This is a past event
Public lecture by Professor Jeffrey Alexander of Yale University.
Join us for this lecture by Professor Jeffrey Alexander as he investigates recent eruptions in the boundaries between economic, religious, and mass media institutions, on the one hand, and the civil sphere, on the other — by reconstructing their cultural narration in major national newspapers. He will examine the Western financial crisis that exploded in 2008; the pedophile crisis in the Catholic Church commencing in 2002; and the UK phone hacking scandal that mushroomed in 2010. How did endemic, ongoing strains suddenly burst their sphere-specific boundaries and become explosive scandals in society at large?
His argument is that social problems do not, in themselves, create such broad eruptions. Normally, even severe institutional strains are handled by inside authorities in ways that make them relatively invisible and un-troubling to those on the outside. Problems become crises only when they move outside their own spheres, and appear to endanger society at large. Such “societalization” occurs when the discourse and resources of the civil sphere are brought into play. It is when sphere-specific problems become societalized that routine strains are carefully scrutinized; once lauded institutions become ferociously criticized; targeted elites are threatened and punished; and sometimes far-reaching efforts at institutional reforms are made.
Jeffrey C. Alexander is the Lillian Chavenson Saden Professor of Sociology at Yale University. He works on theory, culture, and politics. An exponent of the “strong program” in cultural sociology, he has investigated the cultural codes and narratives that inform diverse areas of social life.
This event is FREE, no booking required.
- Speaker
- Professor Jeffrey Alexander
- Hosted by
- Centre for Citizenship, Civil Society and Rule of Law (CISRUL)
- Venue
- New King's 10, University of Aberdeen
- Contact
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The event is free and no booking is required.
If you do have any queries, please email Eve Hayes de Kalaf.