Sociological Theory and Collective Subjectivity

211 Pages·1995·18.759 MB·English

by  José Maurício Dọmingues (auth.)

Sociological Theory and
Collective Subjectivity
José Maurício Domingues
SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY AND
COLLECTIVE SUBJECTIVITY
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Sociological Theory and
Collective Subjectivity
Jo se Mauflcio DQmingues
Lecturer. Social Sciences Department
Institute Jor Philosophy and the Social Sciences
Rio de Janeiro Federal University. Brazil
First published in Great Britain 1995 by
MACMILLAN PRESS LTD
Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS
and London
Companies and representatives
throughout the world
A catalogue record for this book is available
from the British Library.
ISBN 978-1-349-39414-2 ISBN 978-0-230-37634-2 (eBook)
DOI 10.1057/9780230376342
First pllblishcd in the Uni ted States of America 1995 by
ST. MARTIN'S PRESS, INC.,
Scholarly and Reference Division,
175 Fifth Avenue,
New York, N.Y. 10010
ISBN 978-0-312-12976-7
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data applied foT.
© Jose Malllicio Domingues 1995
Softcover reprint ofthe hardcover Ist edition 1995978-0-333-63287-1
All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of
this publication may bc made without written pennission.
No paragraph of this publieation may bc reproduccd, copied or
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the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988,
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Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation In this
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claims for damages.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 2
04 03 02 01 00 99 98
Contents
IntroductiOIl VII
PART I SYNTHESIS AND CAUSALITY
1 Active and Conditioning Causality in Sociological Theory 3
Fragmentation and reconstruction 3
Action and structure in sociological theory 6
Searching for the origins 8
Surpassing the polarisation 14
Individualism and holism: ideology and the layers of social
reality 17
Structure, movement and social properties 20
2 Individuals, Structures and Systems in Giddens'
Structuration Theory 22
The synthetical character of the theory of structuration 22
Action, system and structure 23
Collective actors, individualism and history 34
3 Life-World and System in Habermas' Historical
Materialism 39
Synthesis and dialectics 39
Action, life-world and system 42
Capitalism, identities and social movements 52
PART II TWO CONCEPTS OF COLLECTIVE
SUBJECTIVITY
4 Marx: the Critique of Liberalism and the Social Classes 61
Interaction and dialectics 61
Social classes as collective subjects 64
Properties, structure and action 68
5 Parsons: Social Systems and Collective Actors 78
Individualism and analytical realism 78
Social systems and collective actors 82
Functional analysis and collective subjectivity 88
V
VI Contents
PART III SOCIAL SYSTEMS AND COLLECTIVE
SUBJECTIVITY
Introduction: Theory and Synthesis 95
6 Interaction, System and Structure 97
A concept of interaction 97
Properties and elements of interaction 98
Systems, structures and structurings 104
From interaction and beyond 108
7 The Constitution of Collective Subjectivities 110
The decentring of the subject and collective subjectivity 110
The intern al contingency of subjectivity 111
Interaction and the constitution of collectivities 119
Structures and causality 123
8 Collective SUbjectivity and Multidimensionality 127
Perspectives and material constitution 127
The space-time dimension of social systems 132
Dispositions, interests and the structuring of collective
subjectivities 138
Stratification and resources 143
9 Conclusion 148
A controlling frame of reference 148
Collective subjectivity: a typology 152
Decentring, the Protestant sects and modemity 156
Areiteration of basic concepts 161
Notes and Rejerences 165
Index 197
Introduction
Since the nineteenth-century beginnings of sociological theory, much at
tention has been paid to individuals as actors and to societies, systems and
structures. This stems from a commitment to some underlying tenets of the
Enlightenment and from the almost unavoidable dependence of sociology
upon the universe of ideas that furnish the ideological core of modem
bourgeois society. Some alternative perspectives have been suggested to
these two poles of sociological theory. Marx's and Parsons' conceptualisa
tions stand out amongst them. Nevertheless, the very important and interest
ing syntheses wh ich have been developing in the last decades do not take
much notice of these alternatives and hold fast to individual actors, on the
one hand, and to systems or structures as passive entities, on the other, as
the two main elements in their explanatory schemes.
The objective of this book is to address this shortcoming. The concept
of collective subjectivity lies at its core, accompanied by a specific notion
of causality, namely collective causality, which will allow for the under
standing of social systems as something else than merely passive, inert
entities. It is far from my intention to underrate the role of individual,
reflexive ac tors in social life. On the contrary, the concept of collective
subjectivity will be presented herein as an attempt at proposing a view of
social systems qua systems of action, which, however, possess their own
distinctive properties, amongst which is collective causality. This hinges
on their level of centring, for the definition of which the centripetal and
centrifugal forces that are at work within and on social systems are crucial.
This study is cast simultaneously as a critique of ideology, whereby the
history of sociological theory will be read from a particular angle, and as
a positive approach to theory-building. It adopts a deconstructive strategy,
closer to Marx than to post-structuralism, though, insofar as it aims at
producing theoretical insights of greater degree of adequacy. Developed in
the spirit of critical theorising, it moves at a very general theoreticallevel,
although I shall throughout refer to more empirie al issues.
This book is inspired in its mode of presentation by Marx' s method of
exposition in Capital. Hs development is theoretically organised around
the exposition of categories and the order of exposition constitutes part of
the argument. We begin from the most superficiallayers of representation
of social reality in modem ideology - individual and society, or its equiva
aims, systems and structures - and move further, deeper into the fabric of
sociallife. This is achieved in part through the introduction of the notions
vii
viii Introductiol1
of dialectics and interaction and, later on, through the analysis of Marx's
and Parsons' concepts of collective subjectivity. It acquires more radical
expression in Part III, when my own coneeptualisation is advanced and the
method of exposition is further elaborated, since we start with the basic
'cell' of social life - interaction - and gain a more comprehensive view,
via the discussion of social systems' properties, including their colleetive
causality. Thus, starting with abstract not ions of individual and society, I
proceed to develop concepts which allow for the establishment of a COI1-
crete universal which, at a very general theoretical level, provides for a
more comprehensive understanding of social life. Collective subjectivities
hold centre stage in this conceptualisation, incorporating and surpassing
these abstract notions.
The concepts of collective subjectivity, collective causality and levels of
cent ring have a great role to play in soeiology. In terms of general theory
their very absence contemporarily is in fact a step back in relation to what
was achieved by Marx and Parsons. Insofar as theorists are oblivious to
the problem, they cannot deal with it in theoretical terms - except in ad
hoc ways - nor profit from empirical researehes that somehow foeus on
eolleetivities. The absence of these concepts in more empirical research is
equally problematic. For while more empirieally-oriented sociologists almost
inevitably deal with this theme, bereft of a proper concept, they constantly
overlook the subtle ways.in which collective subjectivities exert impact in
social life. A more precise and explicit conceptualisation of the problem
can provide new insights, clues and questions for empirieal investigation.
The alm ost iconographic case of the relation between Protestantism and
modernity - with its exclusive concentration on 'material' and 'formal'
causalities, whereby the Protestant seets and their colleetive causality receive
very little attention - will furnish oceasion for a specific illustration of this
last contention.
I should add to this that, although focused on the literature of sociologi
cal theory, the criticisms and alternatives herein developed are valid for
the wh oie of the social sciences.
* * *
In a somewhat different form, this book was presented as a PhD thesis at
the London School of Economics and Political Science. I want to ac
knowledge those who have been especially important for its completion.
My supervisor Alan Swingewood has been very helpful throughout. Nicos
Mouzelis has carefully read and commented on large sections of this study.
I had also the opportunity to discuss it with Anthony Woodiwiss and
Introductioll ix
Angus Stewart. lean-Karim Chalaby, lune Edmunds, Creso Franeo, Akis
Leledakis, Terry Mulhal, CIaudia Rezende, Myriam Santos and, in par
tieular, Möniea Herz, eontributed insights, with diseussions of different
aspeets of the soeial seienees, to the unfolding of the ideas presented
herein. PhiIip Thomas and Sandra Herz earried out revisions of the Eng
*
lish. To some extent at least, I am afraid they are responsible for the final
outeome of this book. Partly unintendedly, and with me as the intended
eore of this network, they eomprise a eolleetive subjeetivity whieh has
been crucial to the production of this piece of work. If they cannot be
blamed for its shortcomings, they are in part responsible for the final
overaII result. Happily enough, I could count on them.
This book was made possible by the generous finaneial support of the
Conselho Naeional de Pesquisa (CNPq) of the Brazilian Ministry for Scienee
and Technology.
lOSE MAURICIO DOMINGUES
* Although whenever possible I gave full references and page numbers of the
English or North American translations, quotations often appear in my own version.