Strategy,Rationality and Inference: The Possibility of Symbolic Performances

Abstract

Crow's recent article concerning strategy assimilates the concept almost entirely to the more or less rational (Crow 1989). Beginning with an example of a strategy taken from Weber, an argument is advanced suggesting that this suppresses important forms of `inference' that may be typical elements in the production of strategies. Specifically, these concern symbolic or figurative relations that can be held to obtain between a strategy and the ends to which it is addressed. Two further examples are discussed which suggest that this form of symbolic relation may be present in widely divergent situations in which the concept of strategy can be utilised. It is argued that an analysis based on this principle would enhance the development of sociological understanding and critique.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Beetham, D. 1983. Marxists in Face of Fascism. Manchester: Manchester University Press.

Crow, G. 1989. `The Use of the Concept of “Strategy” in Recent Sociological Literature', in Sociology 23.1.

Foucault, M. 1977. Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison. London: Allen Lane.

Freud, S. 1957a. `Five Lectures in Psycho-analysis (First Lecture)' in The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud. Volume XI (1910). London: The Hogarth Press.

Freud, S. 1957b. `Fragment of an Analysis of a Case of Hysteria' in The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud. Volume VII (1905). London: The Hogarth Press.

Freud, S. 1957c. `The Psychopathology of Everyday Life' in The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud. Volume VI (1901). London: The Hogarth Press.

Giddens, A. 1984. The Constitution of Society: Outline of the Theory of Structuration. Cambridge: Polity Press.

Kitchen, M. 1976. Fascism. Basingstoke: Macmillan.

Miller, D. 1984. Anarchism. London: J.M. Dent and Sons.

10.

Morgan, D.H.J. 1989. `Strategies and Sociologists: A Comment on Crow', in Sociology 23:1.

11.

Newby, H. , Rose, D. , Saunders, P. and Bell, C. 1981. `Farming for Survival: The Small Farmer in Contemporary Rural Class Structure', in Bechhofer, F. and Elliot, B. (eds.) The Petite Bourgeoisie, pp. 38-70. Basingstoke: Macmillan.

12.

Poulantzas, N. 1979. Fascism and Dictatorship: The Third International and the Problem of Fascism. London: Verso.

13.

Scribner, S. 1977. `Modes of Thinking and Ways of Speaking: Culture and Logic Reconsidered', in Johnson-Laird P.N. and Wason P.C. (eds.) Thinking: Readings in Cognitive Science. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

14.

Szasz, T.S. 1961. The Myth of Mental Illness: Foundations of a Theory of Personal Conduct. New York: Hoeber-Harper.

15.

Weber, M. 1949. Shils, E.A. and Finch, H.A. (eds.) The Methodology of the Social Sciences. New York: The Free Press.

16.

Willis, R.G. 1977. `Pollution and Paradigms' in Landy, D. (ed.) Culture, Disease, and Healing: Studies in Medical Anthropology. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc.