Thinking about Society

I: Problems and Theories in the Social Sciences.- I.1. Objectivism Versus Relativism.- 1 / The Notion of a Social Science.- I. Haunted by Natural Science.- II. The Demarcation between Natural and Social.- III. Responses in Detail.- IV. Conclusion.- 2 / Social Perception and Social Change.- 3 / Realism and the Supposed Poverty of Sociological Theories.- 4 / Rationality and Relativism.- 5 / Popper on the Difference between the Natural and the Social Sciences.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Natural versus Social Sciences.- 3. The Argument from Meaningfulness.- 4. The Argument from Interests.- 5. The Argument from Reflexivity.- 6. The Problem of Popper's Reception.- 7. Conclusion.- I.2. Philosophy of Anthropology.- 6 / The Emergence of Social Anthropology from Philosophy.- 7 / On Theories of Fieldwork and the Scientific Character of Social Anthropology.- 8 / Limits to Functionalism and Alternatives to It in Anthropology.- Preliminaries.- Logical and Methodological Limits.- Substantive Limitations.- The Appeal of Functionalism.- Alternatives to Functionalism.- 9 / On the Objectivity of Anthropology.- 10 / The Problem of Ethical Integrity in Participant Observation.- 1. Introduction.- 2. The Ideal of Participant Observation.- 3. Ethical Conflict in Participant Observation.- 4. The Ideal versus the Practice.- 11 / Anthropology as Science and the Anthropology of Science and of Anthropology.- 1. Introductory.- 2. Anthropology as Science.- 3. Douglas on Frazer.- 4. Geertz's Anti Anti-Relativism.- 5. Hanson's Reformulation and Defence of Relativism.- 12 / Epistle to the Anthropologists.- The Crisis.- Philosophical Diagnosis.- Criticism not Revolution.- 13 / On the Limits of Symbolic Interpretation in Anthropology.- 14 / The Problem of the Ethnographic Real.- 15 / Anthropologists and the Irrational.- 1. Repulsion.- 2. Attraction.- 3. Neither Repulsion Nor Attraction.- 4. Lessons.- 16 / Freeman on Mead.- II: Applications and Implications.- II.1 Society and the Arts.- 17 / The Objectivity of Criticism of the Arts.- 1. The Failure of Rational Argument.- 2. The Subjectivist Explanation.- 3. Response versus Evaluation.- 4. Diversity and Disagreement.- 5. Degrees of Diversity.- 6. Locating Objectivity.- 7. The Objectivity of Institutions.- 8. Conclusion.- 18 / The Rationality of Creativity.- I. What is the Problem?.- II. A Logical or a Psychological Issue?.- III. Creativity a World 3 Event.- IV. To explain Away.- V. Self-reference.- VI. Trial and Error.- II.2. Society and Technology.- 19 / Technology and the Structure of Knowledge.- 20 / The Social Character of Technological Problems.- 21 / Is Technology Unnatural?.- A Coming Philosophy.- The Noble Savage?.- Adjusting to Environment.- 22 / Utopia and the Architect.- II.3. Society and social control.- 23 / Nationalism and the Social Sciences.- A Series of Arguments to the Same Point.- The Sociology of Relativism.- Enlightenment Today.- Concluding Observations.- 24 / Explorations in the Social Career of Movies: Business and Religion.- Phase One (1895-1916).- Phase Two (1917-1927).- Phase Three (1928-1956).- Phase Four (1956 to date).- 25 / Methodological and Conceptual Problems in the Study of Pornography and Violence.- 1. Preface.- 2. The Film Not a Love Story (NALS).- 3. Some General Caveats.- 4. NALS and the American Scene.- 5. The Content of Pornography.- 6. The Books Behind NALS.- 7. Erotic/Pornographic.- 8. Examples of Pornographic Films.- 9. The Function of Myths in Discussions of Pornography.- 10. Research Design and Findings.- 11. Who Produces Pornography?.- 12. What Does Pornography Portray.- 13. Who Consumes Pornography?.- 14. Why Pornography in Consumed.- 15. Pornography in its Social Context.- 16. Who Makes/Consumes Anti-Pornographic Material?.- 17. Social Science and the Study of Pornography.- 18. Conclusion.- Sources.- List of Publications.- Indexes.