and interrupting long periods of dependence on social allowance. Social welfare offices seem to have fulfilled a complementary function: to give support when other sources of income and other social networks fail.
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| 25. |
- Jönhill, Jan Inge
(författare)
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Från ideal via paradox till problem. Individualiteten och kärleken i Niklas Luhmanns systemteori
- 1993
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Ingår i: Sociologisk forskning. - : Sveriges Sociologförbund. - 0038-0342 .- 2002-066X. ; 30:4, s. 68-83
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- From ideal via paradox to problem. Individuality and love in Niklas Luhmann's systems theoryThis paper deals, on the one hand, with the question of man as an individual and his relationship to society and, on the other hand, with the sociology of love and intimacy and hence with the sociology of modern individualization. The aim is to introduce for Scandinavian sociology the German sociologist Niklas Luhmann, especially with regard to these themes and, at the same time, his radical and new conception of social systems. It is often suggested that sociological systems theory can only deal with macro level problems, and not with the micro level; of understanding problems on the individual level. In Luhmann’s approach this is no longer the case. The individual is conceived of as strictly belonging outside of society, as part of the environment. Only as person is it possible to identify man inside social systems. But in using the distinction between system and environment, both environment and system is focused upon. Love is analyzed primarily as a semantic code and not as a feeling (as is often the case). The thesis is that only as a code can love be expressed in its emotionality. In his book Love as Passion (an excellent example of historical sociology) the code of love is observed from Middle Ages as an ideal form, via its form of paradox, till today when love as a problem of the family system is penetrated by specialists of all kinds. Luhmann’s intention is not to find a solution for the family, but to provide an understanding for solutions which are contingent.
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| 26. |
- Karlsson, Jan C. H
(författare)
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Finns svenskheten? En granskning av teorier om svenskt folklynne, svensk folkkaraktär och svensk mentalitet
- 1994
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Ingår i: Sociologisk forskning. - : Sveriges Sociologförbund. - 0038-0342 .- 2002-066X. ; 31:1, s. 41-57
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Does Swedishness exist? A scrutiny of theories about the Swedish national character and mentalityThree prominent analyses of Swedishness are discussed: Do these analyses make it possible to say that Swedishness exists and, in that case, what characteristics it has? Two problems appear when reading these works. The first I call ’the search light problem’, dealing with what to look for when searching for Swedishness, i.e. a theory that defines the area of research. The other problem concerns levels of analysis; it has to do with how national characteristics are related to, on the one hand, transnational and, on the other hand, crossnational phenomena. None of the authors have succeeded in solving these problems in their research designs or in their argumentations; even the awareness of the existence of these problems seems to be very limited. My conclusion is therefore that research on Swedishness has so far not been able to show that Swedishness exists.
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| 27. |
- Korpi, Walter
(författare)
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Politik och väljare bakom valutgången 1991
- 1993
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Ingår i: Sociologisk forskning. - : Sveriges Sociologförbund. - 0038-0342 .- 2002-066X. ; 30:1, s. 3-28
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Politics, issues and voters in the Swedish 1991 electionThe 1991 elections to the Swedish Riksdag resulted in a major setback for the Social Democrats, which have dominated Swedish politics since the 1930s. The party received a lower share of the votes than it had done since the 1920’s. The background to this defeat is here discussed largely on the bases of secondary analyses of opinion polls. Although longterm structural changes in Swedish society and internationally may have contributed to the defeat, its immediate background would appear to have been the new economic policies which the Social Democratic government initiated since 1982 and which gradually come to alienate the core of the grassroot supporters of the party.
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| 28. |
- Külhorn, Eckart, et al.
(författare)
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Allmänhetens bruk av alhohol och psykofarmaka i empirisk belysning
- 1993
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Ingår i: Sociologisk forskning. - : Sveriges Sociologförbund. - 0038-0342 .- 2002-066X. ; 30:1, s. 79-97
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Use of alcohol and psychotropics in SwedenThis study of a representative Swedish sample of 5612 respondents from 1988, shows that the use of psychotropics in the general population is highly associated with bad health, as indicated by chronic diseases, especially the category of mental disorders. Also old age, the perception of bad health and various types of tiredness are strongly associated with the use of psychotropics. In general, the same pattern was found behind use of psychotropics as for other medicines in terms of sickness, perceived health, age, gender. Users of psychotropics also reported many contacts with the health care system. Altogether, the results argue for the interpretation, that psychotropics mainly are used in order to cope with bad health. This may also explain why more females than males use psychotropics. Contrary to psychotropics, alcohol use showed no association with bad health in general. If there are any functional similarities between alcohol and psychotropics, they are found between abstinence from alcohol and use of psychotropics. Also abstinence from alcohol seems to be connected with strategies to cope with health problems. Survey data in general and ours in particular have poor validity with regard to deviant behaviour. In order to study the combined use of alcohol and psychotropics, clinical populations have to be studied. Our data do not allow for any conclusion in this direction.
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| 29. |
- Kupferberg, Feiwel
(författare)
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Livsvärldar och systemtransformation
- 1994
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Ingår i: Sociologisk forskning. - : Sveriges Sociologförbund. - 0038-0342 .- 2002-066X. ; 31:4, s. 33-61
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Lifeworlds and SystemtransformationsHow are we to understand and explain the ongoing processes of transformation in Eastern Europe? The main thesis of this article is that the difficulties of the social sciences to predict both the collapse of the previous system and the difficulties in transforming them to systems of the Western type, is due to an underestimation of the strength and independence of the life-world dimension of the social order. The predominance of ”systemic thought” in the social sciences is related to a view of capitalism which grossly overestimates the unpersonal, ”systemic” dimension of this social order. It is argued that the capitalist social order is not only a system, but is also contingent on the existence of a life-world. The coming into existence of this life-world cannot be taken for granted. Sociology has partly recognized the existence of this life-world by emphasizing the importance of the moral dimension in capitalist societies, but theoretically and methodologically ”systemic” sociology has been unable to explain how this particular capitalist morality is possible. The role of Adam Smiths theory of morality and capitalism is discussed and compared to other, more ”life-world”-oriented sociological theories, such as phenonemology, the symbolic interactionism of Cooley and Mead, and the civilizational sociology of Norbert Elias.
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| 30. |
- Lidskog, Rolf
(författare)
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Skapandet av tillit i en riskkontext. Om social riskacceptans vid lokalisering av anläggningar för radioaktivt och miljöfarligt avfall
- 1993
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Ingår i: Sociologisk forskning. - : Sveriges Sociologförbund. - 0038-0342 .- 2002-066X. ; 30:4, s. 33-55
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Skapandet av tillit i en riskkontext. Om social riskacceptans vid lokalisering av anläggningar för radioaktivt och miljöfarligt avfallTaking Beck’s and Giddens’ recent formulation of the society’s new conditions for gaining trust as theoretical point of departure, this article focusses trust and risk with regard to hazardous and radioactive waste disposal in Sweden. Seeing trust as intimately connected with cognitive understanding of risks, the information strategies of the companies with responsibility for hazardous and radioactive waste management are analysed. Central in gaining trust is the creation of access points - points of connection between lay individuals or collectivities and the representatives of expert systems - at which trust can be built up or maintained. This article emphasizes that this kind of locational conflict is to be seen as a struggle concerning the cognitive understanding of risk-generating activities, and the question is to what extent the cognitive understanding of nuclear companies will be accepted among the affected local population and to what extent the local population will develop and maintain an alternative cognitive understanding.
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| 31. |
- Lindström, Lars
(författare)
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Socialtjänsten och den hemlöse alkoholisten
- 1993
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Ingår i: Sociologisk forskning. - : Sveriges Sociologförbund. - 0038-0342 .- 2002-066X. ; 30:1, s. 29-45
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Welfare agencies and the homeless alcoholicThe attitude towards homeless alcoholics has been characterized either by resignation, providing food and shelter and controlling drunkenness only, or by unrealistic ambitions, expecting immediate rehabilitation to a sober and independent way of life. In this article, a different attitude is proposed. Studies from Sweden and England especially, suggest that the homeless person will benefit from a program providing long-term care and a chain of options leading from the soup run to a bedsitter. Each step towards larger autonomy has to be quite small and adequate provision has to be made at each level for those who cannot move further. Enforced treatment, from contingency contracting to involuntary committment, seems to be effective as a life-sustaining device when used occasionally to control drunkenness. However, this approach tends to run counter to the needs and aspirations among professionals in the welfare agencies. Surveys show that those who work with homeless alcoholics often want to achieve more advanced goals than are feasible and also would like to deal with younger clients more fit for work. Since helping the traditional homeless group does not offer the recognition or the sense of accomplishment that most people need, professional attention has been directed towards other groups instead. For similar reasons, there has been a neglect of the long-term mentally ill in psychiatry. The tendency to exclude these groups from adequate care and surveillance cannot be counteracted unless a long-term perspective on their problems is adopted and moderate steps towards larger autonomy are given professional recognition and reward.
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| 32. |
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| 33. |
- Månson, Per
(författare)
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Minervas uggla och Sovjetunionens fall
- 1994
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Ingår i: Sociologisk forskning. - : Sveriges Sociologförbund. - 0038-0342 .- 2002-066X. ; 31:4, s. 3-32
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Owl of Minerva and the fall of the USSRMichail Gorbachev’s resignation from the position as president of the USSR in the end of 1991 meant that nearly 75 year of Soviet power in Russia and other countries was over. During these years, the academic knowledge of the Soviet system, its orgins and future, that developed in the West, was namned “ sovietology”. This article takes its point of departure in Hegel’s famous dictum “The Owl of Minerva begins its flight when the shades of twilight have already fallen”, and asks: “Has the dissolution of the USSR changed anythingin our knowledge of the Soviet epoch?”.The article first presents and discusses how sovietologists and others looked upon the future of the Soviet system, including its potential fall. Then follows a presentation of sovietology’s background in the cold war. In the third part the main directions in Sovietology— totalitarianism and revisionism— are presented. After this follows an overviewof the post soviet debate of the reasons for the dissolution of the USSR, after which the opening question : ”If the dissolution has changed our understanding of the USSR?” is answered with “very little, it seems”.However, in the last part of the article, some new areas of research are proposed, for example the study of every day life in Soviet Union and the historical and cultural influence on the formation, development and fall of the Soviet system. Finally, it is emphasized that the study of the Soviet epoch now, at last, can be de-ideologinized.
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| 34. |
- Naranjo, Eduardo, 1947-
(författare)
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Jordbruket i framtiden
- 1994
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Ingår i: Sociologisk forskning. - 0038-0342 .- 2002-066X. ; :4, s. 104-107
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Recension (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
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| 35. |
- Sunesson, Sune
(författare)
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Institution, normalisering, vetande
- 1993
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Ingår i: Sociologisk forskning. - : Sveriges Sociologförbund. - 0038-0342 .- 2002-066X. ; 30:2, s. 17-25
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Institution, normalization, knowledgeNormalization, as strategy and process of social correction of the non-normal, is threefold. Firstly, there is normalization by pleas; attempts to normalize powerful social forces that behave non-normally by referrals to norms and rules of the game. The second kind of normalization hinges on the material power of institutions. In the human services, these power practices are related to discursive systems in psychiatry, penology, child psychology and the like. The third kind is the one most similar to normal socialization, that is exposing the non-normal to normal contexts. Increasingly, pre-modern institutions ofthe second kind are discontinued, and new discourse dependent social enclosures of the contextual normalizing kind are initiated.
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| 36. |
- Suolinna, Kirsti, et al.
(författare)
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Två kriser inom finländsk sociologi
- 1994
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Ingår i: Sociologisk forskning. - : Sveriges Sociologförbund. - 0038-0342 .- 2002-066X. ; 31:1, s. 3-20
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Two crises in Finnish sociologyThe aim of the article is to compare two different institutional and paradigmatic crises in Finnish sociology. The first crisis occurred after World War II when the social sciences had to master new challenges posed by postwar Finnish society. At the University of Helsinkia new faculty was established which promoted modern social sciences. The earlier dominant Westermarck school lost its institutional position when the chairs where reserved for representatives of modern sociology. The Westermarck school’s scientific importance had diminished in the period between the two World Wars. Nevertheless the old Westermarckians got an opportunity to found the Westermarck Society as an interest group to promote Westermarck’s legacy. During the 1950s the Society gradually became dominated by representatives of the modern social sciences. The analysis presented in the article is based on protocols, letters and articles which document the old Westermarckians efforts to defend their scientific views and positions. The second crisis occurred during the 1960s and 1970s. The data consist of written documents but also interviews with sociologists at the universities of Helsinki, Turku and Tampere. The Westermarck Society as well as the Departments of Sociology at the Finnish universities were politicized during this period. By comparing the two periods of crises it is concluded that sociology is and was quite vulnerable to social and political influences. It can be argued that sociology as a science of society will always reflect ongoing political and social discourses and movements. However at times the involvement in these discourses may demand so much time and energy that it will hinder daily scientific routines and delay the achievement of results.
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| 37. |
- Swedberg, Richard
(författare)
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Saint-Simons vision av ett enat Europa
- 1994
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Ingår i: Sociologisk forskning. - : Sveriges Sociologförbund. - 0038-0342 .- 2002-066X. ; 31:1, s. 21-40
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Saint-Simon's vision of a united EuropeWhile there exists a considerable literature on Saint-Simon’s work as a whole, practically no research has been devoted to the theme of a united Europe in his writings. This essay traces this theme from his first to his last writings. While in the beginning of his career Saint-Simon emphasized that science would save Europe from its crisis and also unite it, he later emphasized the role of industry. In his famous pamphlet from 1814, De la réorganisationde la société européenne, Saint-Simon also suggested what the political structure of a united Europe may look like. What is remarkable about Saint-Simon’s mature vision of a united Europe is that Saint-Simon here brings together three separate ideas from the18th and 19th century: (1) Europe has to be reorganized if there is to be an end to all the wars; (2) Europe must get a government that is independent of the individual countries; and (3) industry will bind people together and play a key role in Europe’s unification. An effort is made - through Durkheim’s theory of collective representations - to explore the roots of Saint-Simon’s vision in the French Revolution and its aftermath. Paralells between Saint-Simon’s ideas and those of Jean Monnet are discussed in the last part of the article.
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| 38. |
- Therborn, Göran
(författare)
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Normens vägar och frågetecken
- 1993
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Ingår i: Sociologisk forskning. - : Sveriges Sociologförbund. - 0038-0342 .- 2002-066X. ; 30:2, s. 3-16
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The question of normsNorms have three functions: they define, describe and pre/proscribe. For sociology, the important thing is that norms are rules of conduct. But not all action is rule-governed. There is also rational (instrumental) action, as studied by rational choice. Most concrete actions are both normative and rational. To what extent actions are normative and to what extent they are rational is an empirical matter. Important questions for an empirical approach to social norms include the following: what are the conditions favouring normative and rational action respectively? What are the most important types of social norms and how do they work? When do norms emerge and when do the cease to affect action?
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| 39. |
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| 40. |
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| 41. |
- Widlund, Ingrid
(författare)
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Är offentliganställda annorlunda? Sektorstillhörighet och medborgarattityder i svensk politik
- 1994
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Ingår i: Sociologisk forskning. - : Sveriges Sociologförbund. - 0038-0342 .- 2002-066X. ; 31:4, s. 62-77
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Are public sector employees different? Sectorial and citizen attitudes in Swedish politics.This article raises the question whether it makes a difference for people’s attitudes towards the public sector to be employed by, or have their main income from, the private or the public sector. An analysis based on quantitative data from 1987 reveals that these dividing lines had no significant effect on the level of discontent with public activities such as health care, child care and eldercare, but proved to have a slight effect on attitudes to public institutions: state authorities, municipal authorities, the courts and parliament (Riksdagen). Public employees have somewhat greater confidence in these institutions. This effect remained more or less intact as tested against gender, education, age and occupation. The main conclusion however is that the impact of both type of employment and source of income is far too low to support the general idea that public/private affiliation in these respects is has any real importance for citizen attitudes in Sweden.
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| 42. |
- Zetterberg, Hans L
(författare)
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Samhällssfärerna i historiens ljus
- 1994
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Ingår i: Sociologisk forskning. - : Sveriges Sociologförbund. - 0038-0342 .- 2002-066X. ; 31:2, s. 63-85
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Societal spheres in the light of historyA division of society into statecraft, economy, and civil society is found in Plato’s Republic. Its theoretical base is the differentiated and sometimes contradictory norms for these spheres. The mainstream of European structuration is traced from the ’two swords’ - state and church - that structured western European society in the Middle Ages to the six societal spheres (or cardinal institutions) of society - the economy, government, science, religion, ethics, and art - that are visible today. Each maintain a large measure of independence (Weber’s Eigengesetzlichkeit). Each is dependent on a special type of freedom: civic liberties, free trade, academic freedom, religious toleration, the right to follow one’s conscience, artistic license. The paper pauses in this differentiation process at special junctures: the English revolution, the emergence of the Latin American and North American societies, the evolution of modem society as an underpinning of democracy, the emergence of the European Union, and the post-Communist Central and Eastern Europe.
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| 43. |
- Agevall, Ola
(författare)
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Weber, kausaliteten och oändligheten
- 1994
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Ingår i: Sociologisk Forskning. - : Sveriges Sociologförbund. - 0038-0342. ; 31:3, s. 57-75
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)
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| 44. |
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| 45. |
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| 46. |
- Naranjo, Eduardo
(författare)
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Jordbruket i framtiden
- 1994
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Ingår i: Sociologisk Forskning. - : Swedish Sociological Association. - 0038-0342. ; :4, s. 104-107
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Forskningsöversikt (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
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| 47. |
- WIDLUND, I
(författare)
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ARE PUBLIC-SECTOR EMPLOYEES DIFFERENT - SECTORIAL AND CITIZEN ATTITUDES IN SWEDISH POLITICS
- 1994
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Ingår i: SOCIOLOGISK FORSKNING. - : SOCIOLOGISK FORSKNING SOCIOLOGISKA INSTITUTIONEN. - 0038-0342. ; 31:4, s. 62-77
-
Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This article raises the question whether it makes a difference for people's attitudes towards the public sector to be employed by, or have their main income from, the private or the public sector. An analysis based on quantitative data from 1987 reveals t
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