Jeffrey Alexander and Cultural Sociology (eBook)

Jean-François Côté is Professor of Sociology at the University of Quebec at Montreal.

Preface

Introduction

Chapter 1: The "strong program" of cultural sociology

Alexander's "post-positivist" approach to sociology

From Parsons to neofunctionalism

From Neofunctionalism to Cultural Sociology

A new analysis of the relative autonomy of culture based on reflexivity

Chapter 2: A rereading of Durkheim: social ritual and cultural significance

The presence of the religious in cultural life

A sociology of religion in social life: politics and technology

Symbolic forms of meaning in contemporary society

Chapter 3: A critique of Marx, Cultural Studies, and Bourdieu

The rejection of Marxian critique

Critique of Cultural Studies

Critique of Bourdieusian determinism

Critical theory and reflexivity: the power of representation

Chapter 4: Culture, Politics and Civil Religion: Weber and beyond

With Weber and beyond: a sociology of religion in modernity

Weberian analysis reassessed by pragmatics and hermeneutics

The civil sphere and political debates: reconstruction of civil religion

Chapter 5: The Civil Sphere and the "Societal Community:" beyond Parsons

From Parsons to Touraine and beyond: analysis of performative social movements

Cultural pragmatics and the challenges of symbolic codification

Social and cultural trauma theory: social claims of identity

Chapter 6: The power of representation and the representation of power

Empirical analysis of political life: the representation of power

Power of representation: performance and dramatic action in the civil sphere

The power of the symbolic and the iconic

A generalized social theatricality: the dramatic aesthetics of social action

Conclusion

"Jeffrey Alexander's 'strong program' for cultural sociology is a major effort to revitalize the classical sociological tradition - and challenge both materialist and instrumental perspectives. It has evolved over many years, shifting among theoretical syntheses, programmatic statements, and analyses of practical issues in democratic culture. Fully understanding it calls for a guide, and Jean-Francois Côté performs this role with clarity and insight. Whether you wish to follow Alexander or challenge him, you will find Côté's analysis invaluable."
Craig Calhoun, Arizona State University and LSE

"An essential overview of Jeffrey Alexander's cultural sociology, Côté's important critical synthesis connects its many contributions to illuminate one of the most ambitious, sustained, and useful projects in contemporary sociology."
Lyn Spillman, University of Notre Dame