-----Original Message-----
From: Edwin Schmitt
For those interested, SRC has been posting some blogs regarding a class on
the classics and their importance for complex-adaptive systems. Looking
forward to the rest (Max Weber next week), many thanks to the bloggers!
Why bother with Durkheim? Using (classical) social science to understand the
social dynamics of social-ecological systems
http://rs.resalliance.org/2014/01/31/why-bother-with-durkheim-using-classica
l-social-science-to-understand-the-social-dynamics-of-social-ecological-syst
ems/
Classics of Social Science 1: Karl Marx the first ecological sociologist?
http://rs.resalliance.org/2014/02/12/classics-of-social-science-1-karl-marx-
the-first-ecological-sociologist/
Classics of Social Science 2: Emile Durkheim
http://rs.resalliance.org/2014/02/25/classics-of-social-science-2-emile-durk
heim/
One critical point with regard to Marx. Simon points out that some of the
language in Capital Vol. 3 could come straight out of the Brundtland
Report...but then says:
"Of course, the authors might have struggled getting such policy traction
with a document explicitly quoting Marx!"
One of the key critiques leveled at a resilience framework has been its
inability to integrate issues of ideology. I would argue that an important
discussion to have in this class would be why wouldn't we get policy
traction with a document explicitly quoting Marx...and how do we change that
fact!
I say this mainly in jest, but is it required to place a diagram outlining
panarchy in a certain percentage of Resilience Alliance publications...it is
gaining a kind of mythological symbolism, no? ;-p When you live in a
communist country for the better part of a decade you come to realize that
anything can become mythological...even Marx...and you learn to poke fun at
it from time to time as well.
Best,
Eddie
Department of Anthropology
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
|