Nicos Mouzelis

Restructuring structuration theory

The article looks critically at Giddenss duality of structure notion which is at the centre of his structuration theory. It argues that the concept of subject/object dualism, which is not seriously considered by structuration theory, is as essential as the concept of duality for an understanding of how actors orient themselves to rules and resources as a virtual order, as well as to sets of interactions in time and space.

Back to sociological theory : the construction of social orders

Philosophy or sociological theory? restructuring structuration theory - duality and dualism in sociological theory social and system integration - back to Lockwood social hierarchies and some sociological theories or micro/macro integration hierarchies, social and system integration, duality and dualism reification - ignoring the balance between social and system integration reductionism - neglecting hierarchical levels.

The subjectivist-objectivist divide: against transcendence

On the basis of a fourfold typology referring to different definitions of the social-structure concept, and of a critique of Giddenss and Bourdieus strategies for transcending the divide between objectivist and subjectivist sociologies, this paper argues that rapprochement rather than transcendence is the way to overcome the existing fragmentation and for bringing closer together structural/structuralist and interpretative paradigms in the social sciences.

Sociology of Development: Reflections on the Present Crisis:

This paper argues (a) that some of the present difficulties experienced by the sociology of development can be overcome by a macro comparative historical focus on the qualitative differences between the long term development of the capitalist centre and periphery, as well as on the strikingly different developmental trajectories to be seen within the third world; (b) that Marxism in general, and the dependency approach in particular, although more suitable than alternative paradigms for such a historical comparative task, present certain limitations that can only be dealt with by the creation of new tools for the study of the non-economic spheres (particularly the political).

The Poverty of Sociological Theory

This paper discusses critically some major developments of post-Parsonian sociological/social theory, focusing particularly on the micro-macro and agency-structure issues. The failure to deal in a satisfactory manner with these issues has led to a theoretical impasse that present theorising does not seem able to overcome.

Social and System Integration: Lockwood, Habermas, Giddens

The different ways in which Lockwood, Habermas, and Giddens conceptualise the social-/system-integration distinction are examined. It is argued that (with some modification) Lockwoods conceptualisation is logically more congruent and heuristically more useful than that of the other two theorists.

Capitalism and the development of agriculture

La question paysanne et le capitalisme by S. Amin, K. Vergopoulos. Paris: Anthropos, 1974; pp. 220. The Agrarian Problem in Greece: the issue of the social incorporation of agriculture (in Greek) by K. Vergopoulos. Athens: Exantas, 1975; pp. 385.

Modernization, under development, uneven development: Prospects for a theory of third world formations

Taken as a whole, the two books considered in this review article ‐ David Lehmann, ed., Development Theory: Four Critical Studies, Frank Cass: 1979, £9.50, £4.95 (paperback) and John G. Taylor, From Modernisation to Modes of Production: A Critique of the Sociologies of Development and Underdevelopment, Macmillan: 1979, £12.00, £4.95 (paperback) ‐ give a concise but comprehensive picture of the complex debates and the various theoretical impasses of todays ‘Third World’ studies. The four essays edited by David Lehmann are a critical review of both the old orthodoxies (development economics and modernisation theories) and the newer ones (neo‐Marxist theory of underdevelopment); whereas John Taylors work is an ambitious attempt to go beyond the neo‐Marxist paradigm by laying the foundations of a mode‐of‐production approach to the study of third‐world formations. Since I believe that the most lively and interesting debates in this field today focus on the various shortcomings of the neo‐Marxist approach, an...

Modernity and the Secularization Debate

The article shows how the three basic socio-structural features of modernity (inclusion of a whole population into the national centre, top-down differentiation and widespread individualization) throw some light on the secularization–desecularization debate – as this is shaped by the writings of Bryan Wilson, Steve Bruce, David Martin and Charles Taylor.

Encyclopaedia, genealogy, tradition: a sociocultural critique of Macintyre's three moral discourses

The paper provides a critical account of Alasdair MacIntyres moral theory. It argues that, contrary to his position, the three discourses that he examines, as attempts to provide moral guidelines to ones life trajectory are complementary, under late-modern conditions, rather than contradictory.