Reading Jeffrey C. Alexander, Part II: The theoretical core (and its tensions)
Abstract
In ‘Part II’ of this two-part article, we provide a general schematic with which to introduce the Alexanderian vision of sociology. This vision comprises the following five commitments: (a) a commitment to structural voluntarism and the moral dimension of human action; (b) a commitment to multidimensionality; (c) a commitment to the centrality of meaning in social life, and thus to culture's autonomy; (d) a commitment to a postpositivist conception of social science; and (e) a commitment to democracy as a utopian ideal. In addition to elaborating this vision, we also explore its theoretical tensions and strains, and the way these serve as a fecund source of generative thought and theoretical development − giving rise to new problems, as well as new attempts at resolution.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Contemporary Sociological Theory and Practice
Critical Realism in Sociology
Critical Theory and Philosophy
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Thesis Eleven
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Volume
- 196
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 34-60
- Publication date
- 13 July 2026
- Language
- EN