Social theory, power and practice / Jerry Tew.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Tew, Jerry, 1955-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Power (Social sciences).

Social change.

Social sciences--Philosophy.

Social sciences.

Physical Description:

x, 233 pages ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire ; New York : Palgrave Macmillan, 2002.

Summary:

"Social Theory, Power and Practice" explores key strands of contemporary social theory in developing an innovative framework for understanding the operation of power. This draws on structural theories of inequality and oppression and poststructural deconstructions of discourse, identity and emotion. These are used to examine the dynamics of social and personal change, and to inform the development of empowering practice within the human services with those who may experience distress, abuse or exclusion.

Contents:

2 Everything in its Proper Place? Modernism and Postmodernism 10

Modernism and modernity 10

Critical theory 17

Postmodernism 19

Modernist practice 24

Postmodern practice 29

3 Exposing Conflict: Structural Approaches to Power and Inequality 33

Objective, material and real: unpicking ontologies 33

Structural theory 37

Theories of class and capital 39

Theories of gender, age, sexuality and (dis)ability: extending concepts of patriarchy 45

Theories of imperialism, colonialism and racism 53

Integrating structural theories 58

Structural theory and social activism 60

4 What's the Story? Poststructuralism, Discourse and Narrative 65

Ideology and culture 65

Discourse and narrative 68

Poststructuralism and language 71

Approaches to deconstruction 75

Psychoanalysis and language 80

Foucault and the archaeology of the modern 82

The politics of knowledge: social constructionism and standpoint epistemologies 85

Poststructural practice: working with language and narrative 88

5 Hidden Depths: Reclaiming Emotionality 97

Emotionality under modernism 98

Shifts within modernism: emotion in psychology and sociology 104

The question of desire 108

Critical perspectives: power relations and emotionality 110

Theorising emotionality as a distinct level of social experience 114

Witnessing and mobilising emotions: issues for practice 116

6 Stepping out: (De)constructing Identities 121

Decentring the subject 122

Performing identities 126

Opening up the psyche 129

The art of projection 138

Conscripting 'the body' 140

Reflexive identities 143

'Cutting up and remoulding': working with identities 146

7 Relations of Power 152

Power and modernism 152

Theories of oppression and discrimination 156

Foucault and the dispersal of power 159

Reclaiming productive aspects of power 162

A matrix of power relations 165

Reconceptualising empowerment 167

Power in practice 170

8 Systems, Instabilities and Change 177

Systems, harmony and change 177

Agency and subjectivity 180

Generative tensions: power and contradiction 182

Power relations and the dynamics of change 184

Crisis and resolution 186

Strategies for emancipatory change: towards a critical practice 194

9 Conclusions for Theory and Practice 203.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 207-226) and index.

ISBN:

033380306X

OCLC:

49415690