Synopses & Reviews
Contemporary social science avoids the discussion of fear as a major element of social life and as a factor that shapes social order and the quality of life. The author wants to fill this lacuna. The fear of punishments for violating the laws imposed by the state and other social institutions, such as the family, public opinion, the church and others, are useful for the maintenance order in society. The author's views oppose the mainstream of American social science, which is hostile toward coercion and the state in general, and sees social order as based only on the allegiance of the individual to the dominant culture and self-regulation. Pointing to the flaws of these views, which are mostly based on the Lockean-Parsonian tradition, as well as on the postmodern perspective, the author proposes that the Hobbesian viewpoint be included in social analysis. He assumes that social order is shaped not only from "below," but also from "above" with the state as a positive agent.
Review
"This book deals with some big themes in historic and contemporary sociology--power, legitimation, sanctions, coercion, and terror for the maintenance of social order. Its head-on challenge to the remaining post-World War II Parsonian paradigm focused on value consensus and socialization should spark not only some intellectual fireworks but engender some vital debates in the contemporary public square."--Suzanne Keller, Professor Emeritus of Sociology, Princeton University"Sociologists have largely ignored the role of fear in society, both as a deliberate policy of oppressive regimes and as a necessary element in the maintenance of social order. Shlapentokh has successfully taken on the task of rectifying this situation. In doing so, he has rekindled debates about social order that have long remained dormant. The result is a nuanced, scholarly, at times personal, sociological, and always challenging perspective on fear."--Lawrence Busch, University Distinguished Professor of Sociology, Michigan State University"Vladimir Shlapentokh is undoubtedly one of the most erudite, sophisticated and productive scholars in the field of Soviet and Russian studies. His interests range far and wide and cover various aspects of Soviet and Russian society. This time he decided to tackle the role of fear as an important force maintaining social order and, as always, he does it in a masterful way. He links fear to the system of values which he believes is indispensable for sustaining that order."--Andrzej Korbonski, Professor of Political Science, UCLA International Institute"Shlapentokh has provided both a critique of Western sociology's failings as well as a careful examination of a central, but often overlooked, feature of society: that it is held together as much by fear as by the customary processes of socialization, familial contact, and peer pressures. What is especially useful about this feature is that, since 9/11, American foreign and domestic policy has been developed with this central premise in mind. The civil wars that gave birth to the greatest English theorist of fear, Thomas Hobbes, have not receded. Democracy, education, and technology have not changed fear's central role in the social calculus. Shlapentokh's work recognizes this and establishes the basis for future serious research."--Peter Stavrakis, Professor of Political Science, National Defense University
Synopsis
Opposing mainstream social science, usually hostile towards coercion and the state, the author sees social order as based on self regulation and the allegiance of the individual to the dominant culture. He points out the flaws in what is chiefly a Lockean-Parsonian tradition and then proposes that the Hobbesian view be included in social analysis.
Synopsis
Vladimir Shlapentokh's work offers a new perspective on fear as a major element of social life and order. Opposing mainstream American social science, which is hostile towards coercion and the state, the author sees social order as based on self-regulation and the allegiance of the individual to the dominant culture.
About the Author
Vladimir Shlapentokh was born, raised, and educated in the Soviet Union. Before emigrating to the United States in 1979, he worked as a Senior Fellow in the Sociological Institute in Moscow, and he conducted the first nationwide public opinion surveys in the USSR. In the Soviet Union he published ten books and many dozens of articles on various social issues, including the methodology of sociological studies. Since emigrating to the U.S., Shlapentokh has published 18 books, dozens of professional articles about Soviet and contemporary Russian issues, and dozens of columns in periodicals such as the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, and Christian Science Monitor. In addition, he has organized several national and international conferences. He is a professor of sociology at Michigan State University. Since 1982, he has worked as a consultant to the United States government, regularly reporting on social processes, ideology, and public opinion in Russia and other post-Communist countries.
Table of Contents
Introduction * Social Order in the Contemporary Sociological Literature: The Evolution of a Concept * The Major Theories about the Nature and Origin of Values and Order * The Limited Role of Positive Internalized Values * Aggressive Negative Values * National Common Values: Partially a Myth * Changes and Stability of Social Values and Norms * Fear as a Neglected Variable * The Leading Role of Formal Control as the Basis of Order * Concluding Remarks