1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910792217403321

Autore

Alexander Jeffrey C

Titolo

The meanings of social life [[electronic resource] ] : a cultural sociology / / by Jeffrey C. Alexander

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Oxford ; ; New York, : Oxford University Press, c2003

ISBN

0-19-020757-4

0-19-530640-6

0-19-803646-9

0-19-530373-3

1-280-53259-9

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (309 p.)

Disciplina

301

Soggetti

Sociology

Prejudices

Culture

Violence

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Description based upon print version of record.

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Nota di contenuto

Introduction: The meanings of (social) life: on the origins of a cultural sociology -- 1. The strong program in cultural sociology (with Philip Smith) -- 2. On the social construction of "moral universals" -- 3. The "holocaust" from war crime to trauma drama: Cultural trauma and collective idenitity -- 4. A cultural sociology of evil -- 5. The discourse of American civil society (with Smith) -- 6. Watergate as democratic ritual -- 7. The sacred and profane information machine -- 8. Modern, anti, post, and neo: how intellectuals explain "our time".

Sommario/riassunto

Modern men and women go about their lives without really knowing why. Why do we work for such a long time every day? Why are we so obsessed with technology? Why do we continuously construct scandals? Why do we finish one war only to fight another? <br> If we had to explain these things, we would say ""it just makes sense"" or ""it's necessary"" or ""it's what good (or bad) people do"". But when we say that the war against terrorism is necessary and rational we use a rhetoric of good and evil, of friends and enemies, of honor, conscience,



loyalty, of civilization and primeval chaos. These rhet