Bibliograph

Social performance, symbolic action, cultural pragmatics, and ritual, edited by Jeffrey C. Alexander, Bernhard Giesen, Jason L. Mast

Type

Label

Social performance, symbolic action, cultural pragmatics, and ritual, edited by Jeffrey C. Alexander, Bernhard Giesen, Jason L. Mast

Language

eng

Index

index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

Social performance

Medium

electronic resource

Nature of contents

dictionaries

Oclc number

817930717

Responsibility statement

edited by Jeffrey C. Alexander, Bernhard Giesen, Jason L. Mast

Series statement

Cambridge cultural social studiesCambridge Social Sciences eBooks

Sub title

symbolic action, cultural pragmatics, and ritual

Summary

Jeffrey C. Alexander brings together new and leading contributors to make a powerful and coherently argued case for a new direction in cultural sociology, one that focuses on the intersection between performance, ritual and social action. Performance has always been used by sociologists to understand the social world but this volume offers the first systematic analytical framework based on the performance metaphor to explain large-scale social and cultural processes. From September 11, to the Clinton/Lewinsky affair, to the role of the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Social Performance draws on recent work in performative theory in the humanities and in cultural studies to offer a novel approach to the sociology of culture. Inspired by the theories of Austin, Derrida, Durkheim, Goffman, and Turner, this is a path-breaking volume that makes a major contribution to the field. It will appeal to scholars and students alike. --, Provided by publisher

Table Of Contents

Introduction : Symbolic action in theory and practice : the cultural pragmatics of symbolic action / Jeffrey C. Alexander and Jason L. Mast -- Cultural pragmatics : social performance between ritual and strategy ; From the depths of despair : performance, counterperformance, and "September 11" / Jeffrey C. Alexander -- The cultural pragmatics of event-ness : the Clinton/Lewinsky affair / Jason L. Mast -- Social dramas, shipwrecks, and cockfights : conflict and complicity in social performance / Isaac Reed -- Performing a "new" nation : the role of the TRC in South Africa / Tanya Goodman -- Performing opposition or, how social movements move / Ron Eyerman -- Politics as theatre : an alternative view of the rationalities of power / David E. Apter -- Symbols in action : Willy Brandt's kneefall at the Warsaw memorial / Valentin Rauer -- The promise of performance and the problem of order / Kay Junge -- Performance art / Bernhard Giesen -- Performing the sacred : a Durkheimian perspective on the performative turn in the social sciences / Bernhard Giesen

Contributor

Subject