Critical Sociology Buechler 2ed.indb 1 7/28/14 9:06 AM Page Intentionally Left Blank Buechler 2ed.indb 2 7/28/14 9:06 AM Critical Sociology Second Edition Steven M. Buechler Buechler 2ed.indb 3 7/28/14 9:06 AM First published 2014 by Paradigm Publishers Published 2016 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017, USA Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business Copyright © 2014 Steven M. Buechler All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Buechler, Steven M., 1951– Critical sociology / Steven M. Buechler. pages cm Revised edition of the author’s Critical sociology published in 2008. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-61205-641-8 (hardcover : alk. paper) 1. Sociology—Philosophy. 2. Critical theory. I. Title. HM585.B84 2014 301.01—dc23 2013044391 ISBN 13 : 978-1-61205-625-8 (pbk) ISBN 13 : 978-1-61205-641-8 (hbk) Designed and typeset by Straight Creek Bookmakers. FM.indd 4 7/28/14 10:05 AM Contents Preface ix PART ONE: SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES 1. How to Think Sociologically 3 Sociology and Modernity 3 Thinking Sociologically 6 Sociology’s Double Critique 12 2. The Legacy of the Discipline 17 Scientific Sociology 17 Humanistic Sociology 22 Critical Sociology 26 Conclusion 33 3. Toward a Critical Sociology 35 The Frankfurt School Revisited 35 Habermas’s Contributions 42 Conclusion 51 PART TWO: POWER AND DOMINATION 4. A Late Capitalist World 55 Marx’s Analysis of Capitalism 55 From Liberal to Advanced Capitalism 60 Crisis Tendencies in Advanced Capitalism 61 Capitalism Unbound 71 5. The State of the State 73 Dimensions of the State 74 The Power Structure Debate 77 States in Decline? 88 v Buechler 2ed.indb 5 7/28/14 9:06 AM vvii CCoonntteennttss 6. A Mass-Mediated World 91 Culture 101 91 Culture Meets Critical Sociology 93 The Political Economy of Mass Media 96 News, Propaganda, and Journalism 99 An All-Consuming Culture 103 The Social-Media Complex 106 A Note on Domination and Resistance 111 PART THREE: INEQUALITY AND DIFFERENCE 7. The Crucible of Class 115 Marx’s Model of Class Formation 115 Class or Stratification? 119 Contemporary Class Analysis 122 Enriching the Story 125 Further Complications 129 8. The Social Construction of Race 131 What Is Race? 132 Race vs. Ethnicity 134 Forms of Discrimination 138 Racial Formation 141 The Construction of Whiteness 145 9. Gendered Selves and Worlds 149 A Little History 150 The Sex/Gender System 153 Boyz II Guys 158 Feminist Frameworks 162 New Permutations 166 PART FOUR: SELF AND SOCIETY 10. The Emergence of the Individual 175 From “We” to “I” 176 Too Much of a Good Thing? 178 A Note on Adolescence 181 Individualism and Its Discontents 182 Habits of the Heart 186 11. How We Become Who We Are 191 Cooley’s Contributions 192 Mead’s Synthesis 194 Symbolic Interactionism 199 Identity Theory 201 Buechler 2ed.indb 6 7/28/14 9:06 AM Contents vii People as Reflexive Actors 203 Conclusion 205 12. The Sociology of Everyday Life 207 Phenomenological Sociology 207 The Social Construction of Reality 210 The Ethnomethodological Turn 212 Social Life as Drama 214 The Self as Project, Commodity, and Story 217 PART FIVE: PATTERNS OF CHANGE 13. The Challenge of Globalization 225 The Rise and Fall of Modernization Theory 226 The Global World System 229 Globalization: What’s New? 232 Recent World System Dynamics 235 Globalization: An Assessment 237 14. The Role of Social Movements 243 Sociology and Social Movements: Siblings of Modernity 243 Understanding Social Movements 246 Social Movements and Progressive Politics 251 Tea Partiers and Occupiers 256 The Global Scene 259 Theorizing Global Activism 262 15. The Case for Democracy 267 The Limits on Democracy 267 Toward a Richer Democracy 270 Movements (and Elections) = Democracy 271 Social Movements as Incubators of Democratic Politics 274 Sociology and Democracy 279 References 281 Index 291 About the Author 307 Buechler 2ed.indb 7 7/28/14 9:06 AM Page Intentionally Left Blank Buechler 2ed.indb 8 7/28/14 9:06 AM Preface The title Critical Sociology has three meanings. First, it means that the sociological perspective is increasingly critical to human survival. The good news is that we have developed the material, intellectual, and technological capacity to address problems that were previously unsolvable. The bad news is that we have created new problems that will tax these capacities to their limits. These include, to name a few, thermonuclear annihilation, climate change, terrorist anarchy, global poverty, environmental devastation, and ethnic cleansing. Whether our new capacities can meet these challenges is an open question. Given this, the sociological perspective is increasingly critical if we are to understand clearly, decide rationally, and act wisely. It is simply the best angle of vision that we have to capture life’s complexity, to interpret its history, to anticipate its future, and to guide reasoned action. A second meaning of critical sociology is that thinking sociologically inevita- bly involves thinking critically. It is inherent in the very nature of the sociological perspective that all familiar “truths” and established “facts” come under scrutiny. Sociology requires a skeptical and restless quality of mind. It continually questions the self-proclaimed reasons for any social arrangement. To be a sociologist is to assume that things are not what they appear to be, that hidden interests are at work, and that no claims can be taken at face value. In this second meaning, the phrase critical sociology is almost redundant, because even the most generic versions of the sociological perspective inevitably lead the sociological thinker to adopt a critical stance toward the world around them. The third meaning of critical sociology refers to one type of sociology among others. This type is explicitly based on the values of freedom, equality, and justice. These values shape both the questions and the answers sought by this sociology. This sociology examines how social structures create relations of domination among various social groups. It is committed to exposing their operation and undermining their stability. This type of sociology is dedicated to progressive social change. The point of seeking sociological knowledge is to foster change while being as inclusive as possible about who participates in the process. To promote such change means ix Buechler 2ed.indb 9 7/28/14 9:06 AM