The New American Cultural Sociology

Collection of key works in an important and distinctively American sociological tradition.

Philip Smith (Author)

9780521586344, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 28 June 1998

300 pages
22.8 x 15.6 x 2 cm, 0.495 kg

"By bringing together papers that represent major issues in the field, Smith provides both a sophisticated introduction to the field for newcomers and a reference point for scholars working in the field. The book is a valuable resource for undergraduate and graduate courses in the sociology of culture." Contemporary Sociology

American Cultural Sociology presents a serious challenge to British Cultural Studies and European grand theory alike. This exciting volume brings together sixteen seminal papers by leading figures in what is emerging as an important intellectual tradition. It places them in the context of related work in Sociology and other disciplines, exploring the connections between cultural sociology and different approaches, such as comparative and historical research, postmodernism, and symbolic interactionism. The book is divided into three sections: Culture as Text and Code, The Production and Reception of Culture, and Culture in Action. Each section contains edited contributions, both theoretical and empirical, addressing the key debates in cultural sociology, including the autonomy of culture, power and culture, structure and agency and how to conceptualise meaning.

Notes on contributors
Preface
The new American cultural sociology: an introduction Philip Smith
Part I. Culture as Text and Code: Introduction
1. Textuality and the postmodern turn in sociological theory Richard Harvey Brown
2. The computer as sacred and profane Jeffrey C. Alexander
3. AIDS and the discursive construction of homosexuality Steven Seidman
4. Fundamentalism and liberalism in public religious discourse Robert Wuthnow
5. Analytic and concrete forms of the autonomy of culture Anne Kane
Part II. The Production and Reception of Culture: Introduction: 6. The reception of Derrida's work in France and America Michèle Lamont
7. Censorship, audiences and the Victorian nude Nicola Beisel
8. The devil, social change and Jacobean theatre Wendy Griswold
9. Victorian women writers and the prestige of the novel Gaye Tuchman and Nina Fortin
10. The ambiguous and contested meanings of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Robin Wagner-Pacifici and Barry Schwartz
Part III. Culture in Action: Introduction: 11. Culture and social action Ann Swidler
12. Culture, structure, agency and transformation William H. Sewell Jr
13. Discourse, nuclear power and collective action William A. Gamson
14. Moral boundaries, leisure activities and justifying fun Gary Alan Fine
15. Honour and conflict management in corporate life Calvin Morrill
16. The role of cultural capital in school success Paul DiMaggio
Index.

Subject Areas: Cultural studies [JFC]