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interview with Michel Wieviorka
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This article sets out to formulate an integral theory of nation and nationalism. Drawing on the following criteria of a good sociological theory: (a) integration with other theories; (b) dynamism and (c) flexibility, it goes on to apply them to nationalism studies. This procedure allows to construct both a definition of nation (understood as a social movement of activists externalizing, objectivizing and internalizing national ideologies) as well as a full explanation of the phenomenon of nation (genetic explanation, combining micro and macro levels of analyses, i.e. environmental, relational and cognitive mechanisms), which together constitute the integral theory of nation and nationalism. The theory then serves to show limits of rival theories of nation and nationalism. First, it points to the fact that other theories are partial instead of integrated. In specific, they tend to focus on some elements of definition of the nation, while leaving other elements out of scope (for example, they focus on internalized or objectivized ideology, while omitting processes of negotiation of national ideology that belong to the level of externalization). The same goes for partial explanations of nation and nationalism, which neither take into account the need for an analysis of nation in historical perspective nor offer explanations which would combine environmental, relational and cognitive mechanisms. Second, the integral theory demonstrates certain instances of inflexibility of the partial theories of nation and nationalism, which leads to disregarding the problems instead of dealing with them. An important case in point here is a modernist theory, as represented by Ernest Gellner, which treats ethnic origins of nations not as a challenge to its basic premises but as an anomaly. Finally, the integral theory allows to construct new explanations of nation-building (for example: nationalization of peasant masses in Polish Galicia was not an outcome of revolutionary movement, as it is customarily argued, but a product of traditionalist movements). It also helps to pose new questions. Instead of reducing national phenomena to more basic factors it invites analyses of nation and nationalism in the context of unintended effects.
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The article is written to acquaint the Polish reader with a French sociologist, Jean-Claude Kaufmann. On the example of washing machine and washing as a domestic chore, Jean-Claude Kaufmann explains how a modern couple is created nowadays and how it functions struggling with the ideas of equality. It is an image of the lives of men and women all over the world, undergoing the process of democratization of family life. Kaufmann describes how ordinary people cope with changes that had been foreseen by Norbert Elias in The Society of Individuals. The way Kaufmann analyzes a couple is unique and comprehensive, valid also for other languages and cultures. The article reviews Kaufmann’ sociological ideas of negative capital, domestic integration and the condition of man as a pupil of his wife. Moreover, it explains how to manage Jean-Claude Kaufmann’s method of comprehensive interview. By introducing a heretofore unknown sociologist it shows the readers how to observe the world of modern family in an original and interesting way.
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review from book: (Kultura i gospodarka) [Culture and Economy] by J. Kochanowicz and M. Marody ed.)
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review from book: (Nowa droga do zniewolenia? O życiu w społeczeństwie konsumpcyjnym) [The New Road to Serfdom? About the Life in the Consumer Society] by K. Romaniszyn ed.)
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The purpose of this essay is to propose a view of the world described in the novel as a sociological object. The literary work subject to analysis is Mario Vargas Llosa’s “The War of the End of the World”, with Lewis A. Coser’s remarks referred to as guidelines on how a sociologist may do his or her research on a reality presented in a novel. The author wants to point out that it may be useful to recur to elements of the sociological theories in order better to understand the social phenomena and processes portrayed in literature. Such procedure may enrich the interpretation of the novel, at the same time being not without interest for science.
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The 20th century witnessed the emergence of a new paradigm: genetic determinism which permeates biology, medicine and Western culture. It is commonly believed that the answer to questions regarding human health, personality traits, behavior and human nature in general can be found in human genome. The paper aims to look beyond the medicalization thesis toward the process of genetisation of society. Its main tenet is that the development of new genetics transforms social relations, culture, society and politics. Therefore, the objectives of the author are: 1) to discuss the impact of the new genetics on the emergence of new expressions of personal and collective identities, new forms of biopolitics and governmentality as well as the transformation of the idea of citizenship and ethos of duty, and 2) to present a critical analysis of the discourse of the new genetics.
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Modal personality in period of industrial capitalism was focused on fulfilling obligations, whereas the new economy more often refers to self-fulfillment needs. The fall of industrial society is accompanied by an increase in mental tensions and the number of psychiatric advices. There are probably much fewer mental disorders than evidenced by medical statistics. As the industrial societies vanished, the coefficients of suicides showed a declining trend. The personality changes are heading towards further individualization and growing importance of self–fulfillment, thus according with the logic of development of the new economy. Hence, the development of personality precedes the economic change.
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HIV/AIDS is one of the biggest problems that has puzzled the medical world, this is because AIDS is life threatening and as of present there is no cure for the disease. The first AIDS case in Nigeria was reported in 1986. Since then, the epidemic has steadily grown. Estimates show the number of people living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria in 2003 to be between 3.2 and 3.8 million (2003 HIV Sentinel Survey), and the age group 20–24 years having the highest national prevalence (5.6%). The active labour force is greatly affected and this has enormous consequences for the future generation. The present research is aimed at studying the awareness of HIV/AIDS among selected students in tertiary institutions in Nigeria. Specifically, the research investigated the role of traditional and cultural societal norms, on the behavioural patterns of youths in the tertiary institutions. The target population represent the age group in the country which have the highest national prevalence rate. This target group also constitute those that practice risky behaviour, drug addiction and premarital sex, which can increase the chances of the increase of HIV infection. The risk of HIV/AIDS infections among youths in the tertiary Institutions has increased in recent years. The sample consisted of 162 males and 162 females, between the ages of 20 – 24 in 3 Tertiary Institutions. The results of the survey indicate that socio-economic factors, culture and tradition all play a significant role in the differences between female and male perceptions of the HIV/AIDS.
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The role of women in modern politics is a subject that needs further insight, considering the growth in number of women that nowadays have relevant political positions on the international stage. There are studies today that emphasize the equality issue and all that is gender role related, but our interest is to analyze the women representation in power related positions. Due to the fast modernization of the political environment and the rapid spreading of the feminist way of thought, several authors took interest in the gender differences in politics. The article follows some key dimensions in understanding the gender-role in politics: the glass ceiling, the role of the media in drawing the image of the woman politician, the gender affinity effect. In the end we would like to point out the differences for men and women in exploiting the opportunities and securing the positions of power.
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This study examined gender variations in self reported quality of life among randomly selected elderly populations in selected Yoruba communities in three local government areas of Osun State Nigeria. Data was generated through cross-sectional survey of 947 elderly population aged 60 years and above. Two internationally tested instruments were used to assess quality of life status among the respondents- Activities of Daily Life (with 14 items scales) (ADL) and Aging Male Symptoms (AMS) (with 17 items scales and adapted for both males and females). The analysis was basically descriptive through the use of simple frequency description. Findings showed that elderly female respondents fared better than the male counterparts on some of the measures. Also, females were more likely than their spouse to be able to cope without any assistance. Results from males with a living spouse showed that majority of the spouse (females) were more likely to need assistance for usual daily activities compared with the male (husband). This trend was also confirmed among female respondents as a fewer proportion of spouse (male) can cope without any help compared with females. The AMS showed that male reported a better health status in the domains of sexual, psychosocial and somatic measures. The study concluded that measures of quality of life were likely to favour elderly females than males because of many challenges and responsibilities of males. Also, age differences may play an important influence in this. The study raised the need for more in-depth studies to investigate the role of social –cultural factors of male dominance and patriarchal system on quality of life of the elderly from the gender lens.
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This paper provides an account of the division of household labour (i.e., housework and childcare) based on the results of a doctoral research project on time management among couples, in relation to a specific professional group: emergency physicians. It is tested the suitability of some general theoretical approaches for the explanation of housework time, namely rational choice theory and relative resources theory. The gender dimension is still an important variable to describe and understand attitudes and behaviours within the couple, even in upper socio-economical categories, largely recognised to be usually more democratic and egalitarian in what regards the tasks and self-perceptions of women and men inside and outside home. However, along with the persistence of ‘traditional’ gender roles in unpaid work, especially at some stages of the family life cycle, there are new trends of ‘modernisation’ concerning sex-role attitudes. This is translated into changes in the economic resources ratio between spouses, such as the appearance of a relative female bread-winner model in dual-earner couples. Therefore, it is important to deepen the social research on these issues by pursuing qualitative studies and articulating different analytical perspectives, in order to understand how they may interact in a more sophisticated explanation of the participation in domestic labour.
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The central assumption of the “final-say” measure of conjugal dynamics is that reported decision-making outcomes reveal gender inequality within the household; since power is defined as the ability to make decisions affecting the life of the family, the decider is often regarded as the one possessing more power or higher status. Qualitative data collected from in-depth interviews with 16 married Chinese immigrant couples in Canada, however, problematize this assumption. Drawing on data from separate interviews with the spouses, I highlight three subtle ways in which gender inequality manifests itself. First, in a substantial proportion of households, wives rather than husbands made decisions about day-to-day expenses, even when the wife held no paid employment or earned less than the husband. This was an extension of women’s traditionally assigned roles as housekeeper and caregiver. Second, husbands consciously avoided making such decisions. Not only did interviewees perceive household expenditure decisions as “women’s business” (nurenjia de shi), but these decisions were also trivialized by both male and female respondents. Third, interview data showed that there was an unequal distribution of power between spouses, even in the model of joint decision making, because wives tended to seek their husbands’ approval, especially for real estate purchases or high-end consumption. The major findings from this study suggest that researchers’ conclusions about gender relations in the family may depend on the methods of data collection. Specifically, if one takes the respondents’ answers to surveys at face value, one finds that there are three possible conclusions: (1) women are more powerful or have a higher status than men in the family, because wives more often than husbands are the primary decision makers in the matter of household expenditures; (2) men are more powerful than women, because there are more areas that fall under men’s rule; and (3) there is equality between spouses, because joint decision making is a significant pattern. Findings based on in-depth interviews with couples, however, point to one direction: male privilege is present in the family, even when wives are the deciders and when couples report that the decision-making process is shared.
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Women are the champions for peace in any society because women are always at the receiving end of any out-break of disasters, especially war. Women lose virtually everything from property to life. Women have also been known to challenge repressive governments. Women, throughout history have led various social movements that brought change to the society. This paper examines the roles played by women to address exploitation in Nigeria’s Niger Delta. It also examines the modus operandi of women to address the question of under-development in the area. Social Exchange Theory is employed in this paper to explain the reason why women engage in protests in order to redress injustice in the Niger Delta. Qualitative method of In-depth Interviews was employed to collect data from women’s organizations in the randomly selected oil-producing States in the Niger Delta. The paper main finding is that women have been drastically affected by the activities of oil companies in the area. Also, the restiveness among women was found to be caused by injustice, neglect, deprivation, and unequal distribution of resources. The paper, therefore, recommends the creation of a special account to finance women development projects. And also, women rights must not only be recognized by government and oil companies, but must be upheld and respected.
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This paper aims to highlight the differences between men and women regarding impression formation. It is based on secondary analysis of the data gathered in two previous experiments with similar conditions. However, the hypotheses formulated within this study have not been tested before. The current analysis was conducted on 86 participants, 47 males and 39 females. Their ages ranged between 15 and 32, as they were either high school or university students engaged in a master’s program. Their task consisted of watching a 14 seconds long video of a female confederate reading a neutral text and then evaluating her using a semantic differential with four dimensions: sociability, ethics, power and activity. Based on previous studies, it was hypothesized that men and women will form different first impressions of the actor employed in the movie. More precisely, the majority of the studies undertaken in this area compare men and women’s accuracy scores of facial expressions decoding, yielding mostly significant differences, with women achieving higher accuracy. A small percentage has addressed other aspects of social perception like: personality traits or socio-demographic characteristics, yielding similar results. However, the current experiment failed to reveal any differences between men’s and women’s evaluations. Accuracy assessments were disregarded in this study, since establishing unequivocal criteria for personality traits evaluation is yet to be achieved. The results are consistent with a small percentage of the studies conducted on gender differences in social perception and allow multiple interpretations.
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