54 Questions
What did Giddens introduce to explain how social sciences impact social actors and structures?
Double hermeneutics
According to Giddens, why are distorted or falsified research findings significant?
Implicative for collective survival
What term does Giddens use to describe the process of developing routines that provide security and efficiency in dealing with social lives?
Rationalization
How does Giddens describe social practices in societies?
Recurrent and recursive
What is central to Giddens' exegesis on structuration?
Agents creating meanings in social contexts
Why do individuals have motivations to act according to Giddens?
To achieve their desires
What is Anthony Giddens known for in the field of sociology?
Developing hermeneutics and sociological ontology
In what year did Anthony Giddens become a Baron of Southgate?
2004
Which of the following is NOT one of Anthony Giddens' published works?
The Art of War (1991)
What is one of the thematic focuses of Anthony Giddens' work?
Dualities
Which term best describes Anthony Giddens' proposed sociological direction?
Concurrent analysis
Where was Anthony Giddens born?
London, United Kingdom
What does discursive consciousness refer to?
The ability of actors to describe their actions through language
What is the essence of practical consciousness?
Assumption of mutual knowledge in actions
Which term refers to actions perpetrated by actors, emphasizing the power of the actor?
Agency
What are social institutions like family considered in the context of structuration theory?
Routine practices
According to Giddens, what is emphasized in the concept of agency?
Power of the actor
What drives the knowledge of 'how to go on' in social relations according to structuration theory?
'Mutual knowledge' assumption
Anthony Giddens was born in London on January 18, 1938.
True
Anthony Giddens co-founded Cambridge University Press in 1985.
False
Giddens focused on sociological ontology, which deals with the nature of sociology.
True
Anthony Giddens' work 'Modernity and Self-Identity' was published in 1991.
True
Giddens' thematic focus includes Versus Hermeneutical dualisms.
False
Anthony Giddens is known for publishing over 40 books throughout his career.
False
Giddens believes that all social actions occur in a structure and all structures involve social actions.
True
Social practices are not recurrent according to Giddens; they are one-time occurrences.
False
Rationalization, according to Giddens, involves developing routines that provide actors with security and efficiency in dealing with their social lives.
True
Giddens introduced the concept of triple hermeneutics to explain the impact of social sciences on social actors and structures.
False
Distorted research findings do not have any implications for collective survival according to Giddens.
False
Societies acquire their patterns because social practices are not recursive, according to Giddens.
False
Practical Consciousness refers to the capability of actors to describe their actions through language.
False
Social institutions like family are not considered routinized according to structuration theory.
False
Agency in structuration theory emphasizes the power of the actor in driving actions.
True
According to Giddens, social system structures are not produced by social practices.
False
In structuration theory, actors possess the capabilities to engage in social relations and practices.
True
The mobilization of knowledge and capabilities in structuration theory is not a recursive process.
False
What term did Giddens introduce to explain how the actual practice of social sciences impacts both social actors and structures?
Double hermeneutics
According to Giddens, what is the essence of rationalization in social contexts?
Developing routines for security and efficiency
What is the thematic focus of Giddens' work related to the concept of dualities?
DUALITIES
In Giddens' view, why are distorted or falsified research findings significant?
Implicative for collective survival
What is at the core of Giddens' exegesis on structuration?
Agents creating meanings in social contexts
How does Giddens describe the nature of social practices in societies?
Recurrent and recursive
What are some of the key thematic focuses of Anthony Giddens' work?
Dualities, Social theory, Political sociology, Modernity, Globalization, Structuration
What are some of the notable works by Anthony Giddens?
The Rule of Sociological Method (1976), Central Problems in the Social Theory (1979), A Contemporary Critique of Historical Materialism (1981), The Constitution of Society (1984), The Nation-State and Violence (1985), Social Theory Today (1987), Modernity and Self-Identity (1991), Giddens Sociology (2010)
What is the sociological concept that focuses on the nature of sociology and was of particular interest to Anthony Giddens?
Sociological ontology
In what year did Anthony Giddens become a Baron of Southgate?
2004
What is the term used by Giddens to describe the simultaneous analysis of two sides of the same coin in the subjective constitution of the world?
Concurrency
Which press did Anthony Giddens co-found in 1985?
Polity Press
Explain the concept of practical consciousness in structuration theory.
Practical consciousness entails the taken-for-granted actions of individuals based on the assumption of 'mutual knowledge'.
What is the significance of agency in structuration theory according to Anthony Giddens?
Agency refers to actions perpetrated by actors, where the power of the actor is emphasized.
How does Giddens describe the relationship between social practices and social systems?
Social systems are recursive structures produced by social practices.
What is the key idea behind the mobilization of knowledge and capabilities in structuration theory?
The mobilization of knowledge and capabilities in social practices and organization is a recursive process.
Explain the concept of discursive consciousness in the context of structuration theory.
Discursive consciousness refers to the distinctive capability of actors to describe their actions through language.
What are the key elements that constitute the structuration theory proposed by Anthony Giddens?
The key elements include discursive consciousness, practical consciousness, agency, and social system.
Study Notes
Biography of Anthony Giddens
- Anthony Giddens is an English sociologist born on January 18, 1938, in London, UK
- Trained in Europe (LSE, University of Hull, and Cambridge)
- Taught in different schools, including King's College, University of Leicester, and the University of Cambridge
- Co-founded Polity Press in 1985
- Served as a director of the London School of Economics and Political Science from 1997 to 2003
- One of the most cited living sociologists
- Became a Baron of Southgate in the London Borough of Enfield in 2004
Interests and Works
- Focused on hermeneutics, sociological ontology, dualities, social theory, political sociology, modernity, and globalization
- Published over 30 books, including:
- The Rule of Sociological Method (1976)
- Central Problems in the Social Theory (1979)
- A Contemporary Critique of Historical Materialism (1981)
- The Constitution of Society (1984)
- The Nation-State and Violence (1985)
- Social Theory Today (1987)
- Modernity and Self-Identity (1991)
- Giddens Sociology (2010)
Thematic Focus: Dualities
- Giddens proposed a new sociological direction, emphasizing the concurrency of hermeneutical dualities and hermeneutical dualisms
- Introduced the concept of double hermeneutics to explicate how social sciences have significant consequences for social actors and structure
- Duality implies that all social actions occur in a structure and all structures involve social actions
Structuration Theory
- Giddens believes that social practices are recurrent – recursive practices
- Societies acquire their patterness (recursive properties) because social practices are recursive
- Introduced the concept of structuration, which involves the production of social practices and organization
- Elements of structuration include:
- Rationalization: the process of developing routines for security and dealing efficiently with social lives
- Discursive Consciousness: the capability of actors to describe their actions in language
- Practical Consciousness: taken-for-granted actions of individuals based on mutual knowledge
- Agency: actions perpetrated by actors, emphasizing the power of an actor
- Social System: recursive structures produced by social practices, similar to Bourdieu's field
Summary of Structuration
- Existence of agency drives the knowledge of ‘how to go on’ in social relations
- Agents possess the capabilities required to mobilize knowledge and capabilities in the production of social practices and organization
- Mobilization of knowledge and capabilities is recursive
Test your knowledge on the life and career of Anthony (Baron) Giddens, an English sociologist known for his concept of 'Double Hermeneutics'. Learn about his education, career, and contributions to social theory.
Make Your Own Quizzes and Flashcards
Convert your notes into interactive study material.
Get started for free
