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1

Agnostic Interactionism and Sensitizing Concepts in the 21st Century: Developing Shaffirian Theory-Work in Ethnographic Research

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Kelly B., Adorjan M.

Qualitative Sociology Review

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2020

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vol. 16

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issue 2

76-91

EN

In this paper, we reflect upon our experiences taking a graduate qualitative methodology course with Dr. William (Billy) Shaffir. We highlight Billy’s approach to ethnographic research and his declaration to “just do it.” Rather than just absorbing theoretical knowledge from the literature, Billy taught us to be wary of the dangers of a prior theorization and how it can distort rather than shed light on empirical investigations. Despite his belief that sociological theory is far too often abstract and removed from real-world contexts, he nevertheless provided us with a latent theoretical commitment to concept formation, modification, and testing in the field that guides our research to this day. We explore Shaffir’s agnostic and at times ironic approach to theory and demonstrate how his specific type of theory-work, derived from Everett Hughes’ and Howard Becker’s interactionist perspective on “people doing things together,” influenced how many of his students study occupations and organizations via sensitizing concepts. Billy managed to get us to think differently about how we theorize in the field and how to cultivate a playful and healthy skeptical attitude towards its application. This type of agnostic-interactionism does not dismiss theory outright, but is always vigilant and mindful of how easy it is for practitioners of theory to slip into obfuscation and reification. We conclude with a Shaffir inspired theory-work that argues for the continuing significance of an agnostic stance towards ethnographic and qualitative inquiry; one that continues to sensitize the researcher to generic social processes through which agency-structure is mediated and accomplished.

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SOCIOLOGY OF EMOTIONS: Naturalism in the service of sociology, that is, the beginnings of American Social Ecology

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Erenc J., Michałek P.

Miscellanea Anthropologica et Sociologica

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2016

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vol. 17(4)

55-76

EN

The perception of reality by social ecologists has its source in the life sciences and refersto the organicist theory in sociology. Proponents of this school assumed that, in humancommunities, creating a definite relationship between biotic and rather more intangibleaspects of the social system is secondary to the influence exercised by material conditions. Social ecology focuses on the way in which patterns of social relations are created bygroup who are adapting to new environments. This approach led to Robert Park’s naturalisticattitude and and to him and his followers exploring the development of Americancities. Park proposed that the development of the city itself is the cause of social changewhich is taking place, as well as of its pathological side-effects. Examining towns whichwere growing dynamically, the researchers themselves were involved in hostile conflictsset in an environment characterised by the survival of the fittest. Social ecologists havepostulated this approach as the naturalistic vision in social research. They saw the needfor becoming engaged in the community in order to know the context of its activities andthey were convinced that this was the best way of understanding and explaining humanbehavior. Despite the explicit criticism from anti-naturalistic sociologists, I argue that theproposed pattern of sociology generated significant results and has a practical continuationto the present day.

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SOCJOLOGIA EMOCJI: Naturalizm w służbie socjologii, czyli początki amerykańskiej ekologii społecznej

86%

Erenc J., Michałek P.

Miscellanea Anthropologica et Sociologica

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2016

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vol. 17(4)

55-76

4

Anselm L. Strauss – pragmatyczne korzenie, pragmatyczne konsekwencje Anselm L. Strauss – pragmatyczne korzenie, pragmatyczne konsekwencje

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Konecki K.

Przegląd Socjologii Jakościowej

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2015

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vol. 11

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issue 1

12-39

PL

W artykule zaprezentuję dokonania Anselma Straussa i kontekst filozoficzno-socjologiczny powstawania jego koncepcji socjologii. Przedstawię skrótowo jego biografię i rozwój naukowy, dorobek z zakresu psychologii społecznej, metodologii nauk społecznych, socjologii pracy oraz teorii socjologicznej, gdzie nawiążę do inspiracji wywodzących się z idei pragmatyzmu. Elementem spajającym całość dorobku naukowego A. Straussa jest i procesualne, i interakcyjno-konstruktywistyczne ujęcie rzeczywistości społecznej, procesualno-strukturalne ujęcie jaźni i tożsamości oraz kategoria interakcji będąca podstawą wszelkiego działania, gdzie temporalność jest jednym z głównych wymiarów analizy życia społecznego. Zaprezentuję także jego koncepcję tożsamości i jej interakcyjno-konstruktywistyczny charakter wywodzący się z tradycji pragmatyzmu społecznego. Przedstawię ponadto uwarunkowania powstawania jego dokonań metodologicznych.

EN

In the paper, I will present scientific achievements of Anselm Strauss and the socio-philosophical context of how his concept of sociology emerged. The article at hand summarizes his biography and scientific development, his achievements in the field of social psychology, methodology of social science, sociology of work, and sociological theory, and I will refer to his inspirations deriving from pragmatism. Central and cohesive elements of the whole scientific achievements of A. Strauss are: processual and interaction-constructivist approach to social reality, processual-structural approach to self and identity, and the category of interaction as the underpinnings of all actions, where temporality is one of the main dimensions of social life analysis. I also will present his concept of identity and its interaction-constructivist character deriving from the tradition of social pragmatism. Moreover, I will present how his methodological achievements were conditioned.

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2 Miscellanea Anthropologica et Sociologica

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1 Qualitative Sociology Review

2 Erenc J.

2 Michałek P.

1 Adorjan M.

1 Kelly B.

1 Konecki K.

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Agnostic Interactionism and Sensitizing Concepts in the 21st Century: Developing Shaffirian Theory-Work in Ethnographic Research

SOCIOLOGY OF EMOTIONS: Naturalism in the service of sociology, that is, the beginnings of American Social Ecology

SOCJOLOGIA EMOCJI: Naturalizm w służbie socjologii, czyli początki amerykańskiej ekologii społecznej

Anselm L. Strauss – pragmatyczne korzenie, pragmatyczne konsekwencje Anselm L. Strauss – pragmatyczne korzenie, pragmatyczne konsekwencje