Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Social Theory'
To see the other types of publications on this topic, follow the link: Social Theory.
Create a spot-on reference in APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, and other styles
Consult the top 50 dissertations / theses for your research on the topic 'Social Theory.'
Next to every source in the list of references, there is an 'Add to bibliography' button. Press on it, and we will generate automatically the bibliographic reference to the chosen work in the citation style you need: APA, MLA, Harvard, Chicago, Vancouver, etc.
You can also download the full text of the academic publication as pdf and read online its abstract whenever available in the metadata.
Browse dissertations / theses on a wide variety of disciplines and organise your bibliography correctly.
1
Spies-Butcher, Ben. "Understanding the concept of social capital: Neoliberalism, social theory or neoliberal social theory?" University of Sydney, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/2123/1326.
Full textAbstract:
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)This thesis examines the growing debate around the concept of social capital. The concept has been heralded by many as a means of uniting the social sciences, particularly economics and sociology, and of overcoming ideological divisions between left and right. However, critics argue that the concept is poorly theorised and provides little insight. More radical critics have claimed the concept may be a neo-liberal ‘Trojan horse’, a mechanism by which the atomistic thinking of neoclassical economics colonises social theory. I examine these more radical claims by exploring the origins of the concept of social capital within rational choice economics. I argue that we should differentiate between two types of potential colonisation. The first is a form of methodological colonisation, whereby overly abstract, reductionist and rationalist approaches (which I term modernist) are extended into social theory. The second is a form of ideological colonisation, whereby a normative commitment to individualism and the market is extended into social theory. I argue that the concept of social capital has been the product of a trend within rational choice economics away from the extremes of modernism. In this sense the concept represents an attempt to bring economics and social theory closer together, and a willingness on the part of rational choice theorists to take more seriously the techniques and insights of the other social sciences. However, I argue that this trend away from modernism has often been associated with a reaffirmation of rational choice theorists’ normative commitment to individualism and the market. In particular, I argue the concept of social capital has been strongly influenced by elements of the Austrian economic tradition, and forms part of a spontaneous order explanation of economic and social systems. I then apply these insights to the Australian social capital debate. I argue that initially the Australian social capital debate continued an earlier debate over economic rationalism and the merits of market-orientated economic reform. I argue that participants from both sides of the economic rationalism debate used the concept of social capital to move away from modernism, but continued to disagree over the role of individualism. Finally, I argue that confusion between moving away from modernism, and moving away from market ideology, has led some Third Way theorists to misconstrue the concept as a means to overcome ideology.
2
Spies-Butcher, Ben. "Understanding the concept of social capital: Neoliberalism, social theory or neoliberal social theory?" Thesis, The University of Sydney, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/2123/1326.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis examines the growing debate around the concept of social capital. The concept has been heralded by many as a means of uniting the social sciences, particularly economics and sociology, and of overcoming ideological divisions between left and right. However, critics argue that the concept is poorly theorised and provides little insight. More radical critics have claimed the concept may be a neo-liberal ‘Trojan horse’, a mechanism by which the atomistic thinking of neoclassical economics colonises social theory. I examine these more radical claims by exploring the origins of the concept of social capital within rational choice economics. I argue that we should differentiate between two types of potential colonisation. The first is a form of methodological colonisation, whereby overly abstract, reductionist and rationalist approaches (which I term modernist) are extended into social theory. The second is a form of ideological colonisation, whereby a normative commitment to individualism and the market is extended into social theory. I argue that the concept of social capital has been the product of a trend within rational choice economics away from the extremes of modernism. In this sense the concept represents an attempt to bring economics and social theory closer together, and a willingness on the part of rational choice theorists to take more seriously the techniques and insights of the other social sciences. However, I argue that this trend away from modernism has often been associated with a reaffirmation of rational choice theorists’ normative commitment to individualism and the market. In particular, I argue the concept of social capital has been strongly influenced by elements of the Austrian economic tradition, and forms part of a spontaneous order explanation of economic and social systems. I then apply these insights to the Australian social capital debate. I argue that initially the Australian social capital debate continued an earlier debate over economic rationalism and the merits of market-orientated economic reform. I argue that participants from both sides of the economic rationalism debate used the concept of social capital to move away from modernism, but continued to disagree over the role of individualism. Finally, I argue that confusion between moving away from modernism, and moving away from market ideology, has led some Third Way theorists to misconstrue the concept as a means to overcome ideology.
3
Dodd, Nigel Bruce. "Money in social theory." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 1991. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.239150.
Full text
4
Adam, B. E. "Time and social theory." Thesis, Bucks New University, 1987. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.379280.
Full text
5
Carson, Alexander McMurdo. "Health and social theory." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 1997. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/21132.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis examines the relationship between the theory and practice of health. While health has become a major concern in our society, there continues to be debate about what exactly health is. This thesis engages with this debate in examining various historical and modern definitions of health. Beginning with the Greeks and continuing through to modern and post-modern theories of health, this thesis evaluates these definitions in terms of their implications for the kind of practice they articulate. Chapter 1 examines the work of three prominent modern theorists; Parsons, Garfinkel and Foucault. While these theorists have been influential in defining modern versions of health, we find that their theories are difficult to practice. Chapter 1 concludes with a crisis in that we seem to have no version of health that we can practice. The search for a theory of health which we can live with is taken up in Chapter 2, in an examination of the work of Martha Nussbaum. Nussbaum wants to define health as a flexible life, but we find that this proposal, though admirable in many respects, fall short in terms of practice. In Chapter 3, we examine the work of Alan Blum and Peter McHugh, two analysts, in their definition of health as Principled action. This definition of health is found to not only allow us to live healthy lives but also to realize the significance of this healthy life. The work of Charles Taylor and his definition of health as engagement is examined in Chapter 4. Taylor's work is found to provide, like Blum & McHugh, a version of health that can enhance our practice. We conclude with the notion that these two versions of health could allow us to develop ourselves in healthy ways.
6
Foad, Colin. "Social context mismatch theory." Thesis, Cardiff University, 2016. http://orca.cf.ac.uk/84359/.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis outlines the novel theoretical approach of social context mismatch theory (SCMT). SCMT outlines how changes in context can lead to mismatches between motives and their surrounding environment. For example, the basic human desire to care for others has become problematic in a modern context, where globalised identities are possible. We want to care for all the vulnerable members of society, but we are faced with numerous barriers. The conclusion of SCMT is that these mismatches provide fertile soil for hypocrisy to thrive, as people become accustomed to failing to meet their desired standards. Having introduced the theory, three core chapters use this model to outline how broader contextual perspectives can bring different psychological concepts together in order to gain a novel perspective on well-established social psychological processes. Chapter 2 outlines how people see their values as dynamic over time and illustrates relationships between this dynamism and well-being. Chapter 3 shows how people display different forms of hypocrisy in the realm of ethical consumption and how higher thresholds for ethical behaviour can encourage greater desire to change to a more pro-social position. Chapter 4 manipulates perceptions of complexity of a little-known moral issue and shows how greater complexity can lead to less harsh moral judgements and a reduced willingness to engage with remedial action. Finally, the thesis concludes by outlining a range of future directions that SCMT opens up, particularly for those who want to bring relatively isolated psychological ideas together. Accordingly, there is a strong focus on how a simultaneous awareness of multiple contexts can provide new perspectives on psychological processes. SCMT is a theory that is inextricably linked to working towards a more caring world and the dissertation reflects this motivation.
7
Wilton, Jo. "Social theory and social change : what can feminists learn from sex role theory? /." Title page and contents only, 1990. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09AR/09arw756.pdf.
Full text
8
Gould, Nicholas G. "Contributions to social work education, social work and social theory." Thesis, University of Bath, 1993. https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.387209.
Full text
9
Davis, Samantha Leigh. "Finding common ground: a field experiment examining social dominance theory and social identity theory." [St. Lucia, Qld.], 2005. http://www.library.uq.edu.au/pdfserve.php?image=thesisabs/absthe19229.pdf.
Full text
10
Huhn, Thomas. "Adorno's aesthetic theory and its relation to social theory." Thesis, Boston University, 1988. https://hdl.handle.net/2144/38048.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston UniversityPLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you.
A philosophical elaboration of Theodor Adorno's conception of aesthetic form. Adorno's aesthetic theory is presented through a reconstruction of the major concepts in his Aesthetic Theory and via the projects of Dialectic of Enlightenment and Negative Dialectics.
2031-01-01
11
鄭建生 and Kin-sang Cheng. "Social theory and gender bias." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1993. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31211288.
Full text
12
Shi, Xiaolei. "Social interdependence theory in sport." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2018. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/8088/.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis investigates examining the effects of certain types of interdependence on motor performance in competition. In the first experiment, participants undertook a ball carrying and running task under varying levels of between-team resource interdependent condition in the individual competition. The number of balls that carried to the container decreased when between-team resource interdependence exists. In the second experiment, participants completed a basketball shooting and rebounding task under varying levels of between-team resource interdependent condition in a two-on-two team competition. Results indicated that the number of baskets made, the number of baskets attempted and the shooting accuracy was higher in resource independent competition. In the third experiment, participants undertook the same basketball shooting and rebounding task as the second experiment under varying levels of between-team resource interdependent condition and within-team reward interdependent condition. Results indicated effort-based performance was greater under resource independent condition and its interaction with low reward interdependent condition. In the final experiment, participants undertook a handgrip task in a four-on-four team competition. Compared to the no reward condition, performance was better under both high reward interdependent condition and low reward interdependent condition. Mediation analyses revealed that positive emotions, self-reported effort and pressure mediated the change of performance.
13
Jones, Richard P. "Modern penality and social theory." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 1997. https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/271950.
Full text
14
Lerch, Brian A. "Theory of Social Group Dynamics." Case Western Reserve University School of Graduate Studies / OhioLINK, 2019. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1558361571474294.
Full text
15
Harper, Stephen Bryce. "Investigations into Social Game Theory." VCU Scholars Compass, 2006. http://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/812.
Full textAbstract:
Investigations into Social Game Theory is a document that describes my two-year exploration of the ritual encapsulated in our societal framework. It discusses the thoughts and processes that accompanied the three bodies of work that led to the creation of my final thesis exhibition.
16
Cheng, Kin-sang. "Social theory and gender bias /." Hong Kong : University of Hong Kong, 1993. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record.jsp?B13671480.
Full text
17
Stoffle, Richard W. "Social Theory and MPA Assessment." Bureau of Applied Research in Anthropology, University of Arizona, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/292952.
Full textAbstract:
This paper argues for the application of Risk Society (Ulrich Beck & Anthony Giddens) and Social Resilience (Fikret Berkes & Carl Folke) theories in the social impact assessment (SIA) of proposed marine protected areas (MPAs). The former theory is the most cited social theory in Europe and has been found to explain worldwide human responses to proposed projects. The latter theory brings to the SIA of MPAs proven notions from human ecology. This paper is based on an on-going assessment of proposed MPA effects in the Bahamas and the growing literature on MPAs.
18
Mulberg, Jonathan David. "Social limits to economic theory." Thesis, University of Warwick, 1991. http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/109304/.
Full textAbstract:
This dissertation effects a complete re-orientation of economic theory. It shows how the economic cannot be analysed separately from the political and the social, and lays the foundation for an integrated political economy. The work examines the philosophical difficulties faced by economists, and re-draws the history of economic thought as a response to methodological dilemmas. The traditional History of Economics textbooks re-write the history in terms of the contemporary paradigm. This dissertation, by contrast, shows how the philosophical debates have shaped the trajectory of economics, and how the orientations of the schools undergo major changes so as to attempt to deal with the fundamental dilemmas of a 'policy science’. It brings out the 'hidden history’ of economics, and shows both how laissez-faire can only be defended by dropping any notion of economic 'science', and how economic theory has an implied political theory. It then considers the debate over political economic theory and the consequences for economic organisation and for environmental disruption.
19
Paris, Chris. "Social theory and housing policy." Phd thesis, Canberra, ACT : The Australian National University, 1986. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/130120.
Full text
20
Senholzi, Keith B. Searing Donald. "Conflict in Northern Ireland through the lens of social identity theory and social dominance theory /." Chapel Hill, N.C. : University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2008. http://dc.lib.unc.edu/u?/etd,2012.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (M.A.)--University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2008.Title from electronic title page (viewed Feb. 17, 2009). "... in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in the Department of Political Science, Concentration TransAtlantic Studies." Discipline: Political Science; Department/School: Political Science. UNC-Chapel Hill copy lacks abstract.
21
Briesacher, Alex Barton. "Integrating Stereotype Threat into Identity Theory and Social Identity Theory." Kent State University / OhioLINK, 2014. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1415367303.
Full text
22
Kerr, William Fraser. "Darwinian social evolution as a theory of social change." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/31066.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis investigates the use of a reconceptualised social evolutionary theory for understanding and explaining how and why societies change, specifically looking at this question through the frame of nationalism. The thesis is split into three parts: in the first part I first examine older forms of social evolutionary theory (conceptions from Marx, Spencer and generalized evolutionary accounts) and critique them on the grounds that they are too ‘progressive’ in character, suffer from teleology and have a notion that all societies change linearly, i.e. pass through the same set of stages. After this I elaborate on a reconstructed version of social evolutionary theory, taking it along more Darwinian lines: that the process should be understood as contingent and non-linear, where cultural variants and social intuitions change in response to selective pressures brought about by environmental conditions. To reconstruct social evolution I draw mainly on accounts from Runciman (2009), Hodgson and Knudsen (2010), Sperber (1996), Hull (1988) and Richerson and Boyd (2006). In the second part of the thesis I look at four different theories of social change and utilize Darwinian social evolutionary theory to critique them. The four in question are: Immanuel Wallerstein (world-systems theory); Michael Hechter (rational-choice theory); Michael Mann (sources of social power); and Ernest Gellner (functionalism). These four theories were chosen as they either have, or represent, different theories of social change, and also because they are all concerned to some extent with the rise of the nation-state and nationalism. The main argument in this section is that Darwinian social evolutionary theory can incorporate elements of these theories whilst also going beyond them in explaining and understanding why societies undergo changes. In the case of Mann and Gellner I also note that they are, to a certain extent, implicitly relying on a social evolutionary account, and that drawing this out more explicitly helps provide greater theoretical solidity to their arguments. In the final part of the thesis I apply the theory to two case-studies, looking at the rise of nationalism in Britain (with a focus on England) and Japan. In both cases I examine each development of nationalism historically, using Darwinian social evolution to assess why nationalism emerged at the point that it did in each case, and not before. A final synthesis chapter then looks comparatively at the two cases and applies Darwinian social evolutionary theory to address the question of why nationalism generated in England/Britain, but did not in Japan and why the nationalist movements took the forms that they did. The chapter centres on three main themes, the role of war in forming identities, the role of variation in generating institutions, and the role of lineages in creating continuity in discontinuity. Finally it address the question of why nationalism became the dominant movement and not something else. Together this demonstrates demonstrate the usefulness of the framework for addressing questions concerning social change, in providing a different perspective and insights from other theories of social change. A final chapter summarizes and concludes the thesis, as well as pointing to new directions that research could develop.
23
Rodriguez, Lopez Juan-Pablo. "The possibility of social critique : between critical social theory and social movements." Thesis, University of Bristol, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/1983/2d7edd90-e0d7-498b-bf1a-6fc0d727b5a8.
Full textAbstract:
The global wave of mobilisations that took place after the 2008 financial crisis prompted social movement scholars and radical thinkers to highlight the ability of social actors to resist capitalism and develop new forms of radical democracy. This initial moment of 'effervescence' has been followed by a longer period of balance and critical evaluation. In this context, critical theorists have welcomed the renewal of social critique after a long period of withdrawal and the enunciation of a post-critical era. However, this renewal has taken place at the expense of critical theory's social significance. In this work, I propose a productive cross-fertilisation of the various realms in which the social critique of capitalism has (separately) taken place: critical social theory and practices of social criticism carried out by social movements. Drawing on Fredric Jameson's notion of an 'aesthetic of cognitive mapping' and on Luc Boltanski's critical sociology, the thesis argues that the affinities between the two forms of critique provide a basis upon which a politically and theoretically productive articulation might be built. In the first part, I explore four different styles of theoretical critique - from David Harvey to Luc Boltanski - highlighting their merits and limitations. In the second part, I delve into the practices of criticism of capitalist society carried out by two Chilean social movements: the pobladores' movement and the student movement, respectively, in order to explore how social critique is performed in the context of concrete social struggles. Pobladores and students have been resisting, mapping, and contesting neoliberal policies in Chile since the beginning of the 2000s, actualising old practices of resistance in a new and fragmented social context. By disclosing the affinities between the practices of social critique at both levels, I contend that critical theorists can learn from social movements' descriptions and explanations, and thus rehabilitate its political emancipatory dimension.
24
Nosenzo, Daniele. "Social preferences and social comparisons." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 2010. http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/11362/.
Full textAbstract:
Chapter 1 introduces the thesis providing an overview of the common themes and methods underlying this research. Chapter 2 reports an experiment that examines the characteristics of effective leaders in a leader-follower voluntary contributions game. We focus on two factors: leaders’ cooperativeness and their beliefs about followers’cooperativeness. We find that groups perform best when led by cooperatively inclined leaders, partly because they are intrinsically motivated to contribute more than non-cooperative leaders, partly because they are more optimistic about followers’ cooperativeness. Chapter 3 reports an experiment comparing sequential and simultaneous contributions to a public good in a quasi-linear two-person setting. As predicted, we find that overall provision may be lower under sequential than simultaneous contributions. However, we also find that the distribution of contributions is more equitable than predicted when the first-mover is predicted to free-ride, but not when the second-mover is predicted to free-ride. These results can be explained by second-movers’ willingness to punish free-riders, and unwillingness to reward first-movers who contribute. Chapter 4 investigates the impact of social comparisons on reciprocal relationships. Using a three-person gift- exchange game we study how employees’ reciprocity towards an employer is affected by pay comparison information (information about what co-workers earn) and effort comparison information (information about how co-workers perform). We find that pay comparison information does not affect reciprocity, while effort comparison information can influence reciprocal relationships in important ways. Chapter 5 also examines the impact of pay comparisons on effort behaviour. We compare effort in a treatment where co-workers’ wages are secret with effort in two ‘public wages’ treatments differing in whether co-workers’ wages are chosen by an employer, or are fixed exogenously by the experimenter. We find that pay comparisons are detrimental for effort, particularly when coworkers’ wages are exogenous. Chapter 6 summarises the findings of this research and concludes.
25
Friggeri, Adrien. "A Quantitative Theory of Social Cohesion." Phd thesis, Ecole normale supérieure de lyon - ENS LYON, 2012. http://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-00737199.
Full textAbstract:
Community, a notion transversal to all areas of Social Network Analysis, has drawn tremendous amount of attention across the sciences in the past decades. Numerous attempts to characterize both the sociological embodiment of the concept as well as its observable structural manifestation in the social network have to this date only converged in spirit. No formal consensus has been reached on the quantifiable aspects of community, despite it being deeply linked to topological and dynamic aspects of the underlying social network. Presenting a fresh approach to the evaluation of communities, this thesis introduces and builds upon the cohesion, a novel metric which captures the intrinsic quality, as a community, of a set of nodes in a network. The cohesion, defined in terms of social triads, was found to be highly correlated to the subjective perception of communitiness through the use of a large-scale online experiment in which users were able to compute and rate the quality of their social groups on Facebook. Adequately reflecting the complexity of social interactions, the problem of finding a maximally cohesive group inside a given social network is shown to be NP-hard. Using a heuristic approximation algorithm, applications of the cohesion to broadly different use cases are highlighted, ranging from its application to network visualization, to the study of the evolution of agreement groups in the United States Senate, to the understanding of the intertwinement between subjects' psychological traits and the cohesive structures in their social neighborhood. The use of the cohesion proves invaluable in that it offers non-trivial insights on the network structure and its relation to the associated semantic.
26
Simon, Peter A. "Social Network Theory In Engineering Education." Research Showcase @ CMU, 2014. http://repository.cmu.edu/dissertations/377.
Full textAbstract:
Collaborative groups are important both in the learning environment of engineering education and, in the real world, the business of engineering design. Selecting appropriate individuals to form an effective group and monitoring a group’s progress are important aspects of successful task performance. This exploratory study looked at using the concepts of cognitive social structures, structural balance, and centrality from social network analysis as well as the measures of emotional intelligence. The concepts were used to analyze potential team members to examine if an individual's ability to perceive emotion in others and the self and to use, understand, and manage those emotions are a factor in a group’s performance. The students from a capstone design course in computer engineering were used as volunteer subjects. They were formed into groups and assigned a design exercise to determine whether and which of the above mentioned tools would be effective in both selecting teams and predicting the quality of the resultant design. The results were inconclusive with the exception of an individual's ability to accurately perceive emotions. The instruments that were successful were the Self-Monitoring scale and the accuracy scores derived from cognitive social structures and Level IV of network levels of analysis.
27
Payne, Malcolm Stuart. "The politics of social work theory." Thesis, Manchester Metropolitan University, 2002. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.392984.
Full text
28
Finchilescu, Gillian. "Social identity theory and intergroup attributions." Thesis, University of Oxford, 1991. http://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:cc771223-b470-45c3-8584-3bcd4c3fd142.
Full textAbstract:
The central proposition of this thesis is that intergroup attributions and explanations, like any other intergroup behaviour, are affected by the perceived relations between the groups. Social Identity Theory (SIT) was adopted as the theoretical framework within which to investigate intergroup relations. According to this theory, intergroup behaviour is affected by the relative status the groups bear to each other, together with the perceived legitimacy and stability of this status hierarchy. The thesis proposes two amendments to the theory. It is argued that perceived legitimacy and perceived stability have different effects on intergroup behaviour and hence can not be subsumed under the general category of "insecure comparisons". It is also suggested that intragroup variability exists in these perceptions. A study was conducted which confirmed these propositions, and predictions emerging from SIT concerning the effect of these perceptions on intergroup behaviour and attitudes received considerable support. In examining the effect of the intergroup perception factors on bias in intergroup attributions, the thesis focuses on two types of groups: race and gender. Three types of attribution were considered in different studies: explanations of intergroup inequality, attributions of blame for rape or robbery and attributions for individual group members' actions and outcomes. The results indicate that the relative status of the groups, together with the perceptions of the legitimacy of this status hierarchy influence the first two - the explanations for inequality and the attributions of blame made to the victim and perpetrator of crimes. In general, it appears that the 'prise de conscience' of the illegitimacy of the intergroup situation is the motivating force in rejecting the domination of the high status group over the low status group, by members of both the high and low status groups. However, the third type of attributions, the intergroup explanations made for individual group members' actions and outcomes were not in general affected by these factors. It was suggested that either the intergroup aspect of these vignettes lacked the salience to elicit an intergroup response, or that the actors in the vignettes were treated as atypical of the groups.
29
Annetts, J. "Gays, AIDS and social movement theory." Thesis, University of Reading, 1998. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.428180.
Full text
30
Alpedrinha, J. A. C. V. "Social evolution and sex allocation theory." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2012. http://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:35e4f1c8-68ea-4395-9e67-5b72982196d6.
Full textAbstract:
The study of sex allocation is one of the most successful areas in evolutionary biology: its theoretical predictions have been supported by experimental, observational and comparative approaches. Here, I develop sex allocation theory as follows: (1) I use fertility insurance theory to predict the sex ratio strategy of the malaria parasite, in response to human medical interventions that increase mortality and decrease fertility of the parasite’s various sexual stages; (2) Haplodiploidy has been suggested as a driver of the evolution of eusociality, as under this genetic system a female may be more related to her sister than to her own offspring. I examine a model considering queen versus worker control over the sex ratio of the colony and show that haplodiploidy alone does not explain the evolution of helping; (3) I follow up this study of the haplodiploidy hypothesis by examining the idea that split-sex ratios may favour the evolution of eusociality in haplodiploid species. I study the two mechanisms of split sex ratios, that are found in natural populations and may have been important in the transition to eusociality: queen virginity and queen replacement. I focus on the impact of worker reproduction by considering the effect of woker producing a fraction of the colony offspring and by considering variation in the workers’ offspring sex ratio. My analysis shows that worker reproduction does not promote the evolution of helping in haplodiploid species; (4) I examine the evolution and function of a sterile soldier caste in parasitoid wasps from the genus Encyrtidae. Two main functions have been hypothesized for the emergence of soldiers: spiteful mediation of a sex ratio conflict in mixed-sex broods, and altruistic protection and 7 facilitation of the development of relatives. I develop a model considering variation in the oviposition behaviour of females, that may produce single-sex or mixed-sex broods. I show that, in accordance with previous theory, females are expected to produce more soldiers than males, under the sex ratio conflict hypothesis. I also show that one of the consequences of this costly conflict is that females are favoured to produce single-sex broods over mixed-sex broods.
31
Esterhuizen, Charlton. "South African social theory : Steve Biko." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/20025.
Full textAbstract:
The complexity and dynamism of society provides the sociologist with interesting challenges. The methods and instruments we use to study and understand society have to evolve with the same dynamism. This minor dissertation investigates sociological theory in South Africa. The primary aim of this dissertation is to determine if one can produce or derive sociological theory from the work of black South Africans, specifically Steve Biko. To this end one has to disseminate the idea of sociological theory and consider how it is constructed. It is also important to highlight the contextual and progressive nature of theory. To illustrate this, I briefly outline the development of sociology as an academic discipline. In addition I consider the implications of macro and micro theory, paying particular attention to Marxism and Weberianism. This is exemplary in terms of showing the contextual relevance and the progressive thinking which inform social theory. It is widely acknowledged that Comte, Marx, Durkheim and Weber were the founding fathers of sociology. I consider the contributions of Ntsikana, Tiyo Soga, Anton Lembede, Pixley Seme and finally Steve Biko as a means of demonstrating the potential local intellectual to inform a new social theory The nature of this research dictated the use of a qualitative research design. The review of literature and biographical accounts were used to construct the lineage of South African intellectuals. The key intellectual considered in this paper is Steve Biko. The source of the data was his salient work: "I Write What I Like". Thematic analysis was used to analyse the relevant texts, mainly the Miles Huberman approach. This allowed me to identify the key analytical constructs of Steve Biko's work. These analytical constructs would be the foundation of a possible sociological theory.
32
Leppmann, Kevin P. (Kevin Paul) Carleton University Dissertation International Affairs. "The social psychology of deterrence theory." Ottawa, 1988.
Find full text
33
Fallis, Don. "Epistemic Value Theory and Social Epistemology." University of Edinburgh, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/105269.
Full textAbstract:
In order to guide the decisions of real people who want to bring about good epistemic outcomes for themselves and others, we need to understand our epistemic values. In Knowledge in a Social World, Alvin Goldman has proposed an epistemic value theory that allows us to say whether one outcome is epistemically better than another. However, it has been suggested that Goldmanâ s theory is not really an epistemic value theory at all because whether one outcome is epistemically better than another partly depends on our non-epistemic interests. In this paper, I argue that an epistemic value theory that serves the purposes of social epistemology must incorporate non-epistemic interests in much the way that Goldmanâ s theory does. In fact, I argue that Goldmanâ s theory does not go far enough in this direction. In particular, the epistemic value of having a particular true belief should actually be weighted by how interested we are in the topic.
34
Kanazawa, Satoshi. "A solidaristic theory of social order." Diss., The University of Arizona, 1994. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/186764.
Full textAbstract:
Several theoretical perspectives have emerged in the social sciences to explain variations in social order. In the normative perspective, order is a function of value consensus and the successful internalization of these values. Order in the Hobbesian perspective is a consequence of coercive state social control. However, the former cannot account for high levels of order in heterogeneous societies lacking value consensus, while the latter cannot explain order in large and complex societies where effective monitoring and sanctioning by the state is impossible. More recently, social scientists have shown that stable cooperation among the members of a group is possible on the basis of mechanisms derived from the theory of repeated games. While promising, these theories have not specified how these group-level cooperative institutions can be reproduced at the societal level to produce global order. Nor have they identified the mechanism by which members' compliance with (possibly conflicting) group norms can aggregate to global order. An alternative, solidaristic theory holds that global order is a largely unintended byproduct of the control activities of constituent social groups seeking members' compliance to group norms. It explains global order as a function of the solidarities of groups and the costliness of their members' activities to the state and other groups. Further, the theory specifies the aggregation mechanism by which the meso-level solidarities of various groups produce global order. The theory also implies that the state originally emerges as a means to reduce negative externalities on some groups by the activities of others. I design three separate laboratory experiments to test the solidaristic theory of global order. The first experiment tests the theory's group solidarity submodel. The second and third experiments test a theory of the state which directly underlies the state submodel of the solidaristic theory. The second experiment tests how the state's behavior toward groups varies as a function of their threat to the state. The third experiment tests the state's behavior as a function of the groups' negative externalities on each other and their power over the state. I present the results from the third experiment.
35
Akister, Jane. "Systems theory and attachment theory in social work education and practice." Thesis, Anglia Ruskin University, 2005. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.427479.
Full text
36
Martin, Sarah B. "Theory of Mind, Social Information Processing, and Children's Social Behavior." Bowling Green State University / OhioLINK, 2009. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1262100680.
Full text
37
Schofield, N. "Social equilibrium." Thesis, University of Essex, 1985. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.370494.
Full text
38
Mavridi, Konstantina. "Social enhancement strategies in women's career development : identity dynamics and social representations." Thesis, University of Surrey, 1996. http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/2162/.
Full text
39
Leflaive, Xavier. "A contemporary theory of organizations : toward a theory of reflexive social systems." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 1993. https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/272637.
Full text
40
Brandenbarg, Gregory William Anthony. "Emancipatory adult education and social movement theory." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1997. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk3/ftp04/mq22703.pdf.
Full text
41
Emmonds, Kerry Louise. "Social theory and political change in Argentina." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1999. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk2/ftp01/MQ39822.pdf.
Full text
42
Wallace, Christopher Conor. "Evolutionary game theory in the social sciences." Thesis, University of Oxford, 1999. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.322749.
Full text
43
Pleasants, Nigel John. "A Wittgensteinian critique of critical social theory." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 1997. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.627272.
Full text
44
Nieman, A. J. "Social development and women : theory and practice." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/53057.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2002ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This research investigates the social development approach from the viewpoint of developing an understanding of the applicability thereof in a social work environment in a South African context. Based on the level of underdevelopment in the country, the social development process, which involves a dynamic multi-disciplinary approach with a strong emphasis on the positive outcomes of growth and empowerment, is thought to offer a wide range of possible fields of application. To provide clarity and gain insight into the dimensions and elements involved, different aspects of the South African and international scenarios provide a background for the arguments promoting the social development approach as a positive intervention for the helping professions. The purpose of this research is to broaden the field of knowledge for practitioners and organisations dealing with poverty and deprivation by providing an extension of options in practice models. The research report includes an investigation of the elements and concepts associated with social development, with particular emphasis on the role of women. Knowledge and understanding of these concepts will assist in widening the horizons of field workers and assist in deciding on appropriate responses when faced with the problems of South Africa and its apartheid legacy. Development in the South African context is examined with the focus on the main role players, namely government and the welfare sector. Recurring themes in development programmes that have been identified as elements for success are described by means of case examples from good international practice models. The applicability of many of these cases should serve as stimuli for instituting initiatives in local situations of need. The empirical research used the qualitative method to examine, by means of focus groups, the effects of the identified elements in five social development projects in the Western Cape. The focus groups were conducted with the aid of open-ended question guides. The findings and responses of the focus group respondents were analysed and discussed in relation to findings described in the literature by various authors. It is believed that the findings of this research can be utilised as practical guidelines for instituting and running social development projects by social workers, as well as practitioners from other fields, to address the problems of poverty and underdevelopment in the country by paying special attention to the role of women in such projects.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie navorsing ondersoek die maatskaplike ontwikkeling benadering met die oog daarop om 'n begrip te kry van die toepaslikheid daarvan in 'n maatskaplike werkomgewing in die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks. Die toestand van onderontwikkeling in die land het tot gevolg dat die maatskaplike ontwikkelingsproses, wat 'n sterk multi-dissiplinêre benadering behels en positiewe gevolge van groei en bemagtiging beklemtoon, waarskynlik 'n wye veld van toepassingsgeleenthede bied. Ten einde duidelikheid en insig te kry oor die omvang van die veld en die beginsels wat ter sprake is, word die argumente wat die maatskaplike ontwikkeling benadering ondersteun teen die agtergrond van verskillende aspekte van Suid-Afrikaanse en internasionale toestande bespreek. Die doel van die navorsing is om die kennisveld van maatskaplike werk en organisasies wat te doen het met armoede en verwaarlosing te verbreed en die keuses van praktykmodelle uit te brei. Die navorsingsverslag sluit 'n ondersoek in van konsepte en elemente waarmee maatskaplike ontwikkeling geassosieer word, met die klem op die rol van vroue. Kennis en begrip van die toepassing van hierdie konsepte sal veldwerkers se horisonne verbreed en help met besluitneming oor gepaste diensleweringsmodelle wanneer met die probleme van Suid-Afrika en die gevolge van apartheid gekonfronteer word. Ontwikkeling in die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks word ondersoek met die klem op die hoof rolspelers in die veld, nl. die regering en die welsynsektor. Herhalende temas in internasionale ontwikkelingsprogramme as elemente van sukses is geïdentifiseer en word beskryf d.m.v. gevallestudies van internasionale goeie praktyke. Die toepaslikheid van baie van hierdie gevallestudies behoort as aanmoediging te dien vir inisiatiewe op plaaslike vlak. Vir die empiriese ondersoek, is gebruik gemaak van die kwalitatiewe metode om, d.m.v. fokusgroepe by vyf projekte in die Wes-Kaap, die effektiwiteit van die geïdentifiseerde elemente vir sukses te toets. Die fokusgroepe is gelei aan die hand van 'n oop vraelys. Die reaksies van die deelnemers aan die fokusgroep is verwerk en in die konteks van die literatuurstudie bespreek. Dit word aanvaar dat die bevindings van die navorsing deur maatskaplike werkers en ander dissiplines gebruik kan word as praktiese riglyne by die beplanning en loodsing van maatskaplike ontwikkeling projekte in die bekamping van armoede en onderontwikkeling, met spesiale aandag aan die rol van vroue.
45
Scott, Sydney R. "Defending the Social Good Theory of Punishment." Scholarship @ Claremont, 2016. http://scholarship.claremont.edu/pomona_theses/164.
Full textAbstract:
This paper attempts to justify punishment on the grounds that it is a benefit to the person being punished. I accept the basic premise of a previous theory of punishment, the Moral Good Theory (MGT), which states that we cannot harm anyone. Thus, punishment can only be justified if it is not a harm. The MGT claims that punishment is beneficial in that it provides a moral education to the offender. I I reject the idea that punishment is morally educational and instead propose a new theory which revises and strengthens the MGT, accounting for its flaws. This new theory, the Social Good Theory, argues instead that punishment is beneficial because it allows a criminal to be reintegrated into society.
46
Gardner, Andy. "Developments in the theory of social evolution." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/14887.
Full textAbstract:
The study of social evolution is concerned with fitness consequences of interactions between individuals. It has proven to be an excellent area for relating theoretical predictions to empirical observations. I develop social evolution theory in several ways. (1) I demonstrate that limited male fecundity and small mating groups can select for extreme fertility insurance, curbing female biased sex allocation under local mate competition, which explains puzzling sex ratios in protozoan blood parasites. (2) I examine the underlying causes of an observed statistical invariant in the relative size at sex change in animals, revealing that it does not imply as much conservation of biology across taxa as previously imagined. (3) I extend recent theory regarding how local competition impedes the evolution of altruism to show that it also promotes the evolution of spite. This allows me to re-interpret several behaviours in terms of spitefulness, and predict where spite will occur in nature. (4) I apply spite theory to the evolution of chemical (bacteriocin) warfare in bacteria, and derive novel predictions for the evolution of virulence caused by bacterial parasites. (5) I formalize a verbal model for the evolution of costly punishment as a mechanism of promoting cooperation, revealing a logical flaw and the true source of its (potential) selective benefit. (6) I develop a multi-locus methodology for arbitrary social interactions, and apply this to a dynamically-sufficient co-evolutionary analysis of cooperation and costly punishment, revealing when punishment is favoured by selection. (7) I apply this methodology to the evolution of mutation robustness for a simple two locus model with recombination and inbreeding.
47
Gyamerah, Jacquelyn. "Adolescent cigarette smoking and social learning theory /." The Ohio State University, 1995. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1487929745335807.
Full text
48
Fincher, Jennie. "Decentering and the Theory of Social Development." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2012. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc149590/.
Full textAbstract:
The concept of decentering originated with Piaget, who defined decentering as a feature of operational thought, the ability to conceptualize multiple perspectives simultaneously. Feffer applied Piaget’s concept of decentering to the cognitive maturity of social content. This study used Feffer’s Interpersonal Decentering scoring system for stories told about TAT pictures to investigate the developmental hierarchy of decentering for children and adolescents. The participants originated from the Berkeley Guidance Study, a longitudinal sample of more than 200 individuals followed for more than 60 years by the Institute of Human Development at the University of California, Berkeley. The hypotheses tested were: (1) chronological age will be positively related to Decentering as reflected in Feffer’s Interpersonal Decentering scores obtained annually between ages 10 and 13 and at 18; (2) children born into higher class homes would have higher Age 12 Decentering scores; (3) children born later in birth order will have higher Age 12 Decentering scores; (4) children whose parents were observed to have closer bonds with their children at age 21 months will have higher Age 12 Decentering scores; (5) adolescents with higher scores from the Decentering Q-sort Scale (derived from adolescent Q-sorts) will have higher Age 12 Decentering scores; and (6) participants who have higher Age 12 Decentering scores will self-report higher CPI Empathy scale scores at Age 30. A repeated measures ANOVA tested Hypothesis 1. Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients tested Hypotheses 2-6. Age and Decentering scores were unrelated, as was birth order; social class findings were mixed. Parents’ bonds with child and Age 12 Decentering were negatively correlated (closer bonds predicted higher Decentering), as were Age 12 Decentering and Age 30 Empathy (higher early Decentering predicted lower adulthood Empathy). Girls (age 12) tended to decenter more consistently and had higher Decentering scores than boys.
49
Poggi, Ambra. "Social Exclusion in Spain: Measurement Theory and Application." Doctoral thesis, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/10803/4002.
Full textAbstract:
A pesar de la importancia de la exclusión social, no existe consenso sobre como se debe definir este fenómeno, ni de cómo debe medirse. El objetivo de esta tesis es afrontar estos problemas, definiendo una medida adecuada de exclusión social, para analizar posteriormente su dinámica. He desarrollado un enfoque de medición, de acuerdo con la definición operativa de exclusión social (considerando también estudios anteriores), para establecer si la exclusión social es un fenómeno parcialmente transitorio, así como para analizar las eventuales trayectorias de dependencia que la exclusión puede generar. Mi análisis es un nuevo enfoque para estudiar la exclusión social, y ofrece nueva evidencia empírica sobre la dinámica de la exclusión social en España desde el 1994 hasta el 2000 (usando los datos del panel europeo).He definido exclusión social como el proceso multi-dimensional que lleva a un estado individual de exclusión respecto al resto de la sociedad donde el individuo vive. La exclusión social en un instante del tiempo se define como la imposibilidad de conseguir algunos importantes "functionings". La elección de una medida adecuada de exclusión social no es nada fácil. Propongo usar un caso especial de la generalization multidimensional del índice de Foster-Green-Thorbecke. La motivación principal es que este índice tiene buenas propiedades axiomáticas (Bourguignon and Chakravarty, 2003) y es capaz de operazionalizar el enfoque de la capacidad de Sen. Remarcar que este índice es también adecuado para capturar la multidimensionalidad de la exclusión social y da una idea sobre la intensidad de la exclusión.
He estudiado en profundidad la movilidad de la exclusión social siguiendo un enfoque relativo y utilizando las matrices de transición (análisis "two-stages"). Los principales motivos para usar las matrices de transición son los siguientes: primero, el análisis "two-stages" nos da una imagen sencilla de los movimientos de los individuos entre las clases especificas de exclusión social y, segundo, este análisis es robusto frente a la contaminación de los datos. Este tipo de análisis muestra que la exclusión social fue parcialmente un fenómeno transitorio.
Me he centrado también en las causas del proceso de exclusión social, y encontré que un individuo que experimenta exclusión hoy, tiene mayor probabilidad de experimentar exclusión mañana, debido a la heterogeneidad observable y no-observable entre individuos, así como a la existencia de un verdadero estado de dependencia. El análisis ha consistido en estimar un modelo no-lineal de datos de panel. He utilizado un enfoque "random effects", y he elegido la solución propuesta en Wooldridge (2002) para solucionar el problema de las condiciones iniciales. Este enfoque muestra la importancia de la existencia de un verdadero estado de dependencia, así como de heterogeneidad entre individuos tanto observable como no-observable.
Despite its importance, there is remarkably little consensus among scientists on the definition of "social exclusion" and, therefore, on the best way to measure it. My aim in this thesis has been to address key problems regarding how to identify an adequate measure of social exclusion and how to analyse social exclusion dynamics. I then proceeded to develop an approach to measurement which was in accord with the working definition of social exclusion (considering also the previous literature), and I used it to establish if social exclusion was partially transitory, and to study eventual dependence paths that exclusion might generate. Note that my analysis proposes new approaches to study social exclusion and offers fresh empirical evidence on social exclusion dynamics in Spain from 1994 to 2000 (using ECHP data).
I define social exclusion as a multidimensional dynamic process leading to a state of individual exclusion relative to the rest of the society where the individual lives in. Social exclusion at a point in time is defined as the impossibility to achieve some relevant functionings. The choice of an index able to adequately measure exclusion is not easy. I have proposed to use a special case of the multidimensional generalization of the Foster-Green-Thorbecke index. The main reason has been that this index fulfils a set of axiomatic properties (Bourguignon and Chakravarty, 2003) and it is able to operazionalize Sen's capability approach. Note that this index is also adequate to capture the multidimensionality of social exclusion and gives us information about the intensity of exclusion.
I have performed a detailed analysis of social exclusion mobility following the relative approach and using transition matrices (two-stage analysis). The main advantages of using transition matrices are the following: first, two-stage analysis provides a simple picture of the "movement" of the individuals among the specific social exclusion classes and, second, it is shown to be robust to data contamination. This kind of analysis have shown that social exclusion was partially a transitory phenomenon.
I have also focused on the causes leading to social exclusion process. I did find that an individual experiencing exclusion today was more likely to experience exclusion tomorrow due to both observed and unobserved individual heterogeneity and true state of dependence. The analysis has been done estimating a dynamic non-linear panel data model. I have used the random effects approach, and I have applied the solution proposed by Wooldridge (2002) to solve the initial condition problems. This approach have shown evidence of the importance of both true state dependence and observed/unobserved heterogeneity.
50
Ricks, Phillip. "A theory of resistance." Diss., University of Iowa, 2017. https://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/5985.
Full textAbstract:
The dissertation attempts to answer the question of how to theorize resistance from within the philosophy of social science. To answer this question we must consider more than just the philosophy of social science; we also must look to political and moral philosophy. Resistance to the social norms of one’s community is possible to theorize from within the philosophy of social science once we develop a sufficiently nuanced account of social and moral communities (which involves identifying political and moral elements in community formation, reformation, and transformation), according to which membership in a community is not defined by sharing judgments, conceptual frameworks, or comprehensive worldviews, but by sharing terms of discourse so that discussion about judgments, conceptual frameworks, and comprehensive worldviews is possible. Understanding the structure of one’s moral community is not the same as to endorsing that structure. This suggests that contestation is already present within communities about what ‘we’ do, up to and including who ‘we’—as a ‘community’—are. Challenging communitarian understandings of what makes a community a community (usually construed as ‘cultures’, understood somewhat monolithically), I argue that communities are best understood as forming around common concerns or perceptions of problems (sometimes veridical, sometimes not). This contestation plays a major role in determining the identities of communities, and these identities are constantly shifting.