Organising Modernity: Social Ordering and Social TheoryIn this important theoretical and empirical statement John Law argues against the purity of post-enlightenment political and social theory, and offers an alternative post-modern sociology. Arguing in favor of a sociology of verbs, he suggests that power, organizations, mind-body dualisms, and macro-micro distinctions may all be understood as the local performance of recursive modes of social ordering. Drawing on a range of theoretical traditions including actor-network theory, verstehende sociology, and the writing of Michel Foucault, he explores the production of materials - including agents and architectures - and their importance for these modes of ordering. The book, which draws on organizational ethnography to develop its argument, is essential reading for all those interested in social theory, materialism, or the sociology of organizations at the end of the era of high modernity. |
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administration agency agents analysis answer argument believe better bits body chapter character commitment concerned contingent course crew Daresbury discourse distinction division don't dualism effects embody enterprise ethnographer explore fact Giovanni Alberti hand happens Here's heroic hierarchy human important imputed instance interaction interesting issue kind knowledge Laboratory least less London look machine managers materials matter means meetings modes of ordering modest networks Note notion ordering modes organization particular patterns perform perhaps political possible practice Press problem question reasons recursive reflexive relations representation scientific scientists seek sense Sherry Turkle social sociology sometimes speak started stories structure suggests sure symbolic talk tell tend theory things thought told treat trying turn vision vocation voices writing