Best of
Social-Science

1989

Sources of the Self: The Making of the Modern Identity


Charles Taylor - 1989
    The modern turn to subjectivity, with its attendant rejection of an objective order of reason, has led—it seems to many—to mere subjectivism at the mildest and to sheer nihilism at the worst. Many critics believe that the modern order has no moral backbone and has proved corrosive to all that might foster human good. Taylor rejects this view. He argues that, properly understood, our modern notion of the self provides a framework that more than compensates for the abandonment of substantive notions of rationality.The major insight of Sources of the Self is that modern subjectivity, in all its epistemological, aesthetic, and political ramifications, has its roots in ideas of human good. After first arguing that contemporary philosophers have ignored how self and good connect, the author defines the modern identity by describing its genesis. His effort to uncover and map our moral sources leads to novel interpretations of most of the figures and movements in the modern tradition. Taylor shows that the modern turn inward is not disastrous but is in fact the result of our long efforts to define and reach the good. At the heart of this definition he finds what he calls the affirmation of ordinary life, a value which has decisively if not completely replaced an older conception of reason as connected to a hierarchy based on birth and wealth. In telling the story of a revolution whose proponents have been Augustine, Montaigne, Luther, and a host of others, Taylor's goal is in part to make sure we do not lose sight of their goal and endanger all that has been achieved. Sources of the Self provides a decisive defense of the modern order and a sharp rebuff to its critics.

The Condition of Postmodernity: An Enquiry into the Origins of Cultural Change


David Harvey - 1989
    In this new book, David Harvey seeks to determine what is meant by the term in its different contexts and to identify how accurate and useful it is as a description of contemporary experience.But the book is much more than this: in the course of his investigation the author provides a social and semantic history – from the Enlightenment to the present – of modernism and its expression in political and social ideas and movements, as well as in art, literature and architecture. He considers in particular how meaning and perception of time and space themselves vary over time and space, and shows that this variance affects individual values and social processes of the most fundamental kind.This book will be widely welcomed, not only for its clear and critical account of the arguments surrounding the propositions of modernity and postmodernity, but as an incisive contribution to the history of ideas and their relation to social and political change.

Necessary Illusions: Thought Control in Democratic Societies


Noam Chomsky - 1989
    Specific cases are illustrated in detail, using the U.S. media primarily but also media in other societies. Chomsky considers how the media might be democratized (as part of the general problem of developing more democratic institutions) in order to offer citizens broader and more meaningful participation in social and political life.

The Second Shift


Arlie Russell Hochschild - 1989
    As the majority of women entered the workforce, sociologist and Berkeley professor Arlie Hochschild was one of the first to talk about what really happens in dual-career households. Many people were amazed to find that women still did the majority of childcare and housework even though they also worked outside the home. Now, in this updated edition with a new introduction from the author, we discover how much things have, or have not, changed for women today.

Motherwit: An Alabama Midwife's Story


Onnie Lee Logan - 1989
    The experiences she gained from the hundreds of babies she birthed during 40 years makes for a biography that is rich and compelling.

The Roots of Evil: The Origins of Genocide and Other Group Violence


Ervin Staub - 1989
    He sketches a conceptual framework for the many influences on one group's desire to harm another: cultural and social patterns predisposing to violence, historical circumstances resulting in persistent life problems, and needs and modes of adaptation arising from the interaction of these influences. Such notions as cultural stereotyping and devaluation, societal self-concept, moral exclusion, the need for connection, authority orientation, personal and group goals, better world ideologies, justification, and moral equilibrium find a place in his analysis, and he addresses the relevant evidence from the behavioral sciences. Within this conceptual framework, Staub then considers the behavior of perpetrators and bystanders in four historical situations: the Holocaust (his primary example), the genocide of Armenians in Turkey, the autogenocide in Cambodia, and the disappearances in Argentina. Throughout, he is concerned with the roots of caring and the psychology of heroic helpers. In his concluding chapters, he reflects on the socialization of children at home and in schools, and on the societal practices and processes that facilitate the development of caring persons, and of care and cooperation among groups. A wide audience will find The Roots of Evil thought-provoking reading.

The Germans


Norbert Elias - 1989
    Enhanced by his deep understanding of other Western European nations, Norbert Elias's incisive analyses of nationalism, violence, and the breakdown of civilization will be an indispensable resource for those interested in modern European history and sociology and in European studies.

The Culture We Deserve


Jacques Barzun - 1989
    Twelve essays exploring aspects of literacy and art criticism, retrospective sociology and the effects of relativism on moral behavior.

The Three Ecologies


Félix Guattari - 1989
    Extending the definition of ecology to encompass social relations and human subjectivity as well as environmental concerns, The Three Ecologies argues that the ecological crises that threaten our planet are the direct result of the expansion of a new form of capitalism and that a new ecosophical approach must be found which respects the differences between all living systems.This edition includes a chronology of Guattari's life and work, introductions to both his general philosophy and to the work itself, and extended notes to the original text.

Governing the Soul: The Shaping of the Private Self


Nikolas Rose - 1989
    This governmentality perspective has had important implications for a range of academic disciplines including criminology, political theory, sociology and psychology and has generated much theoretical innovation and empirical investigation. The second edition contains a new introduction, which sets out the methodological and conceptual bases of this approach. Also, a new final chapter has been added that considers some of the implications of recent developments in the government of subjectivity.

Human Scale Development: Conception, Application and Further Reflections


Manfred Max-Neef - 1989
    Presents a people-centred approach to development.

Breaking Free: A Recovery Handbook for 'Facing Codependence'


Pia Mellody - 1989
    Now in this innovative new workbook, she presents a step-by-step journal-keeping method for moving toward recovery from codependence. Based on such concepts as the "precious child" and the five core symptoms of codependence, along with the Twelve-Step process of recovery used by Codependents Anonymous, Breaking Free provides strategies and insights for attacking the fundamental problem in codependence--the lack of dependence on self. In a three-part approach to recovery, Mellody first shows recovering codependents how to move beyond denial of their childhood history of abuse. She then offers techniques to identify concrete ways in which the symptoms of codependence operate in their lives. Finally, Mellody guides users through the process of identifying and recording specific instances of improvement in their lives as an aid to greater self-awareness and further recovery.

Bureaucracy: What Government Agencies Do and Why They Do It


James Q. Wilson - 1989
    Wilson (The Economist)In Bureaucracy, the distinguished scholar James Q. Wilson examines a wide range of bureaucracies, including the US Army, the FBI, the CIA, the FCC, and the Social Security Administration, providing the first comprehensive, in-depth analysis of what government agencies do, why they operate the way they do, and how they might become more responsible and effective. It is the essential guide to understanding how American government works.

Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Of Borderline Patients


Otto F. Kernberg - 1989
    Kernberg. His conceptualization of borderline personality organization and his ego psychology—object relations approach have broadened the understanding of these difficult patients and pointed the way to a more successful treatment of them. This long-awaited book, based on years of clinical research by Kernberg and his associates, is the first to present his model of psychodynamic psychotherapy with borderline patients.Using abundant clinical vignettes and transcripts, the authors take the reader through the treatment—from establishing the contract through dealing with termination—always explaining the theory that underlies the technique. They describe the phases of treatment, beginning with the most primitive and moving on to working with advanced defenses and transferences. Included are guidelines on such crucial issues as dealing with countertransference, modifying technical neutrality, and handling suicide threats. With its elegant integration of theory and practice and clear explication of treatment strategies, this important book is an essential resource for both beginning and seasoned practitioners.

Recursive Methods in Economic Dynamics


Nancy L. Stokey - 1989
    Stokey, Lucas, and Prescott develop the basic methods of recursive analysis and illustrate the many areas where they can usefully be applied.After presenting an overview of the recursive approach, the authors develop economic applications for deterministic dynamic programming and the stability theory of first-order difference equations. They then treat stochastic dynamic programming and the convergence theory of discrete-time Markov processes, illustrating each with additional economic applications. They also derive a strong law of large numbers for Markov processes. Finally, they present the two fundamental theorems of welfare economics and show how to apply the methods developed earlier to general equilibrium systems.The authors go on to apply their methods to many areas of economics. Models of firm and industry investment, household consumption behavior, long-run growth, capital accumulation, job search, job matching, inventory behavior, asset pricing, and money demand are among those they use to show how predictions can he made about individual and social behavior. Researchers and graduate students in economic theory will find this book essential.--back cover

Explaining Social Behavior: More Nuts and Bolts for the Social Sciences


Jon Elster - 1989
    In twenty-six succinct chapters, Jon Elster provides an account of the nature of explanation in the social sciences. He offers an overview of key explanatory mechanisms in the social sciences, relying on hundreds of examples and drawing on a large variety of sources-psychology, behavioral economics, biology, political science, historical writings, philosophy and fiction. Written in accessible and jargon-free language, Elster aims at accuracy and clarity while eschewing formal models.

Karl Marx's Theory of Revolution Vol IV


Hal Draper - 1989
    The fourth volume in Hal Draper's series looks at these critiques to illuminate what Marx's socialism was, as well as what it was not. Some of these debates are well-known elements in Marx's work, such as his writings on the anarchists Proudhon and Bakunin. Others are less familiar, such as the writings on Bismarckian socialism and Boulangism, but promise to become better known and understood with Draper's exposition. He also discusses the more general ideological tendencies of utopian and sentimental socialisms, which took various forms and were ingredients in many different socialist movements.

Darwin, Sex, and Status: Biological Approaches to Mind and Culture


Jerome H. Barkow - 1989
    

End of a World: The Selknam of Tierra Del Fuego


Anne Chapman - 1989
    The Selknam now are an extinct people that inhabited the main island of Tierra del Fuego, at the far end of South America. In the midst of this isolated, frigid and inhospitable country, they developed a nomadic life organized in small family groups or lineages that depended mainly on hunting the guanaco. Occasionally they gathered to bid farewell to their dead or to celebrate the remarkable Hain initiation ceremony. From 1880 onward, European colonization accelerated the tragic process of their extinction. Diseases from abroad as well as Indian hunters and vigilante groups were the main factors leading to their demise.

Health Measurement Scales: A Practical Guide to Their Development and Use


David L. Streiner - 1989
    It is widely used by people from many disciplines, who have only a limited knowledge of statistics.This thoroughly updated edition of Health Measurement Scales 3e gives more details on cognitive requirements in answering questions, and how this influences scale development. There is now an expanded discussion of generizibility theory, a completely revised chapter on Item Response Theory andmany revisions are included, based on the latest research findings.These features combine to provide the most up-to-date guide to measuring scale development available. It synthesizes the theory of scale construction with practical advice, culled from the literature and the authors' experience, about how to develop and validate measurement scales to be used inthe health sciences. The theory goes into issues of reliability, generalizability theroy, validity, the measurement of change, the cognitive requirements of answering questions, and item response theory. Practical issues cover devising the items, biases that may affect the responses, pre-testingand weeding our poorly performing items, combining items into scales, setting cut points, and the practical issues of using scales in various ways, such as face-to-face interviews; mailed or telephone-administered surveys; and over the internet. One chapter also discusses some of the ethical issuesthat scale developers and users should be aware of. Appendices lead the reader to other readings; sources of already developed scales and items; and a very brief introduction to exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis.

Crimes of Obedience: Toward a Social Psychology of Authority and Responsibility


Herbert C. Kelman - 1989
    Kelman and V. Lee Hamilton to investigate the attitudes toward responsibility and authority that underlie "crimes of obedience"—not only in military circumstances like My Lai but as manifested in Watergate, the Iran-Contra scandal, and the Kurt Waldheim affair. Their book is an ardent plea for the right and obligation of citizens to resist illegal and immoral orders from above.

The State Nobility: Elite Schools in the Field of Power


Pierre Bourdieu - 1989
    What kinds of competence are claimed by the bureaucrats and technocrats who govern us? And how do those who govern gain our recognition and acquiescence?Bourdieu examines in detail the work of consecration that is carried out by elite education systems—in France by the grande écoles, in the United States by the Ivy League schools, and in England by Oxford and Cambridge. Today, this "state nobility" has at its disposal an unprecedented range of powers and distinctive titles to justify its privilege. Bourdieu shows how it is the heir—structural and sometimes genealogical—of the noblesse de robe, which, in order to consolidate its position in relation to other forms of power, had to construct the modern state and the republican myths, meritocracy, and civil service that went along with it.Combining ethnographic description, historical documentation, statistical analysis, and theoretical argument, Bourdieu develops a wide-ranging and highly original account of the forms of power and governance that have come to prevail in our society today.

Macroeconomics


David N. Hyman - 1989
    However, it does not sacrifice intellectual rigor in its quest for accessibility.

The Taste of Ethnographic Things: The Senses in Anthropology


Paul Stoller - 1989
    For most anthropologists, Stoller contends, tasteless theories are more important than the savory sauces of ethnographic life. That they have lost the smells, sounds, and tastes of the places they study is unfortunate for them, for their subjects, and for the discipline itself.The Taste of Ethnographic Things describes how, through long-term participation in the lives of the Songhay of Niger, Stoller eventually came to his senses. Taken together, the separate chapters speak to two important and integrated issues. The first is methodological--all the chapters demonstrate the rewards of long-term study of a culture. The second issue is how he became truer to the Songhay through increased sensual awareness.

Interpreting Women's Lives: Feminist Theory and Personal Narratives


Personal Narratives Group - 1989
    rich and thought-provoking... That kind of collaborative writing is feminist scholarship at its best, and exhaustingly difficult." --The Women's Review of Books"A substantial contribution to women's studies and autobiographical criticism." --Choice..". exciting.... will lead to new insight and appreciation of the variety and complexity of women's lives." --Feminist Collections..". provocative... " --American Ethnologist..". rich in thought-provoking insights into the particular ways women have been socialized and the individual routes through which they have successfully resisted roles and paradigms of behavior inimical to the development of a robust sense of self." --Women and Language..". very fine collection of essays... " --Auto/Biography Studies"The essays deal with a fascinatingly broad palette of personal narrative types... This book is to be recommended to anyone interested in feminist research..." --MonatshefteThis groundbreaking multidisciplinary and multicultural examination of women's oral and written documents offers rich insights into the ways that women's voices and life stories can inform scholarly research. The book expands our understanding of both the shared experience of gender and the profound differences among women.

Letting Go of Shame: Understanding How Shame Affects Your Life


Ronald T. Potter-Efron - 1989
    This book helps us recognize shame for what it is, and affirm our basic humanity, humility, autonomy, and competence.As we identify shame and use recovery skills to work through it, Letting Go of Shame: Understanding How Shame Affects Your Life helps to explain the emotion of shame and its impact on our self-image and relationships. The authors offer us a way that we can personalize a plan of action to help build our self-esteem, and they suggest exercises to help us identify our feelings of shame.

His Eminence and Hizzoner: A Candid Exchange : Mayor Edward Koch and John Cardinal O'Connor


John Joseph O'Connor - 1989
    

In Defense of Socialism: Four Speeches on the 30th Anniversary of the Cuban Revolution. Speeches, Vol. 4, '01/01/1988-89


Fidel Castro - 1989
    Also discusses Cuba's role in the struggle against the apartheid regime in southern Africa.

A Punishment in Search of a Crime: Americans Speak Out Against the Death Penalty


Ian Gray - 1989
    

Whose Keeper? Social Science and Moral Obligation


Alan Wolfe - 1989
    Alan Wolfe argues that modern liberal democracies, such as the U.S. and Scandinavia, have broken with traditional sources of morality and instead have relied upon economic and political frameworks to define their obligations to one another. Wolfe calls for reinvigorating a sense of community and thus an sense of obligation to the larger society.

The Nordish Quest


Richard McCulloch - 1989
    This book explores the concept of the "Nordish Race" or Northern Europeans. This is the last book by the author and is an update on the ideas that the author holds for helping the identity of "Nordish" people and social reality of today. This is an openly racial book that isn't available in any book store, is very forward thinking and is geared towards people that already have an understanding the current racial problem.