Synopses & Reviews
Most people talk to themselves silently: planning, rehearsing, debating. Yet surprisingly little research has been conducted into these 'internal conversations' and their influence on how ordinary people make their way through the world. Human reflexivity is the capacity to reflect upon ultimate concerns in relation to society and vice versa. This book uses interviewees' descriptions of their life and work histories to examine human reflexivity and the different forms it can take. It argues that modes of reflexivity differ with combinations of 'social contexts' and 'personal concerns,' generating three dominant forms, each form shaping the occupations people seek, keep or quit; their stances towards structural constraints and enablements; and their resulting patterns of social mobility.
Synopsis
Examines 'internal conversations' and their influence on how people make their way through the world.
Synopsis
Most people talk to themselves silently: planning, rehearsing, debating. Yet surprisingly little research has been conducted into these 'internal conversations' and their influence on how ordinary people make their way through the world. Using interviewees' accounts, this book examines human reflexivity and the different forms it can take. It argues that modes of reflexivity differ with combinations of 'social contexts' and 'personal concerns,'which shape the jobs people take, affect how social barriers are treated and influence patterns of social mobility and stability.
About the Author
Margaret S. Archer is Professor of Sociology at the University of Warwick. She has written over twenty books including Structure, Agency and the Internal Conversation (2003) and Being Human: The Problem of Agency (Cambridge, 2000)