Drawing on multi-level, dynamic systems theory in sociology which has been developed and applied ... more Drawing on multi-level, dynamic systems theory in sociology which has been developed and applied in institutional, organizational, and societal analyses, we formulate a general theory of social groups. This social systems approach has not been previously applied in the group area. We claim that this particular systems approach can be systematically and fruitfully applied to small as well as large groups to understand and analyze their functioning and dynamics. In this article, we refer to a group as an aggregation of persons/social agents that is characterized by (1) shared group identity, (2) a shared rule regime (collective culture) shaping and regulating their roles and role relationships and group behavioral outputs (3) its bases of membership and adherence or commitment to the group, its identity and rule regime, (4) its technologies and material resources used in group interactions,
A group is conceptualized as a system with three universal subsystems on which any ongoing group ... more A group is conceptualized as a system with three universal subsystems on which any ongoing group depends. The subsystems are bases – necessary for group “functioning” and performance in more or less coherent ways; a group may be able to realize – with its bases in particular contexts -- not only its purposes or goals but system requisites to sustain the group. The group bases consist of: (1) a rule regime (collective culture with a finite set of rule categories) defining group identity and purpose, defining and regulating roles and role relationships, norms and behavioral outputs, its collectively shared places and times for gathering and interacting; (2) an agential base of group members who are socialized (or partially socialized) carriers of and adherents to the group’s identity and rule regime; involvement factors motivate members to adhere to and implement the rule regime; (3) a resource base, technologies and materials, self-produced and/or obtained from the environment -- ess...
Drawing on a sociological multi-level, dynamic systems approach – actor-system-dynamics (ASD) -- ... more Drawing on a sociological multi-level, dynamic systems approach – actor-system-dynamics (ASD) -- which has been developed and applied in institutional, organizational, and societal analyses, we formulate a general model for the comparative analysis of social groups and organizations. This social systems approach has not been previously applied in the group area. We claim that the approach can be systematically and fruitfully applied to small as well as large groups and organizations as a methodology to understand and analyze their structure, functioning and dynamics.A group is considered a system with three universal subsystems on which any human social organization, including small groups, depends and which motivate, shape and regulate group activities and productions. The subsystems are bases or group requisites – necessary for group “functioning” and performance in more or less orderly or coherent ways; on this basis a group may be able to realize its purposes or goals(as well as...
Farrell’s (2001) theory of collaborative circles provides a useful frame for analyzing the interp... more Farrell’s (2001) theory of collaborative circles provides a useful frame for analyzing the interpersonal dynamics that enable creative collaboration in small groups, but it leaves contextual factors of collaboration undertheorized. Using ethnographic data on freestyle BMXers in Greenville, North Carolina, this article demonstrates how resource mobilization theory’s conception of resources can specify the enabling and constraining aspects of a circle’s environment in a theoretically satisfying way. Specifically, I find that the enabling interpersonal dynamics found by Farrell rely on distinct arrangements of material, moral, and what I term locational resources. During the formation stage, a welcoming skatepark and moral support from the local community afforded the group the space and time it needed to unite, articulate a common vision, and produce dramatic innovations in their sport. During the separation stage, increased resources from the commercialization of freestyle BMX influenced both the separation of the circle and the production of the scene that followed.
At the end of the 1970s a racist rock music movement known as White Power music emerged in Great ... more At the end of the 1970s a racist rock music movement known as White Power music emerged in Great Britain in connection with political parties of the extreme right and remains a vibrant force in racist social movements today. Throughout the 1990s, White Power music expanded significantly from its origins in a clandestine network of punk-inspired live shows and record promotions into a multi-million dollar, international enterprise of web-pages, radio stations and independent record labels promoting White Power musicians performing a wider range of musical genres. In this article, we view White Power music as a cultural resource created and produced by racist movements and used as a tool to further key movement goals. Specifically, we examine White Power music’s role when used to 1) recruit new adherents, especially youth, 2) frame issues and ideology to cultivate a White Power collective identity, and 3) obtain financial resources. In doing so we rely upon in-depth interviews with W...
Highlights • A novel semantic analysis offers insight into the diversity of scientific publicatio... more Highlights • A novel semantic analysis offers insight into the diversity of scientific publications.• Synthesis center publications are more topically diverse than others.• Article diversity is strongly and negatively related to a paper's visibility (measured using citations).
SOCIAL SCIENCE APPROACHES TO REFORMULATING GAME THEORY : Models, Comparisons, and Implications of... more SOCIAL SCIENCE APPROACHES TO REFORMULATING GAME THEORY : Models, Comparisons, and Implications of an Alternative Development
SOCIOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO REFORMULATING GAME THEORY : Norms, Roles, Institutions and Socio-cultu... more SOCIOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO REFORMULATING GAME THEORY : Norms, Roles, Institutions and Socio-cultural Formations in Cognitive Structuring and Action Determination Processe
From Greenville to "Pro Town, USA" : The Mobilization and Commercialization of a Local ... more From Greenville to "Pro Town, USA" : The Mobilization and Commercialization of a Local Lifestyle Sport Scene
Sociological Approaches to Game Theory : Goffman’s Interaction Theory and Social Science Game The... more Sociological Approaches to Game Theory : Goffman’s Interaction Theory and Social Science Game Theory – Models, Comparisons, and Implications.
mon form of affordable housing. In her chapter on the history of American manufactured housing, s... more mon form of affordable housing. In her chapter on the history of American manufactured housing, she also seems to include the entire spectrum of manufactured housing. But in her ethnography—her most unique evidence—she focuses only on communities under explicit threat of eviction. And her arguments about the sense of permanence and the ‘‘specter of displacement’’ emerge primarily from observations in those parks. Readers will need to be careful not to overgeneralize her findings until more research is done. We do not know how prevalent this threat of eviction is, nor do we know if the threat magnified residents’ sense of permanence. This book not only sheds light on present problems, but on future possibilities. It helps us to imagine how we might structure alternatives to traditional, and increasingly inaccessible, housing arrangements. Sullivan draws attention to smaller homes and to the sharing of space as an opportunity for the realistic attainment of more affordable housing and stable communities. In doing so, she calls for more research into manufactured housing, as well as other small-housing and communal arrangements and the forms of ownership that make them possible. Indeed, the book ends with hope that community ownership of mobile-home parks can largely avert the ‘‘specter of displacement.’’
Synthesis centers are a recently-developed form of scientific organization that catalyzes and sup... more Synthesis centers are a recently-developed form of scientific organization that catalyzes and supports a form of interdisciplinary research that integrates diverse theories, methods and data across spatial or temporal scales, scientific phenomena, and forms of expertise to increase the generality, parsimony, applicability, or empirical soundness of scientific explanations. Research has shown the synthesis working group to be a distinctive form of scientific collaboration that reliably produces consequential, high-impact publications, but no one has asked: do synthesis working groups produce publications that are substantially more diverse than those produced outside of synthesis centers, and if so, how and with what effects? We have investigated these questions through a novel textual analysis. We found that if diversity is measured solely by mean difference in the Rao-Stirling (aggregate) measure of diversity, then the answer is no. But synthesis center papers have significantly gr...
Drawing on multi-level, dynamic systems theory in sociology which has been developed and applied ... more Drawing on multi-level, dynamic systems theory in sociology which has been developed and applied in institutional, organizational, and societal analyses, we formulate a general theory of social groups. This social systems approach has not been previously applied in the group area. We claim that this particular systems approach can be systematically and fruitfully applied to small as well as large groups to understand and analyze their functioning and dynamics. In this article, we refer to a group as an aggregation of persons/social agents that is characterized by (1) shared group identity, (2) a shared rule regime (collective culture) shaping and regulating their roles and role relationships and group behavioral outputs (3) its bases of membership and adherence or commitment to the group, its identity and rule regime, (4) its technologies and material resources used in group interactions,
A group is conceptualized as a system with three universal subsystems on which any ongoing group ... more A group is conceptualized as a system with three universal subsystems on which any ongoing group depends. The subsystems are bases – necessary for group “functioning” and performance in more or less coherent ways; a group may be able to realize – with its bases in particular contexts -- not only its purposes or goals but system requisites to sustain the group. The group bases consist of: (1) a rule regime (collective culture with a finite set of rule categories) defining group identity and purpose, defining and regulating roles and role relationships, norms and behavioral outputs, its collectively shared places and times for gathering and interacting; (2) an agential base of group members who are socialized (or partially socialized) carriers of and adherents to the group’s identity and rule regime; involvement factors motivate members to adhere to and implement the rule regime; (3) a resource base, technologies and materials, self-produced and/or obtained from the environment -- ess...
Drawing on a sociological multi-level, dynamic systems approach – actor-system-dynamics (ASD) -- ... more Drawing on a sociological multi-level, dynamic systems approach – actor-system-dynamics (ASD) -- which has been developed and applied in institutional, organizational, and societal analyses, we formulate a general model for the comparative analysis of social groups and organizations. This social systems approach has not been previously applied in the group area. We claim that the approach can be systematically and fruitfully applied to small as well as large groups and organizations as a methodology to understand and analyze their structure, functioning and dynamics.A group is considered a system with three universal subsystems on which any human social organization, including small groups, depends and which motivate, shape and regulate group activities and productions. The subsystems are bases or group requisites – necessary for group “functioning” and performance in more or less orderly or coherent ways; on this basis a group may be able to realize its purposes or goals(as well as...
Farrell’s (2001) theory of collaborative circles provides a useful frame for analyzing the interp... more Farrell’s (2001) theory of collaborative circles provides a useful frame for analyzing the interpersonal dynamics that enable creative collaboration in small groups, but it leaves contextual factors of collaboration undertheorized. Using ethnographic data on freestyle BMXers in Greenville, North Carolina, this article demonstrates how resource mobilization theory’s conception of resources can specify the enabling and constraining aspects of a circle’s environment in a theoretically satisfying way. Specifically, I find that the enabling interpersonal dynamics found by Farrell rely on distinct arrangements of material, moral, and what I term locational resources. During the formation stage, a welcoming skatepark and moral support from the local community afforded the group the space and time it needed to unite, articulate a common vision, and produce dramatic innovations in their sport. During the separation stage, increased resources from the commercialization of freestyle BMX influenced both the separation of the circle and the production of the scene that followed.
At the end of the 1970s a racist rock music movement known as White Power music emerged in Great ... more At the end of the 1970s a racist rock music movement known as White Power music emerged in Great Britain in connection with political parties of the extreme right and remains a vibrant force in racist social movements today. Throughout the 1990s, White Power music expanded significantly from its origins in a clandestine network of punk-inspired live shows and record promotions into a multi-million dollar, international enterprise of web-pages, radio stations and independent record labels promoting White Power musicians performing a wider range of musical genres. In this article, we view White Power music as a cultural resource created and produced by racist movements and used as a tool to further key movement goals. Specifically, we examine White Power music’s role when used to 1) recruit new adherents, especially youth, 2) frame issues and ideology to cultivate a White Power collective identity, and 3) obtain financial resources. In doing so we rely upon in-depth interviews with W...
Highlights • A novel semantic analysis offers insight into the diversity of scientific publicatio... more Highlights • A novel semantic analysis offers insight into the diversity of scientific publications.• Synthesis center publications are more topically diverse than others.• Article diversity is strongly and negatively related to a paper's visibility (measured using citations).
SOCIAL SCIENCE APPROACHES TO REFORMULATING GAME THEORY : Models, Comparisons, and Implications of... more SOCIAL SCIENCE APPROACHES TO REFORMULATING GAME THEORY : Models, Comparisons, and Implications of an Alternative Development
SOCIOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO REFORMULATING GAME THEORY : Norms, Roles, Institutions and Socio-cultu... more SOCIOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO REFORMULATING GAME THEORY : Norms, Roles, Institutions and Socio-cultural Formations in Cognitive Structuring and Action Determination Processe
From Greenville to "Pro Town, USA" : The Mobilization and Commercialization of a Local ... more From Greenville to "Pro Town, USA" : The Mobilization and Commercialization of a Local Lifestyle Sport Scene
Sociological Approaches to Game Theory : Goffman’s Interaction Theory and Social Science Game The... more Sociological Approaches to Game Theory : Goffman’s Interaction Theory and Social Science Game Theory – Models, Comparisons, and Implications.
mon form of affordable housing. In her chapter on the history of American manufactured housing, s... more mon form of affordable housing. In her chapter on the history of American manufactured housing, she also seems to include the entire spectrum of manufactured housing. But in her ethnography—her most unique evidence—she focuses only on communities under explicit threat of eviction. And her arguments about the sense of permanence and the ‘‘specter of displacement’’ emerge primarily from observations in those parks. Readers will need to be careful not to overgeneralize her findings until more research is done. We do not know how prevalent this threat of eviction is, nor do we know if the threat magnified residents’ sense of permanence. This book not only sheds light on present problems, but on future possibilities. It helps us to imagine how we might structure alternatives to traditional, and increasingly inaccessible, housing arrangements. Sullivan draws attention to smaller homes and to the sharing of space as an opportunity for the realistic attainment of more affordable housing and stable communities. In doing so, she calls for more research into manufactured housing, as well as other small-housing and communal arrangements and the forms of ownership that make them possible. Indeed, the book ends with hope that community ownership of mobile-home parks can largely avert the ‘‘specter of displacement.’’
Synthesis centers are a recently-developed form of scientific organization that catalyzes and sup... more Synthesis centers are a recently-developed form of scientific organization that catalyzes and supports a form of interdisciplinary research that integrates diverse theories, methods and data across spatial or temporal scales, scientific phenomena, and forms of expertise to increase the generality, parsimony, applicability, or empirical soundness of scientific explanations. Research has shown the synthesis working group to be a distinctive form of scientific collaboration that reliably produces consequential, high-impact publications, but no one has asked: do synthesis working groups produce publications that are substantially more diverse than those produced outside of synthesis centers, and if so, how and with what effects? We have investigated these questions through a novel textual analysis. We found that if diversity is measured solely by mean difference in the Rao-Stirling (aggregate) measure of diversity, then the answer is no. But synthesis center papers have significantly gr...
A thrilling ethnography of big wave surfing in Hawaii that explores the sociology of fun. Straigh... more A thrilling ethnography of big wave surfing in Hawaii that explores the sociology of fun. Straight from the beaches of Hawaii comes an exciting new ethnography of a community of big-wave surfers. Oahu's Waimea Bay attracts the world's best big wave surfers-men and women who come to test their physical strength, courage, style, knowledge of the water, and love of the ocean. Sociologist Ugo Corte sees their fun as the outcome of social interaction within a community. Both as participant and observer, he examines how mentors, novices, and peers interact to create episodes of collective fun in a dangerous setting; how they push one another's limits, nourish a lifestyle, advance the sport and, in some cases, make a living based on their passion for the sport. In Dangerous Fun, Corte traces how surfers earn and maintain a reputation within the field, and how, as innovations are introduced, and as they progress, establish themselves and age, they modify their strategies for maximizing performance and limiting chances of failure. Corte argues that fun is a social phenomenon, a pathway to solidarity rooted in the delight in actualizing the self within a social world. It is a form of group cohesion achieved through shared participation in risky interactions with uncertain outcomes. Ultimately, Corte provides an understanding of collective effervescence, emotional energy, and the interaction rituals leading to fateful moments-moments of decision that, once made, transform one's self-concept irrevocably.
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