Donati, Pierpaolo (Universita di Bologna)

The Relational Subject Donati, Pierpaolo (Universita di Bologna)

Marc Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.; Many social theorists now call themselves 'relational sociologists', but mean entirely different things by it. The majority endorse a 'flat ontology', dealing exclusively with dyadic relations. Consequently, they cannot explain the context in which relationships occur or their consequences, except as resultants of endless 'transactions'. This book adopts a different approach which regards 'the relation' itself as an emergent property, with internal causal effects upon its participants and external ones on others. Brief Description: Argues that relations are real and generate real relational 'goods' and 'evils', affecting those involved and other people. Table of Contents: Part I: 1. Introduction: relational sociology: reflexive and realist; 2. The plural subject versus the relational subject; Part II: Prologue: the sources of relational subjects and their resources; 3. The relational subject and the person: self, agent and actor; 4. Socialization as relational reflexivity; 5. Culture reproaches to relationist sociology; Part III: Prologue: the range of relational subjects: where and how they emerge; 6. When relational subjects generate relational goods; 7. The emergence of collective relational subjects and their societal impact: beyond the market/state binary code; 8. Relational subjects and the ravages of globalized markets: the need for subjects with relational ethics; 9. Conclusions: collective subjects and the added value of social relations. Brief Description: "Many social theorists now call themselves 'relational sociologists', but mean entirely different things by it. The majority endorse a 'flat ontology', dealing exclusively with dyadic relations. Consequently, they cannot explain the context in which relationships occur or their consequences, except as resultants of endless 'transactions'. This book adopts a different approach which regards 'the relation' itself as an emergent property, with internal causal effects upon its participants and external ones on others. The authors argue that most 'relationists' seem unaware that analytical philosophers, such as Searle, Gilbert and Tuomela, have spent years trying to conceptualize the 'We' as dependent upon shared intentionality. Donati and Archer change the focus away from 'We thinking' and argue that 'We-ness' derives from subjects' reflexive orientations towards the emergent relational 'goods' and 'evils' they themselves generate. Their approach could be called 'relational realism', though they suggest that realists, too, have failed to explore the 'relational subject'"--Brief Description: "More and more social theorists are now calling themselves 'Relational Sociologists', but they mean entirely different things by this term. It can cover anything from reductionist methodological individualism to a form of holistic sociological imperialism that deems all our relations to be exclusively 'social'. The majority, however, endorse a 'flat ontology', dealing exclusively with dyadic relations. Consequently, they cannot explain the context in which relationships occur despite there being no such thing as context-less action. It also means that the outcomes of relationality can be explained only as the result of an endless series of 'transactions', whose aggregation would somehow account for social stability and change. The approach of this book is quite different, in regarding the 'the relation' itself as an emergent property, with internal causal effects upon its participants and external ones on others. A second difference is that many of these 'Relationists' appear unaware that analytical philosophers, such as John Searle, Margaret Gilbert and Raimo Tuomela, have spent twenty years trying to vindicate a concept of the 'We', that gives rise to commitment, cooperation and collective action; one that also generates deontic rights: obligations, rights, and duties. In this book, however, 'We-ness' is held to derive from subjects' reflexive orientations towards the emergent relational 'goods' and 'evils' they themselves generate - then affecting their actions in a couple, a work group, sport's team, orchestra, voluntary association or social movement. Both authors could be called 'Relational Realists', but we have something to offer to Realism too, which, despite its humanism, has failed to explore the 'Relational Subject'"--

Contributor Bio:  Donati, Pierpaolo Pierpaolo Donati is Professor of Sociology and Director of the Centre of Studies on Social Innovation (CESIS) at the University of Bologna, Italy. Contributor Bio:  Archer, Margaret S Margaret S. Archer is Professor of Sociology at the University of Warwick. She has written over twenty books including Structure, Agency and the Internal Conversation (2003) and Being Human: The Problem of Agency (Cambridge, 2000).