The most influential books in Australian sociology (MIBAS), 1963-2003

To mark the 40th anniversary of the Australian Sociological Association (TASA), a survey on the Most Influential Books in Australian Sociology (MIBAS) was conducted. In this article we discuss the MIBAS process, its findings, and provide some reflections on the top 10 most influential books. We also situate the MIBAS survey among other attempts to compile lists of the most influential books in the discipline of sociology, and discuss the benefits and limits of such endeavours. We argue that the MIBAS exercise was useful not only as a commemorative device, but as an opportunity to reflect on the breadth and influence of Australian sociological scholarship.

'Please Mr Hay, what are my poss(abilities)?': Legitimation of ability through physical education practices

This paper provides two vignettes that draw on data from projects that interrogate how a student can be positioned by practices within physical education (PE) and directed by the PE teacher in relation to their valued or legitimated ability. Through the use of Pierre Bourdieu's conceptual tools of field, habitus and capital we investigate the complex legitimation processes that shape student poss(abilities) and that are situated in the space of the PE class. The first vignette is from the perspective of a student and draws on data from interviews, a journal, questionnaires and photos of her PE experiences in upper primary and lower secondary school. The second vignette focuses on teacher practices and his constitution of the field of a PE class highlighting the significance of teacher perspectives of 'ability' in informing assessment in senior secondary PE. Using these examples we discuss the symbolic violence that works against each student by positioning them as 'less able' or 'unable' despite their participation in a learning context. We argue that by not attending to the possible abilities of students that could have been recognized, developed and legitimated, and through the misuse of capital assignment by teachers, PE may well be counterproductive to students' ongoing engagement with the subject area and the espoused potential upon which such a subject area justifies itself.

Reflections on the centrality of power in medical sociology: an empirical test and theoretical elaboration

This paper explores the contemporary relevance of sociological theorisations centred on medical power, including the medical dominance and deprofessionalisation theses. To achieve this it examines two issues that have been tentatively linked to the relative decline of the power and autonomy of biomedicine - complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and the Internet-informed patient. Drawing on these two different but interconnected social phenomena, this paper reflects on the potential limitations of power-based theorisations of the medical profession and its relationship to patients and other non-biomedically situated professional groups. It is argued that power-based conceptual schemas may not adequately reflect the non-linear and complex strategic adaptations that are occurring among professional groups.

O ECLIPSE DO CRISTIANISMO PROFÉTICO A UTOPIA CRISTÃ DE DOM HELDER CAMARA À LUZ DA SOCIOLOGIA DE HENRI DESROCHE

Este estudo tem a intenção de apresentar o cristianismo profético que caracterizou parte do catolicismo brasileiro nas décadas de 1950 a 1970 e que nas décadas seguintes sofreu a ofensiva dos poderes governamentais, ditatoriais e eclesiásticos que ocasionaram seu eclipse no cenário religioso e social do país. Uma pesquisa bibliográfica sobre a situação histórica e social e sobre os referenciais teóricos da sociologia da esperança de Henri Desroche e dos tipos ideais (profeta, sacerdote e mago) de Max Weber, cujo antagonismo foi aprofundado por Pierre Bourdieu, orientou a análise deste processo de ocultamento. A hipótese central é a de que o Eclipse do Cristianismo Profético segue a dinâmica dos movimentos marginais e utópicos que pululam na história da humanidade e que foram elencados e analisados pela sociologia da religião de Henri Desroche, especialmente na parte dedicada aos homens da espera. O estudo de caso sobre o itinerário eclesial e humanitário de dom Helder Camara iluminará, de modo existencial, o percurso do eclipse deste cristianismo social.

OS SENTIDOS DO FUTEBOL ESPETÁCULO PARA ESTUDANTES DE DISTINTAS CLASSES SOCIAIS

O presente estudo busca identificar em que medida o pertencimento de classe social interfere nos sentidos e perspectivas do jovem brasileiro frente ao futebol espetáculo, bem como compreender os mecanismos sociais que determinam a decisão de os sujeitos investirem na carreira profissional esportiva em detrimento da trajetória escolar longa. Começamos com uma abordagem sociológica, a análise crítica dos processos de difusão, massificação e profissionalização do futebol ocorridas no contexto da sociedade pós-industrial. Enfocamos a conflituosa mutação da modalidade, inicialmente elitizada com fins social-distintivos para esporte de massa ideal de ascensão social da classe popular , além da dependência com a mídia, das razões que levaram a caracterizar-se como produto da indústria cultural, culminando com a transformação do futebol em mercadoria submetida às leis e lógica da sociedade de consumo. Em seguida, entrelaçamos as relações de poder, aliança e concorrência dos agentes sociais que participam do complexo campo das práticas esportivas com os canais com que o público jovem estabelece contato com o esporte espetáculo. Neste aspecto, especial atenção foi dada à mídia, difusora da ideologia de uma sociedade capitalista aberta, que reforça a idéia do esporte como via de ascensão social para indivíduos de baixa renda, na mesma medida em que oculta em seu discurso as reais probabilidades de concretização do sucesso esportivo. A pesquisa de campo foi realizada em duas escolas do município de São Bernardo do Campo (SP), uma da rede pública estadual e outra da rede particular de ensino. Assim, constituímos dois grupos com alunos de distintas classes sociais, compostos por estudantes do 1º ano do Ensino Médio, sexo masculino, com 15 anos de idade e praticantes de futebol nas aulas de Educação Física. Metodologicamente, fizemos uso da observação participante e de entrevistas como instrumentos para a coleta de dados. Conjugadas aos objetivos do estudo, estruturamos a análise do material colhido em seis categorias, articulando questões sobre o prosseguimento nos estudos e o trabalho, as tendências para a pratica esportiva profissional, as representações sociais em torno do futebol, os usos e costumes no tempo livre e as expectativas da pratica esportiva implicadas pela herança cultural familiar. Como referencial teórico de análise, utilizamos de Pierre Bourdieu os conceitos de campo, habitus, estratégia, capital econômico, social e, principalmente, capital cultural, partindo da hipótese de que o nível cultural dos alunos e seus familiares interferem nos sentidos e formas de apropriação do esporte. Entre outras conclusões, obtivemos como resultado a configuração de uma trajetória esportiva profissional voltada para os alunos de baixa classe social, em oposição à trajetória escolar longa, estrategicamente adotada pelos alunos de classe social alta.(AU)

Canadian province-building : the state as educator and entrepreneur in Alberta

This study provides an account and analysis of the development of systems of educational provision In capitalist democracies, especially in connection with the social origin and relative autonony of those systems. Using the case study of Athabasca University, a Canadian distance-education institution in the province of Alberta, the study is a critical work of historical sociology, in which the shifting social role of a system of educational provision during two transitions of a regional political economy is analyzed. Comparative observations are made in reference to other systems of educational provision and organizations, in particular the training department of a large Company based In the same region as the Unversity. The study explores the social origin and relative autonomy of systems of educational provision In relation to educational ideologies, which are themselves associated with social ideologies. Pierre Bourdieu's theoretical construction of "fields of power'' allows for a consideration of power as a relational phenomenon in the study. In other words, power is understood as being exercised in a way that simultaneously takes account of the power of other actors and groups. Fields of power also allow for an analysis of power as it is exercised at various levels of organizations and within society. The study is organized in two phases. First, an account is developed of the historical period in which the Unlversity and the Company were created, but especially the period of establishment for the Unlversity, 1970 - 75. Conclusions are offered concerning the causal associations between the historical antecedents that gave rise to the two organlzations. It is argued that both the University and the Company were established In part to enact the AIberta government's efforts to enhance Its powers within the Canadian federation (a process called province-building), The second phase is concerned with a more recent period of three years, 1993 - 95. By this time, province-building was not as significant a concern for policy-makers, and the organizational responses of the University and the Company reflected this shift. A divergence of practice is observed at the University and the Company, with actors at the Company encouraging the development of collectivist values for employees, while at the University no such overt strategy was followed, The study concludes that a consumerist model of education developed by the University in 1970 - 75 and expanded In 1993 - 95 contributed significantly to the institution's social origin and relative autonomy. The model was used as an Ideology in the earlier period and as a strategy In the later one, serving to forestall the institution's closure during both periods of crisis, though Ieading to ambiguous social outcomes. A consumerist model may on the one hand be progressive in that expanded access to educational opportunities is made possible. On the other hand, the consumerist model will tend increasingly to provide educational services to those social segments that already have access to educational opportunities.