------=_NextPart_000_0010_01BE6BA2.37D480A0
Content-Type: text/plain;
charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
What is the meaning of "functionalist" in this case ?
Elsa
-----Mensagem original-----
De: Chris Francovich <cfran who-is-at micron.net>
Para: xmca who-is-at weber.ucsd.edu <xmca@weber.ucsd.edu>
Data: Quarta-feira, 10 de Mar=E7o de 1999 15:35
Assunto: Functionalist Dilemma
=20
=20
Hello all:
=20
I am currently reading Mary Douglas' book How Institutions Think =
(1986, Syracuse University Press) and have come across a theme that is =
confusing me. I am enjoying the book wholeheartedly and wading through =
her discussion of latent groups but am confused with her statement =
"Without a functionalist form of argument, we cannot begin to explain =
how a thought world constructs the thought style that controls its =
experience." (p. 43). On its face this seems wholly sensible. I am =
enjoying the structure that she is bringing to my understanding of how =
we even define a cultural group.
=20
This, however, is contrasted with a statement (about a theme) that =
Jean Lave makes in Cognition in Practice (1988, Cambridge University =
Press): "The concept of cultural uniformity reflects functionalist =
assumptions about society as a consensual order, and cultural =
transmission as a process of homogeneous cultural reproductions across =
generations." (p. 10).
=20
Now I realize that using categories at the social level to describe, =
explain, or interpret phenomena at the local level is problematic. But =
isn't it necessary to use a functionalist argument even to get the ideas =
into language? And if we can't argue from a functionalist perspective =
what else is there?=20
=20
Any thoughts?
=20
Thanks,
=20
Chris Francovich
------=_NextPart_000_0010_01BE6BA2.37D480A0
Content-Type: text/html;
charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD W3 HTML//EN">