Structure and Social Action


Book Description

The book shows the falsity of the opposition between action and structure by setting out a sophisticated view of social structure at two levels. The figurational structures of interaction orders, mapped through methods of social network analysis, can be seen as partitioned by underlying formational structures such as class and gender.




Actions and Goals


Book Description

How is A Game of Thrones the same story as The Lego Movie? How is the mind-bending plot of Inception identical to the terse narrative of Gravity? In what way is Clarice Starling's struggle to silence the lambs indistinguishable from Harry Potter's pursuit of the philosopher's stone? Despite the striking difference in these stories, they share a less conspicuous similarity: they're all structured on a universal pattern of actions undertaken by their characters.This sequence of six Actions and Goals is the hidden foundation of modern story structure. By aligning the unique actions your characters takes with these universal story actions, you can create propulsive narratives that grab your audience by the lapels and punch them in the face (figuratively, of course). Whether you're writing for television or plotting a novel, penning your first screenplay or coming off your most recent bestseller, this groundbreaking storytelling technique is guaranteed to change your perception of story.Actions and Goals will teach you: How to use the actions of your character to structure your story.Why your character's goal should change as the story progresses.The five turning points and the decision your character must make at each one.How a conflict of ideals creates the opposition your character faces.How your character's attempt to fulfill a new role propels him through the narrative. Successful storytellers understand the importance of structure. Actions and Goals gives you beat by beat examples of this structural secret at work in over a dozen critically acclaimed novels and films. From The Hunger Games to The Empire Strikes Back, from Titanic to Iron Man, you will learn the simple, effective structure at the heart of them all.




Toward a Structural Theory of Action


Book Description

Toward a Structural Theory of Action: Network Models of Social Structure, Perception, and Action centers on the concept of social structure, perceptions, and actions, as well as the strategies through which these concepts guide empirical research. This book also proposes a model of status/role-sets as patterns of relationships defining positions in the social topology. This text consists of nine chapters separated into three parts. Chapter 1 introduces the goals and organization of the book. Chapters 2-4 provide analytical synopsis of available network models of social differentiation, and then use these models in describing actual stratification. Chapter 5 presents a model in which actor interests are captured. Subsequent chapter assesses the empirical adequacy of the two predictions described in this book. Then, other chapters provide a network model of constraint and its empirical adequacy. This book will be valuable to anthropologists, economists, political scientists, and psychologists.




Networks and Organizations


Book Description

Networks & Organizations debunks the myth that we are in the midst of an unprecedented era of change & refocuses attention on the timeless problem of management--mobilizing individual & collective action. The authors take a fresh look at what actually happens in organizations & reveal how rhetoric & the search for identity--not structure, systems, & strategies that characterize the design perspective of organizations--are the real motivators of action in organizations. They then offer an alternative view in which robust action (not equilibrium), fit, & alignment should serve as a positive guide for managerial action.




Structure and Social Action


Book Description

The book shows the falsity of the opposition between action and structure by setting out a sophisticated view of social structure at two levels. The figurational structures of interaction orders, mapped through methods of social network analysis, can be seen as partitioned by underlying formational structures such as class and gender.




Social Capital


Book Description

1. Theories of Capital: The Historical Foundation. 3. 2. Social Capital: Capital Captured through Social Relations. 19. 3. Resources, Hierarchy, Networks, and Homophily: The Structural Foundation. 29. 4. Resources, Motivations, and Interactions: The Action Foundation. 41. 5. The Theory and Theoretical Propositions. 55. 6. Social Capital and Status Attainment: A Research Tradition. 78. 7. Inequality in Social Capital: A Research Agenda. 99. 8. Social Capital and the Emergence of Social Structure: A Theory of Rational Choice. 127. 9. Reputation and Social Capital: The Rational Basis for Social Exchange. 143. 10. Social Capital in Hierarchical Structures. 165. 11. Institutions, Networks, and Capital Building: Societal Transformations. 184. 12. Cybernetworks and the Global Village: The Rise of Social Capital. 210. 13. The Future of the Theory. 243. . References. 251. . Index. 267.




Time in Action


Book Description

This book explores the role of time in rational agency and practical reasoning. Agents are finite and often operate under severe time constraints. Action takes time and unfolds in time. While time is an ineliminable constituent of our experience of agency, it is both a theoretical and a practical problem to explain whether and how time shapes rational agency and practical thought. The essays in this book are divided into three parts. Part I is devoted to the temporal structure of action and agency, from metaphysical and metaethical perspectives. Part II features essays about the temporal structure of rational deliberation, from the perspective of action theory and theories of practical reasoning. Part III includes essays about the temporal aspects of failures of rationality. Taken together, the essays in this book shed new light on our understanding of the temporality of agency that coheres with our subjective sense of finitude and explains rational agency both in time and over time. Time in Action will be of interest to advanced students and researchers working on the philosophy of time, metaphysics of action, action theory, practical reasoning, ethical theory, moral psychology, and rational justification.




Social Structure & Person


Book Description

A Collection of essays which studies the theoretical problem of relationships between social structure and personality, and how these different relationships merit distinct treatment for particular purposes. Parsons concludes that in the larger picture, their interdependencies are so intimate that bringing them together in an interpretive synthesis is imperative if a balanced understanding of the complex as a whole is to be attained.




Central Problems in Social Theory


Book Description

"One of the most creative among the younger generation of critical social theorists, Giddens stands alone in his concern for the classical tradition on sociology; but he also makes brilliant use of the latest philosophical and theoretical work of several contemporary schools and disciplines. A very important book for all of social science."—Jeffrey C. Alexander




The Art and Science of Technical Analysis


Book Description

A breakthrough trading book that provides powerful insights on profitable technical patterns and strategies The Art and Science of Technical Analysis is a groundbreaking work that bridges the gaps between the academic view of markets, technical analysis, and profitable trading. The book explores why randomness prevails in markets most, but not all, of the time and how technical analysis can be used to capture statistically validated patterns in certain types of market conditions. The belief of the book is that buying and selling pressure causes patterns in prices, but that these technical patterns are only effective in the presence of true buying/selling imbalance. The Art and Science of Technical Analysis is supported by extensive statistical analysis of the markets, which will debunk some tools and patterns such as Fibonacci analysis, and endorse other tools and trade setups. In addition, this reliable resource discusses trader psychology and trader learning curves based on the author's extensive experience as a trader and trainer of traders. Offers serious traders a way to think about market problems, understand their own performance, and help find a more productive path forward Includes extensive research to validate specific money-making patterns and strategies Written by an experienced market practitioner who has trained and worked with many top traders Filled with in-depth insights and practical advice, The Art and Science of Technical Analysis will give you a realistic sense of how markets behave, when and how technical analysis works, and what it really takes to trade successfully.