Connecting self to society : belonging in a changing world / Vanessa May.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

May, Vanessa.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Group identity.

Self.

Identity (Psychology).

Social change.

Social interaction.

Physical Description:

xii, 180 pages ; 25 cm

Place of Publication:

Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire : Palgrave Macmillan, 2013.

Summary:

Belonging forms the bedrock of how we relate to the world around us, yet its relationship to society and social change is often overlooked. How do we explain that connection between self and society? How do our friendships and relationships shape our sense of belonging? Why does culture matter? Exploring this crucial and fast-developing subject, Connecting Self to Society considers these questions and more in this lively account of belonging. Covering classical and contemporary theorists, the text also takes account of the latest thinking in the field, including the role sensory relationships with the material world play in how we relate to the world around us. Engaging and accessible, this is essential reading for students of sociology interested in developing their understanding of the relationship between belonging, self and social change. Book jacket.

Contents:

Part 1 Self and Society in Social Theory 1

1 Introduction 3

Why belonging? 3

A relational view of self and society 4

Understanding social change 5

Why 'belonging' rather than 'identity'? 7

The structure of this book 10

2 Where It All Began: The Sociological Classics 12

Introduction: from traditional to modern selves 12

Marx on alienation 13

A short interlude: from Gemeinschaft to Gesetlschaft 15

Durkheim on anomie 15

Weber on the strictures of rationalization 18

Conclusion 20

3 The Loss of Tradition: Diminished or Reflexive Selves? 22

Introduction 22

Vulnerable, fragmented selves 23

Were things so good in the past? 27

Reflexive and individualized selves 28

The gendered and classed limits of reflexivity 31

Have things really changed so much? 33

Monadic selves 35

Thing-like structures 36

Conclusion 37

4 The Relationship Between Self and Society 39

Introduction 39

A relational society 41

Social order in the making 42

What are social structures? 43

Cooley and Mead on the relational self 43

Becoming a moral self 47

Bourdieu on habitus 49

Goffman on presenting an acceptable self 51

Cynical performers? 52

New twists in the presentations of self? 54

Social change 55

Conclusion 56

5 Everyday Personal Life 58

Introduction 58

Phenomenology 58

An everyday world structured by power relations 60

Sociology of everyday life 63

Different spheres? 64

The extraordinary everyday 66

The potential for change 68

The mindful body 69

Haptic perception 71

Learning how to perceive 72

Tacit knowledge 73

Conclusion 73

Part 2 Self, Belonging and Social Change 75

6 Belonging: A Window into Social Change 77

Introduction 77

Defining belonging 78

The need to belong 79

Knowing the 'rules of the game' 81

Home 82

Belonging and power 83

Is belonging an ideal state? 86

Dynamic belonging in the everyday 88

Multidimensional belongings 90

The emotions of belonging 91

Conclusion 93

7 Cultural Belongings 95

Introduction 95

The meaning of 'culture' 96

Drawing boundaries 98

'Ideal types' versus categories in practice 99

The use of shared cultural products 100

Culture as 'tradition' 103

Contested belongings 104

Nationhood 105

Migration and local belongings 107

Multiple belongings and hybrid cultures 109

Conclusion 112

8 Relational Belongings 113

Introduction 113

Family 114

Friends 115

Acquaintances 117

Strangers 118

Belonging in neighbourhoods 121

Community 122

From given to chosen communities 123

In-groups and out-groups: creating a community 125

Relational belongings in an age of mobile technologies 126

Conclusion 129

9 Sensory Belongings 131

Introduction 131

Body hexis and habitual spaces 132

The senses and belonging 133

The comfort of food 136

Place as embodied experience 138

Emplaced selves 141

Belonging to place 142

Power and inequalities 143

Material objects 144

Making a 'home' with objects 145

Changing material worlds 146

Sensuous markers and sensescapes 147

Conclusion 148

10 Conclusion: Self and Belonging in a Changing World 150

Introduction 150

The fragmentary experience of social change 151

Belonging as a multimodal enmeshment 152

The politics and ethics of belonging 153.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 160-174) and index.

ISBN:

9780230292864

0230292860

9780230292871

0230292879

OCLC:

841892801