This book provides an exciting and diverse philosophical exploration of the role of practice and practices in human activity. It contains original essays and critiques of this philosophical and sociological attempt to move beyond current problematic ways of thinking in the humanities and social sciences. It will be useful across many disciplines, including philosophy, sociology, science, cultural theory, history and anthropology.

After a period in which sociology was torn apart by the polarized claims of micro- and macro-methodology, an increasing number of sociologists are now attempting a fusion of the two approaches. In this volume, some of the most distinguished sociologists set out possible resolutions of the debate. Each of the chapters, placed in perspective by the editors' prologue, approaches the problem from a unique angle. Aaron Cicourel argues for a macro-basis of social interaction; Randall Collins shows how the macro consists of an aggregate of micro-episodes; Troy Duster presents a methodological model for generating a systematic data base across different contexts of social action through his examination of the procedures governing screening for inherited disorders. Rom Harre launches a philosophical attack on what he sees as a spurious bifurcation of micro- and macro-levels. Anthony Giddens explores the problem of unintended consequences, and Gilles Fauconnier, through a depiction of Jesuitical casuistry, shows how vital clues to macro-structure can be elicited from the micro-phenomenon of language. Victor Lidz continues the language theme in his chapter on the implications of advances in linguistic theory for macro-systems theory. Niklas Luhmann illustrates the micro-macro problem by the communication about law in interaction systems. The theory of historical materialism is reassessed by Jurgen Habermas. Taking the example of Renault and electric vehicles, Michel Callon and Bruno Latour investigate how micro-actor status is attained and the sociologist's involvement in this transformation. Finally, Pierre Bourdieu, writing on men and machines, analyses the historical imperatives that create the complex relation between man and his environment.

Contents:
I. Practices and Social Orders 1. Practices as Collective Action Barry Barnes 2. Human Practices and the Observability of the 'Macrosocial' Jeff Coulter 3. Practice Mind-ed Orders Theodore R. Schatzki 4. Pragmatic Regimes Governing the Engagement Laurent Thevenot 5. What Anchors Cultural Practices Ann Swidler
II. Inside Practices 6. Wittgenstein and the Priority of Practice David Bloor 7. What is Tacit Knowledge H.M. Collins 8, Throwing Out the Tacit Rule Book: Learning and Practices Stephen Turner 9. Ethnomethodology and the Logic of Practice Michael Lynch
III. Posthumanist Challenges 10. How Heidegger Defends the Possibility of a Correspondence Theory of Truth with Respect to the Entities of Natural Science Huber L. Dreyfus 11. Practice and Posthumanism: Social Theory and a History of Agency Andrew Pickering 12. Objectual Practice Karin Knorr Cetina 13. Two Concepts of Practices Joseph Rouse 14. Derridian Dispersion and Heideggerian Articulation: General Tendencies in the Practices that Govern Intelligibilty Charles Spinosa Bibilography Index

After a period in which sociology was torn apart by the polarized claims of micro- and macro-methodology, an increasing number of sociologists are now attempting a fusion of the two approaches. In this volume, some of the most distinguished sociologists set out possible resolutions of the debate. Each of the chapters, placed in perspective by the editors' prologue, approaches the problem from a unique angle. Aaron Cicourel argues for a macro-basis of social interaction; Randall Collins shows how the macro consists of an aggregate of micro-episodes; Troy Duster presents a methodological model for generating a systematic data base across different contexts of social action through his examination of the procedures governing screening for inherited disorders. Rom Harre launches a philosophical attack on what he sees as a spurious bifurcation of micro- and macro-levels. Anthony Giddens explores the problem of unintended consequences, and Gilles Fauconnier, through a depiction of Jesuitical casuistry, shows how vital clues to macro-structure can be elicited from the micro-phenomenon of language. Victor Lidz continues the language theme in his chapter on the implications of advances in linguistic theory for macro-systems theory. Niklas Luhmann illustrates the micro-macro problem by the communication about law in interaction systems. The theory of historical materialism is reassessed by Jurgen Habermas. Taking the example of Renault and electric vehicles, Michel Callon and Bruno Latour investigate how micro-actor status is attained and the sociologist's involvement in this transformation. Finally, Pierre Bourdieu, writing on men and machines, analyses the historical imperatives that create the complex relation between man and his environment.

HOW DOES SCIENCE CREATE KNOWLEDGE?

EPISTEMIC CULTURES, SHAPED BY AFFINITY, NECESSITY, AND HISTORICAL COINCIDENCE, DETERMINE HOW WE KNOW WHAT WE KNOW. IN THIS BOOK, KARIN KNORR CETINA COMPARES TWO OF THE MOST IMPORTANT AND INTRIGUING EPISTEMIC CULTURES OF OUR DAY, THOSE IN HIGH ENERGY PHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY. HER WORK HIGHLIGHTS THE DIVERSITY OF THESE CULTURES OF KNOWING AND, IN ITS DEPICTION OF THEIR DIFFERENCES -- IN THE MEANING OF THE EMPIRICAL, THE ENACTMENT OF OBJECT RELATIONS, AND THE FASHIONING OF SOCIAL RELATIONS -- CHALLENGES THE ACCEPTED VIEW OF A UNIFIED SCIENCE.

BY MANY ACCOUNTS, CONTEMPORARY WESTERN SOCIETIES ARE BECOMING "KNOWLEDGE SOCIETIES" THAT RUN ON EXPERT PROCESSES AND EXPERT SYSTEMS EPITOMIZED BY SCIENCE AND STRUCTURED INTO ALL AREAS OF SOCIAL LIFE. BY LOOKING AT EPISTEMIC CULTURES IN TWO SAMPLE CASES, THIS BOOK ADDRESSES PRESSING QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW SUCH EXPERT SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES WORK, WHAT PRINCIPLES INFORM THEIR COGNITIVE AND PROCEDURAL ORIENTATIONS, AND WHETHER THEIR ORGANIZATION, STRUCTURES, AND OPERATIONS CAN BE EXTENDED TO OTHER FORMS OF SOCIAL ORDER.

THE FIRST ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDY TO SYSTEMATICALLY COMPARE TWO DIFFERENT SCIENTIFIC LABORATORY CULTURES, THIS BOOK SHARPENS OUR FOCUS ON EPISTEMIC CULTURES AS THE BASIS OF THE KNOWLEDGE SOCIETY.

Financial markets have often been seen by economists as efficient mechanisms that fulfill vital functions within economies. But do financial markets really operate in such a straightforward manner? The Sociology of Financial Markets approaches financial markets from a sociological perspective. It seeks to provide an adequate sociological conceptualization of financial markets, and examine who the actors within them are, how they operate within which networks, and under which cognitive and cultural assumptions. Patterns of trading, trading room coordination, cognition and emotions, and global interaction are studied to help us better understand how markets work and the types of reasoning underlying these institutions. Financial markets also have a structural impact on the governance of social and economic institutions. Until now, sociologists have examined issues of governance mostly with respect to the legal framework of financial transactions. Contributions in this book highlight the ways in which financial markets shape the inner working and structure of corporations and their governance. Finally, the book seeks to investigate the symbolic aspects of financial markets. Financial markets affect not only economic and social structures but also societal cultural images and frameworks of meaning. Barbara Czarniawska demonstrates how representations of gender relationships are a case in point. Arguing that financial markets are not simply neutral with respect to questions of gender but enhance certain images and interpretations of men and women. Addressing many important topics from a sociological perspective for the first time, this book will be key reading for academics, researchers, and advanced students of financial markets in Business, Management, Economics, Finance and Sociology.

Recent years have seen a surge of interest in the workings of financial institutions and financial markets beyond the discipline of economics, which has been accelerated by the financial crisis of the early twenty-first century. The Oxford Handbook of the Sociology of Finance brings together twenty-nine chapters, written by scholars of international repute from Europe, North America, and Asia, to provide comprehensive coverage on a variety of topics related to the role of finance in a globalized world, and its historical development. Topics include global institutions of modern finance, types of actors involved in financial transactions and supporting technologies, mortgage markets, rating agencies, and the role of financial economics. Particular attention is given to financial crises, which are discussed in a special section, as well as to alternative forms of finance, including Islamic finance and the rise of China. The Handbook will be an indispensable tool for academics, researchers, and students of contemporary finance and economic sociology, and will serve as a reference point for the expanding international community of scholars researching these areas from a broadly-defined sociological perspective.

Financial markets have often been seen by economists as efficient mechanisms that fulfill vital functions within economies. But do financial markets really operate in such a straightforward manner? The Sociology of Financial Markets approaches financial markets from a sociological perspective. It seeks to provide an adequate sociological coneptualization of financial markets, and examine who the actors within them are, how they operate, within which networks, and how these networks are structured. Patterns of trading, trading room coordination, and global interaction are studied to help us better understand how markets work and the types of reasoning behind these trends. Financial markets also have a structural impact on the governance of social and economic institutions. Until now, sociologists have examined issues of governance mostly with respect to the legal framework of financial transactions. Contributions in this book highlight the ways in which financial markets shape the inner working and structure of corporations and their governance. Finally the book seeks to investigate the symbolic aspects of financial markets. Financial markets affect not only economic and social structures but also societal cultural images and frameworks of meaning. Barbara Czarniawska demonstrates how representations of gender relationships are a case in point. Arguing that financial markets are not simply neutral with respect to questions of gender but enhance certain images and interpretations of men and women. Addressing many important topics from a sociological perspective for the first time, this book will be key reading for academics, researchers, and advanced students of financial markets in Business, Management, Economics, Finance, and Sociology.