The Strong Program in Cultural Sociology: Balancing between Culturalism and Scientism

The Strong Program in cultural sociology by J. Alexander and his colleagues since the mid-1980s is considered а major carrier of the cultural turn in sociology. Supporters and critics of the Strong Program tend to focus on its central thesis of “cultural autonomy” and on the challenge it poses to traditional, institutionally oriented social science. On the contrary, the article focuses on the “scientific” intensions of the Strong Program and the resulting ambiguities, limitations and contradictions for cultural-sociological theorizing.

Keywords

cultural sociology, cultural autonomy, scientism, analytical theorizing, sociological paradigm of civilizational analysis

Acknowledgment

The work was supported by RFBR (Research project No. 19-011-00950).

Received

24.02.2021

Publication date

25.03.2021

Number of characters

37497

Cite

GOST	Braslavskiy R. The Strong Program in Cultural Sociology: Balancing between Culturalism and Scientism // Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya – 2021. – Issue 2 C. 26-38 [Electronic resource]. URL: http://ras.jes.su/socis/s013216250012418-2-1-en (circulation date: 27.04.2024). DOI: 10.31857/S013216250012418-2
MLA	Braslavskiy, Ruslan G. "The Strong Program in Cultural Sociology: Balancing between Culturalism and Scientism." Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya 2 (2021):26-38. DOI: 10.31857/S013216250012418-2
APA	Braslavskiy R. (2021). The Strong Program in Cultural Sociology: Balancing between Culturalism and Scientism. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya (2), pp.26-38 DOI: 10.31857/S013216250012418-2

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