A Passion For Society

Download or read book A Passion for Society written by Iain Wilkinson and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2016-01-26 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What does human suffering mean for society? And how has this meaning changed from the past to the present? In what ways does Òthe problem of sufferingÓ serve to inspire us toÊÊcare for others? How does our response to suffering reveal our moral and social conditions? In this trenchant work, Arthur KleinmanÑa renowned figure in medical anthropologyÑand Iain Wilkinson, an award-winning sociologist, team up to offer some answers to these profound questions. A Passion for SocietyÊinvestigates the historical development and current state of social science with a focus on how this development has been shaped in response to problems of social suffering. Following a line of criticism offered by key social theorists and cultural commentators who themselves were unhappy with the professionalization of social science, Wilkinson and Kleinman provide a critical commentary on how studies ofÊÊsociety have moved from an original concern with social suffering and its amelioration to dispassionate inquiries. The authors demonstrate how social action throughÊÊcaring for others is revitalizing and remaking the discipline of social science, and they examine the potential for achieving greater understanding though a moral commitment to the practice of care for others. In this deeply considered work, Wilkinson and Kleinman argue for an engaged social science that connects critical thought with social action, that seeks to learn through caregiving, and that operates with a commitment to establish and sustain humane forms of society.

Download or read book A Passion for Society written by Iain Wilkinson and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2016-01-26 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What does human suffering mean for society? And how has this meaning changed from the past to the present? In what ways does “the problem of suffering” serve to inspire us to care for others? How does our response to suffering reveal our moral and social conditions? In this trenchant work, Arthur Kleinman—a renowned figure in medical anthropology—and Iain Wilkinson, an award-winning sociologist, team up to offer some answers to these profound questions. A Passion for Society investigates the historical development and current state of social science with a focus on how this development has been shaped in response to problems of social suffering. Following a line of criticism offered by key social theorists and cultural commentators who themselves were unhappy with the professionalization of social science, Wilkinson and Kleinman provide a critical commentary on how studies of society have moved from an original concern with social suffering and its amelioration to dispassionate inquiries. The authors demonstrate how social action through caring for others is revitalizing and remaking the discipline of social science, and they examine the potential for achieving greater understanding though a moral commitment to the practice of care for others. In this deeply considered work, Wilkinson and Kleinman argue for an engaged social science that connects critical thought with social action, that seeks to learn through caregiving, and that operates with a commitment to establish and sustain humane forms of society.

Download or read book Knowledge and Passion written by Michelle Zimbalist Rosaldo and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1980-03-31 with total page 308 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An ethnographic interpretation of the life of the Ilongots, a group of 3,500 hunters and horticulturists in Northern Luzon, Philippines, analyzes their social life with reference to their emotional development throughout the life cycle.

Download or read book A Passion for Facts written by Tong Lam and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2011-10-29 with total page 278 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “This fascinating book is a fundamental contribution to the global history of social science. Tong Lam demonstrates how Chinese reformers struggled to build a modern society on a foundation of facts and statistics. Their ambitions were no mere dream, but were made real in a prodigious social survey movement which aimed as much to enlighten peasants as to inform administrators.” —Theodore Porter, author of Trust in Numbers “Lam’s approach is highly original. A Passion for Facts presents an impressive host of new material from Chinese and American archives that challenges interpretations of China and Chinese exceptionalism or independent development. Lam makes a compelling argument that the techniques developed in the early twentieth century and refined over several decades have been critical to state-building in China.” —James L. Hevia, author of English Lessons: The Pedagogy of Imperialism in Nineteenth Century China “Lam supersedes the current ‘China-centered approach’ and the earlier framework that explained ‘modern China’ in light of global colonialism. He illuminates how the search for ‘facts’ empowered modern Chinese to reimagine their social and political realities in a global colonial context.” —Benjamin A. Elman, Chair, East Asian Studies Department, Princeton University

Download or read book A Passion for Ignorance written by Renata Salecl and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2022-11-29 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An original and provocative exploration of our capacity to ignore what is inconvenient or traumatic Ignorance, whether passive or active, conscious or unconscious, has always been a part of the human condition, Renata Salecl argues. What has changed in our post-truth, postindustrial world is that we often feel overwhelmed by the constant flood of information and misinformation. It sometimes seems impossible to differentiate between truth and falsehood and, as a result, there has been a backlash against the idea of expertise, and a rise in the number of people actively choosing not to know. The dangers of this are obvious, but Salecl challenges our assumptions, arguing that there may also be a positive side to ignorance, and that by addressing the role of ignorance in society, we may also be able to reclaim the role of knowledge. Drawing on philosophy, social and psychoanalytic theory, popular culture, and her own experience, Salecl explores how the passion for ignorance plays out in many different aspects of life today, from love, illness, trauma, and the fear of failure to genetics, forensic science, big data, and the incel movement—and she concludes that ignorance is a complex phenomenon that can, on occasion, benefit individuals and society as a whole. The result is a fascinating investigation of how the knowledge economy became an ignorance economy, what it means for us, and what it tells us about the world today.

Download or read book The Trouble with Passion written by Erin Cech and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2021-11-09 with total page 341 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Probing the ominous side of career advice to "follow your passion," this data-driven study explains how the passion principle fails us and perpetuates inequality by class, gender, and race; and it suggests how we can reconfigure our relationships to paid work. "Follow your passion" is a popular mantra for career decision-making in the United States. Passion-seeking seems like a promising path for avoiding the potential drudgery of a life of paid work, but this "passion principle"—seductive as it is—does not universally translate. The Trouble with Passion reveals the significant downside of the passion principle: the concept helps culturally legitimize and reproduce an exploited, overworked white-collar labor force and broadly serves to reinforce class, race, and gender segregation and inequality. Grounding her investigation in the paradoxical tensions between capitalism's demand for ideal workers and our cultural expectations for self-expression, sociologist Erin A. Cech draws on interviews that follow students from college into the workforce, surveys of US workers, and experimental data to explain why the passion principle is such an attractive, if deceptive, career decision-making mantra, particularly for the college educated. Passion-seeking presumes middle-class safety nets and springboards and penalizes first-generation and working-class young adults who seek passion without them. The ripple effects of this mantra undermine the promise of college as a tool for social and economic mobility. The passion principle also feeds into a culture of overwork, encouraging white-collar workers to tolerate precarious employment and gladly sacrifice time, money, and leisure for work they are passionate about. And potential employers covet, but won't compensate, passion among job applicants. This book asks, What does it take to center passion in career decisions? Who gets ahead and who gets left behind by passion-seeking? The Trouble with Passion calls for citizens, educators, college administrators, and industry leaders to reconsider how we think about good jobs and, by extension, good lives.

Download or read book Reflecting Subjects written by Jacqueline Anne Taylor and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 210 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Offers a reconstruction of Hume's social theory and examines his moral philosophy, account of social power, and system of ethics.