The Problem of Solidarity: Theories and Models

427 Pages·1998·7.214 MB·English

by  Patrick Doreian, Thomas Fararo (editors)

229x152 HB

The Problem of Solidarity
Theories and Models
Editedby
Patrick Doreian
and
Thomas Fararo
UniversityofPittsburgh
Pennsylvania,USA
~ ~~o~~~~n~~;up
LONDONANDNEWYORK
Copyright © 1998 OPA (Overseas Publishers Association) N.V.
Published by license under the Gordon and Breach Publishers
imprint.
All rights reserved.
Nopartofthisbookmaybereproducedorutilizedinanyform orby
any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and
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permissionin writing from the publisher.
Published by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN
711 ThirdAvenue, NewYork, NY 10017
BritishLibrary CataloguinginPublicationData
The problemofsolidarity: theories and models
1. Solidarity 2. Social structure
I. Doreian, PatrickII. Fararo, Thomas J.
303.3
ISBN 90-5700-533-6
Publisher's Note
The publisher has gone to great lengths to ensure the quality of
this reprint but points out that some imperfections in the
original may be apparent.
CONTENTS
Preface vii
I Introduction
1 TheTheory ofSolidarity: AnAgendaofProblems 1
ThomasJ. FararoandPatrickDoreian
II Rationality and Solidarity
2 A Theory ofthe State and ofSocial Order 33
Sun-KiChaiandMichaelHechter
3 TheMicrofoundations ofSolidarity:
A FramingApproach 61
SiegwartLindenberg
4 TheManagementofTrustRelations via
Institutional and StructuralEmbeddedness 113
JeroenWeesie, VincentBuskens
andWernerRaub
5 A MathematicalModel ofGroup Dynamics
Including the Effects ofSolidarity 139
WolfgangWeidlichandDirkHelbing
III Affectand Solidarity
6 Conditions for Empathic Solidarity 197
DavidR. Heise
vi CONTENTS
7 Modelling the InteractionRitual Theory
ofSolidarity 213
RandallCollinsandRobertHanneman
IV Social Networks and Solidarity
8 Solidarity and SocialNetworks 239
RonaldL. BreigerandJohnM. Roberts, Jr.
9 Structures andProcesses ofSolidarity:
An Initial Formalization 263
EugeneC. Johnsen
10 Group FormationinFriendship Networks 303
EvelienP. H. Zeggelink
V Assessment
11 SocialNetworkConceptions ofGroup Solidarity 343
BarryMarkovsky
12 Solidarity, Social Structure, and Social Control 373
JohnSkvoretz
Aboutthe Contributors 403
AuthorIndex 407
SubjectIndex 409
PREFACE
Intheworldatlargeandinsociology, solidarityis akeyproblem. At
present,theworldisundergoingsomesortoftransformationwebarely
understand. Social systems thought to be secure have broken down.
Oldhostilities based on ethnic identities have beenrenewed. Onthe
otherhand,globalizationoftheeconomyseemstobedrivingaprocess
ofintegration atthe worldlevel. Forthe sociology ofthis confusing
situation, thereisthechallengeofarriving atasoundcognitivemap
ping. Onthe one hand, each nation-state is akind ofsystem ofsoli
darities in terms ofinternal differentiation within a broader collec
tiveidentity. Theheightening ofthe salienceofethnic, religious and
otherinternalboundariesputs astrainonthe solidarityoftheoverall
collectivity. Ontheotherhand, theworldhas beendeficientinover
allsolidarityandglobalizationoftheeconomymaybeproducingthe
sortoforganic solidarity that Durkheim analyzed at the nation-state
level aboutahundredyears ago. Howeverwe map the situation, the
problemofsolidarity looms large as aproblemboth for participants
in these processes and for those who take the role of dispassionate
analyst. This latter step makes the whole process reflexive. In this
book, we stepbackfrom theevidentturmoilinthe worldto posethe
problem ofsolidarity as a cognitive problem ofbasic science. What
issolidarity?Howisitproducedandreproduced?Howisitrelatedto
other social processes? How can we formalize such processes and
create conditions for studying theirproperties fruitfully?
PartI, the Introduction, contains ourintroductorychapterthatsets
the stage for the varied chapters that follow. We frame the problem
bothinterms ofsome ofits history within sociology andinterms of
itscurrentstateinsociologicaltheory,leadingustoproposeanagenda
for theory-driven model building under the presupposition that for
malmodelsgaininsignificancebytheirconnectednesstothecurrent
state oftheory andresearch. In writing this chapter, our plan was to
viii PREFACE
stimulatecolleagueswhomightbeinterestedinmaking somecontri
butiontoourknowledgeaboutsolidarityatatheoreticallevel,whether
inmathematical form ornot. We contactedAmerican andEuropean
scholars,bothsociologistsandnon-sociologists,includingcolleagues
in mathematics and the natural sciences, sending each acopy ofour
draftchapter.Wewerefortunatethatalmostallagreedtowriteonthe
subject, eventhough somehadnotpreviously given it serious atten
tion while others were acknowledged major theorists of solidarity.
As a consequence, the book realizes our hope that theorists ofsoli
darity would be led to more formal statements oftheir ideas, while
mathematical model-builders would respond by turning their atten
tiontothisimportanttheoreticalproblem.Wehopealsothattheideas
generatedinthisenterprisewillprovefruitfulforempiricalstudiesof
solidarity.
One of our motives in writing this chapter was to stimulate the
integration of theories of solidarity with, and through, a variety of
formalizations ofkey theoretical ideas. From the outset, we recog
nized that this would be a long and difficult process. Indeed, most
theorists didnotattemptto connecttheirideastothoseofothertheo
rists, and, inthis sense, the outcomereflects the currentconditionof
social theory more than it corrects it: diverse perspectives produce
contrastingconceptualizationsandformalizations. Evenso,thefoun
dations for integrative work are in place through the efforts of our
contributors. Each chapter makes some theoretical contribution to
our ongoing collective dialogue about the problem of solidarity,
viewedas afundamentalproblemfor sociologicalscience.Thisdoes
not imply that each is free from conceptual, theoretical or method
ological problems- indeed, our hope is that triggering an ensuing
debateconcerningtheseproblemswillbeamajorcontributionofthis
book.
We asked Barry Markovsky and John Skvoretz to read and com
mentonallthechapterstheyreceivedfromus.Theirchaptersprovide
lucid assessments ofthe strengths and weaknesses ofthe othercon
tributions. In addition, we adopted Skvoretz'spartitionofthepapers
intothreepredominantapproachestosolidarityinorganizingthevol
ume into three parts that are bracketed by our introduction and the
conclusioncontaining two assessment chapters.
PartII, Rationality and Solidarity, contains four chapters. We dis
cuss Michael Hechter's major and influential work, Principles of
GroupSolidarity,inourintroduction. Inhisbook,Hechteraddresses
PREFACE ix
thesolidarityproblemviaconsiderationoftheproblemoforder:given
scarcityofresources andrational actors withgoals thatrequirethese
resources, how is order in social life possible? Here, in chapter 2,
Sun-KiChaiandHechtercollaboratetoproducebothanextensionof
Hechter'stheoryandthebeginningsofamathematicalformalization
ofit. SiegwartLindenberghasbeenattheforefrontofrationalchoice
thinkinginsociology,withimportantmethodologicalandtheoretical
papers advocating this paradigm. In chapter 3, he first reviews and
criticizes various microfoundational approaches to solidarity theory
and then, drawing upon his own priorwork, presents anotherexpla
nation ofhow solidarity ties are builtand maintained.
Gametheoryis amulti-personrationalchoicemodel, stressingstra
tegic aspects of social interaction. Jeroen Weesie, Vincent Buskens
andWernerRaub- agroupofEuropeansociologicalgametheorists
- drawupontheirpriorworkinapproachingtheproblemofsolidarity
througharigorous analysis ofthemechanismsproducingtrustinso
cialrelations(chapter4).Thefieldofmathematicalsociologyhasbeen
enrichedrecentlybytheinvolvementofsomeEuropean-basedphysi
cists.WolfgangWeidlichandDirkHelbing,twoleadingmembersof
this emerging scientificresearcheffort, provideanelegantstatement
oftheirstochasticanddynamicmodel-buildingmethodology,together
with an application to the problemofsolidarity, inchapter5.
Part III, Affect and Solidarity, contains two chapters by leading
theoristswhohavestressedtheroleofaffectinsocialprocesses.David
Heise's major research program has involved the creation and ad
vance ofthe Affect Control Model (also discussed in our introduc
tion).Hismodelincorporatesideasfromcontroltheoryandsymbolic
interactionisminsociologytoformalizehowaffectivemeaningsdrive
social interaction. In chapter 6, Heise brings his perspective to bear
ontheproblemofsolidarity,stressingthesituatedemergenceofcom
mon consciousness, what he calls "empathic solidarity." Randall
Collins, as a leading sociological theorist, has advanced an inter
actionistmodelbasedonDurkheimianideasconcerningthecentrality
ofritualinsociallife. This InteractionRitualChainmodelforms the
basis for his collaborative chapter 7 with Robert Hanneman, whose
own work has focused on the use ofdynamic simulation models in
theoretical sociology.
PartIV,SocialNetworksandSolidarity,featuresthreecontributions.
RonaldBreigeris amajorfigureinthehistoryofthesocialnetworks
paradigmas ithas developed during and since the 1970s. In chapter