[Critical-Realism] Holism, Social structure Etc.

[BD_wanika <bwanika@xxxxxxxxx>]

  Critical realism re: holism, social structures, individual particulars, spatial locations etc. Human beings, in their societies, like atoms, have magnetic like fields. If we agree to a fact that social practices are necessity driven, then "taboos" or law like regulations is an avoidable inevitability and worthy looking at. Are taboos position specific? Yes, since there're things (abominable) in this world one can't do in public or in presence children, mum, dad!  
   
  Taboos, are operational universally, though latent and always emergent. Of course, some manifest differently, in diverse locations and societies. 
   
  Brian Ellis: Scientific essentialism pg. 76-79, has taught us about essential properties; dispositions, potentials and properties (what are they). Natural kinds have these characteristics everywhere. 
   
  Emergent societies point us to emergent properties and positioned structures. Indeed societies do exist in their effects. What are these effects? Symbolic interactionists (I'll come to this later) as opposed to structurists, have a vague interpretation of the above development. 
   
  Moral dilemma to Pain and dialectics
   
  If social structures do not exist, then may be, a Hegelian materialism and history is possible. But such a materialist world, is encumbered with a Darwinian world, the big bang and Fukunyama's end of history. Social structures, at least, must be inefficient to act as necessity driven social practices. 
   
  How moral dilemma and pain for example, which are universal, are some of necessities the emergent properties. Narcotic extreme use and embedded crime structures they generate, skyrocketing in industrial societies are good examples. Comparatively, societies ravaged with misery and poverty i.e. in Africa, some forms of pain, can dialectically be eased or metaphysically redirected into progressive social practices, rather destructive behaviours. 
   
  Sociologist like Merton, have termed these social futures as "anomie". Should change in world fossil fuel demand, causing enormous suffering in the Middle East be described as US and English society anomie? See Merton R.K: Social structures and Anomie, in S. H. Traub and C. B. Little, eds, Theories of Deviance, 4th ed., 114 -148. Boston, MA: North-eastern University Press.
   
  CR in the eyes of Garfinkel H. (1967) Ethnomethodology & his symbolic interaction.
   
  If it's asserted, there are no social structures whether emergent, latent or otherwise, it justifies Garfinkle's symbolic interactionism. Which to me is well grounded into a claim that whatever society does, is done because of society's social psychology and beside that there is totally nothing else! 
   
  There is a difference between eating another ice cream (psychological action) and allowing a seat for an old lady on a city bus (purposive and agentive action)! The two are not driven by the same learned structures.
   
  I think, the world today, is more emotionally aligned (industrial habits) as if persons and societies in it, have no argue to "purposive and agentive" actions. Why should society assume youth criminality, is a matter of social incompetence or neurological impairment?
   
  Parents world over are called by similar names. Children so often learn to say mum and dad first. Critical and realistically so, it is a first set-up, to society and social relationships, based on positioning individual particulars.
   
  Locations, Bhaskar writes that space has fivefold characteristic;
   
  a. A referential grid in locating existence and non-existence (absences, de-onts).
  b. A measure or matrix for locating, dating of events, potentials, fields, etc.
  c. A prima facie exclusion of relations in relation to history and geography
  d. Emergent property -related to an existing or emergent system of materiality.
  e. Process or rhythmic mapping.
   
  History, geography is position specific. Derek Lyder and Anthony Giddens have discussed the same extensively. 
   
  Garfinkel's thought that people are basically involved in "symbolic interaction" is off the mark. Tobin can throw more light on this argument. Theatre, I will presume is purposive, as a medium to acquisition of knowledge. Entertainment is part and pulse of human well being.
   
  TMSA, as a Bhaskarian social continuity time line, I suppose, should NOT be understood, as being merely symbolic but rather a necessary precondition or bluntly, a pre-determinant to social and society survival. 
   
  As of the above, I part ways with sociologists who are proponents of "symbolic interaction". Structurist too, should abandon their radical stance. Greek history was full of all sorts of things that today can be understood as funny systems and schemes. Which brings me to Tom again.
   
  Tom's elucidation that "good" music is a causal necessity via aphrodisiac and psychotic substance is interesting and fantastic. Well Marx Opium and Greek mysticism never prevent art, science etceteras to flourish. Once again, debunking a claim that society is not positioned. Everything re: holism has its place and time. 
   
  A reflection on platonic mysticism that argues, ideas are more real than contingent sensations, and are one and the same things saw a fallacy becoming truths. Empirical data, of wealthy and self-destructive behaviours among musicians, will of course lay the claim bare. Will a popular folk musician on the Arabia peninsular or one in an African village, need to go through the same experiences a rock or pop star? Commodification!
   
  On that basis, social relationships i.e. children parent, husband wife relationships, is intrinsically and ontologically based on TABOOS. Taboos are interesting; they are explicit in defining material transaction and exchange. Language inclusive, taboos take place in many specific and well-defined ways. TABOOS are geo-spatially located and present, as enablements and constraints. It is exactly taboos that contributes to living well in Plato etcetera. 
   
  Common folklore refers to it as discipline. Dave can throw light on the etymology of the word Taboo and discipline. Taboos do help society to locate practical and cognitive ills, as Bhaskar will say by, "controlling a criterion of non-spontaneous production of knowledge viz. the production of knowledge from and by means of knowledge in the transitive dimension.(debate about education in the us)
   
  There is something more Bhaskar points out, how space does reproduce a multiple disembedding components viz. the reproduction of society;
   
  (a) time from space 
  (b) space from place 
  (c) space from time
  (d) time from tense(present , past etc)
   
  Industrial societies, fail in the entire above endeavours, for they tend to demystify, every human aspect without consideration of; time, space, tense and place. Everything is one and the same, the market, pornography in sitting rooms and TV screens etceteras.
   
  Human beings are configured socially and biologically to a given schematic order for society to function. Bright children just don't get to universities, do they? 
   
  The above, likened to Haword's cell or molecular manifestations, arguments a supposition that a nucleus, protons and electrons existence, are not a matter of natural design but rather vital natural necessity. If TV becomes the wise old man or woman, your guess is good as mine.
   
  All the same, I might be wrong.
   
  The debate is quite healthy and the community (dream team) as usual is doing the needful. Dave what did I say? Without them, communities are incapacitated. Do you agree?  
   
   
  Bwanika.
   
   
   
   
   

       
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