Questions tagged [sociology]
The sociology tag has no usage guidance.
119
questions
17
votes
7
answers
1k
views
Can we tell whether human groups or societies are behaving as superorganisms?
An anthill can be described as a superorganism, with behaviours and interactions much more complex than those of an individual ant. We could find analogies between the superorganism and other living ...
- 431
14
votes
11
answers
2k
views
If everything is theory laden, how can one argue against climate change deniers?
Per Quine's results from "Two Dogmas of Empiricism", the Duhem-Quine thesis, and later results such as those of Kuhn and Feyerabend, all empirical observations are theory laden. Even widely accepted ...
- 27.1k
14
votes
4
answers
1k
views
What is the practical usefulness of post-modernist sociology à la Foucault, e.g. of the insight that "insanity is merely a label applied by society"?
Foucault says what constitutes insanity is a label determined by society. Whether someone is sane or insane is not a clear, objective fact. I do not disagree. He says this labelling can be dangerous.
...
- 1,323
12
votes
8
answers
6k
views
Is there a modern, secular argument for the soul?
In modern times it is common to think the soul is a religious belief. Even though the original arguments for the soul were not religious (e.g. Plato and Aristotle, and more recently Descartes, ...
- 1,589
11
votes
3
answers
3k
views
What makes moral realism so popular a standpoint?
According to wikipedia page on moral realism:
A survey from 2009 involving 3,226 respondents found that 56% of philosophers accept or lean towards moral realism (28%: anti-realism; 16%: other).
...
- 2,576
9
votes
4
answers
358
views
Has anyone suggested a modern substitute for mythology?
Several authors have mentioned that mythology play a central role in human societies, satisfying various social and psychological needs and giving meaning and a spiritual dimension to people's lives. (...
- 27.1k
9
votes
5
answers
27k
views
What is the difference between Functionalism and Structural-Functionalism?
I don't know if I should ask this here because the question is more like a sociology one.
Anyway, I will give it a try, since most of the sociologists are also philosophers, so maybe I'll be lucky ...
- 193
9
votes
1
answer
438
views
Which if any contemporary philosophers have written about the potential negative effects of "reverse" discrimination?
In many cases when I talk about how I think, I find it useful to abstract the messy real sources of inspiration into a pure dialogue with my friend Matt. In this case, Matt and I were talking about ...
- 1,670
8
votes
3
answers
918
views
Gender roles - do they matter?
This may well be too broad (spreading over into psychology too), I'll try to narrow it down as I outline my thinking but any advice is welcome.
I began by thinking about how its unfair if you ...
- 544
7
votes
11
answers
2k
views
Can you explain clearly the difference between race and ethnicity?
I have tried to look it up but most definitions usually don't make the difference crystal-clear. Many results on Google give overlapping definitions.
What my understanding is is that race is rooted in ...
- 129
7
votes
11
answers
3k
views
Can religion be considered obsolete? [closed]
Can religion be considered obsolete and in practice an obstacle to the rise of science and reason? I think that religion is the outdated mode of existence, governance, and education of social ...
- 1,324
7
votes
1
answer
726
views
What are "entanglements" in "feminist philosophy"?
I saw this:
http://www.hastac.org/blogs/ari-schlesinger/2013/11/26/feminism-and-programming-languages
As someone who likes computer programming, I am intrigued by new ideas for computer programming ...
- 327
6
votes
4
answers
842
views
Is science a social process, rather than a method for finding the truth?
I have encountered an argument that I find interesting, but cannot understand the principles behind.
It is simply as the title states: Science is not a method for finding the truth, it is a method ...
- 207
6
votes
3
answers
938
views
Reading material about gender studies/feminism
I took a gender studies course in undergrad, and it left me with a bad taste in my mouth about the whole topic. Maybe it was because I was older than many of the other students, or because the ...
- 225
6
votes
2
answers
698
views
Weber and Marx - Modern Culture and Dominant Culture
Not sure if this is the right forum, but this seems to be the best fit. IF there is a better forum, please direct me.
Marx and Weber are both concerned with the role of "culture" or "idea/ideology" ...
- 161
6
votes
1
answer
267
views
Is there still any philosopher who supports the incompatibility thesis in the social sciences?
The incompatibility thesis asserts that quantitative and qualitative research paradigms are inherently different from each other. Their irreconcilable differences prevent the possibility of a mixed-...
- 91
6
votes
3
answers
505
views
If there is progress in philosophy, Why is there no philosophers or thinkers as important today as in the past? [closed]
Why don't we have thinkers in the present time (or recent times) that have the same caliber as Albert Einstein, Archimedes, Socrates, Shakespeare, Freud, Aristotle, Plato, Darwin, Popper and all the ...
- 85
5
votes
2
answers
611
views
Which writers might offer critical readings of Luhmann?
Niklas Luhmann introduces the so called Binary Code in his Systems Theory. Any system has its own binary code. For example, in science the code is "the truth vs. not the truth".
Which writers might ...
- 1,062
5
votes
3
answers
464
views
Is it moral to lie to the populace for their own good?
There is a discussion in the History arm of StackExchange that got sidetracked into the merit of brainwashing society for their own good, as advocated in Plato's Republic. IMO that side track deserves ...
- 2,025
4
votes
2
answers
145
views
Is philosophy considered mainly as ethics in modern society (mainly in the public perception)?
I might be very wrong in my judgment here, so correct me if I'm wrong, that's just what I'm getting from reading and hearing the every-day talk about philosophy (news, small talks, etc).
It seems as ...
- 3,846
4
votes
1
answer
596
views
What are the philosophical roots of the current American parenting style?
A light hearted question:
As a parent of two young children, I struggle with the current mainstream American parenting and educational style which is typically parodied (rightfully so) as the "...
- 27.1k
4
votes
7
answers
11k
views
Can society exist without hierarchy?
If we consider "a society" to be a group of individuals within the same species who cooperate for the benefit of the group as a whole, then it is reasonable to say that all human societies are ...
- 149
4
votes
1
answer
323
views
Are your actions for every type of determinism determined before your birth?
We had this little discussion in class. Are your actions for every type of determinism determined before your birth? We're discussing traditional theories, so Quantum Mechanics aren't relevant (yet).
...
user2953
4
votes
2
answers
202
views
How did Bourdieu interpret the word 'class'?
If I were to ask Pierre Bourdieu: "What is class to you?", what would he answer?
I've read some research on Bourdieu's work, but I have yet to encounter a clear answer on his interpretation of class.
...
- 41
3
votes
7
answers
1k
views
Is Fatherhood among humans really natural? [closed]
I read in a book and have heard this argument by many social scientists that Fatherhood was an invention by humans during the time when we first started living as societies. This was presumably in ...
- 149
3
votes
4
answers
398
views
Would we choose to become psychopaths if we could?
Deep Brain Stimulation to stop major depression is a reality in its infancy hence let’s make a thought experiment:
Presume a much more advanced version was created and everybody
could inhibit any ...
user22051
3
votes
3
answers
388
views
What is the intrinsic difference between freedom of speech and freedom of deeds?
What are philosophical reasons for approving of freedom of speech but not of freedom of deeds? If teasing the others by speech is allowed, why not by deeds? If freedom of deeds is wrong, then why ...
- 355
3
votes
4
answers
207
views
Must people be employed to have dignity and self-worth?
I have heard all my life about how people would not have self-worth without being employed, and they would become depressed or just do unhealthy things. I read a Sci-fi story about AI where ultimately,...
- 771
3
votes
2
answers
165
views
Sociological-philosophical theories of society’s tendencies to react against itself, inescapably biased in some way
Basically, in case it comes up, I mean something more than Hegelian (?) “dialectic”, an idea of society or knowledge moving forward through refutation, synthesis, progress.
I am thinking about how ...
- 136
3
votes
2
answers
301
views
What's the importance that Marx gives to the Class Struggle for the devolopment of societies?
I've reading The Communist Manifesto and I could understand that all changes in the human history societies have been because the struggle of class.
but what is his argument? I can't understands his ...
3
votes
1
answer
261
views
Does collectivism actually exist?
Does collectivism actually exist?
Wikipedia defines:
Collectivism is a cultural value that is characterized by emphasis on
cohesiveness among individuals and prioritization of the group over
...
- 2,872
3
votes
1
answer
338
views
Can a society with an arbitrary social rule be moral?
Suppose there existed an isolated society somewhere with a central ruling (church-like) committee that dictates how people should live. If that committee came up with a set of social rules that no ...
- 139
3
votes
3
answers
474
views
If I say that a stereotype conditions people to act in a certain way, isn't that an stereotype in itself?
I am arguing with a friend. She hates the use of stereotypes because she thinks that they condition the society in a bad way, but isn't that also a stereotype? I might know about a stereotype but not ...
- 133
3
votes
2
answers
168
views
Why do so many people persist on using classifications with no bases in reality whatsoever?
E.g. the borders of countries:
They are formed by arbitrary "rules": Sometimes rivers and coasts, but mostly due wars and other weird, historical stuff that doesn't really exist in a reality outside ...
- 305
3
votes
1
answer
104
views
Is there a fundamental difference between hypothetical explanations in sociology and natural sciences?
According to Explanandum and Explanans on Wikipedia:
An explanandum (a Latin term) is a sentence describing a phenomenon
that is to be explained, and the explanans are the sentences adduced
as ...
user35584
2
votes
5
answers
6k
views
Who owns the means of production?
Labour is Marxs term for those who do not own the means of production and thus rely on their own labour - ie they are wage earners.
What is his term for those who do own the means of production? Its ...
2
votes
2
answers
626
views
Hegel's Master Slave dialectic
Can someone briefly explain to me how self consciousness 'Ich bin Ich' becomes the master/slave dialectic and then how this transforms into a self consciousness in general?
2
votes
2
answers
1k
views
What is the philosophy of terrorism? [closed]
We are seeing things being done in the world by some organized group of people. And I am trying to understand something. Certainly, as a group, they act on a defined agenda. This must imply a ...
- 155
2
votes
1
answer
201
views
Is Durkheimian critique of Kantian understanding of space and time valid?
In one chapter in The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life and in paper Primitive classification (Mauss also), Durkheim critiques Kantian a priori pure forms of sensibility: space and time; on basis,...
- 73
2
votes
1
answer
228
views
Is the confusion about philosophy's place in the academia a result of the analytic movement?
First, let's state that obviously there will be those who'll say "what confusion" (by confusion I mean for example questions like "what philosophy has to do with science"), and for them I'll start ...
- 3,846
2
votes
2
answers
4k
views
What are the reasons for taboos in a society?
As we know, the society is full of taboos on many topics such as sex, drugs, etc... But what are the reasons for the creation of taboos by humans? Shouldn't we be open-mind and free to discuss all ...
- 21
2
votes
2
answers
260
views
Does the requirement to use preferred gender pronous preclude the participation of people whose faith teaches that gender cannot be changed?
There are numerous cases where the views held by different people clash. Homosexual intercourses are one such obvious example: many religious denominations (for example Catholicism) consider them ...
- 993
2
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Which philosophers talk about social power structures?
Can anyone recommend philosophers that are concerned with what structures power relationships in society, particularly in workplaces?
I know that Foucault's work was concerned with this in ...
- 209
2
votes
1
answer
71
views
What is the name of sociological phenomena where selfish behavior of each individual leads to losses for all of them?
I am trying to identify a specific sociological phenomena which seems pretty obvious to me that it is well known and studied but after quite of googling, its name remains elusive - I'm just not ...
2
votes
4
answers
190
views
How is Authenticity affected by external influences?
Originally I had titled this as concerning "being yourself" but it appears this concept is already defined in Philosophy as "Authenticity".
A few specifics to clarify on ...
- 139
2
votes
1
answer
234
views
Assistance in interpreting this excerpt concerning political philosophy
The article comes from "The Rhetorical Functions of Slogans: Classifications and Characteristics" by Robert E. Denton. The title should give away what the entire article is about. I've come to the ...
- 304
2
votes
3
answers
119
views
Paradox of Plurality as a better idea
If X is in a zone where there is a rule that while a person has right to have/follow any opinion/view point but is REQUIRED (MANDATORY) to respect (and accept) plurality of opinions as a condition to ...
- 21
2
votes
2
answers
115
views
What characteristics are generally considered traits for perfection?
Assuming it's possible for someone to be absolutely perfect, can we get an idea of what is socially considered "perfect" (in a manner or way that could not be better) through linguistics?
For ...
- 511
2
votes
1
answer
97
views
Was Bourdieu's 'Ökonomisches Kapital, kulturelles Kapital, soziales Kapital' written originally in German?
Self explaining question. I did an extensive online research to find the original text, but it doesn't go before
In: Reinhard Kreckel (Hg.), »Soziale Ungleichheiten« (Soziale Welt Sonderband 2), ...
- 21
2
votes
1
answer
165
views
Is Baudrillard's "Simulacra and Simulation" just the "Allegory of the Cave"?
Am I missing something or is Baudrillard's "Simulacra and Simulation" just a wordy "Allegory of the Cave"?
To expand, reality is "crowdsourced", patterns occur, and we ...
- 121