Date: Tue, 02 Oct 2001 10:46:38 -0400
From: Richard Moodey <moodey001-AT-mail1.gannon.edu>
Subject: Re: BHA: philosophical /sociology time scale


Bwanika,


At 03:52 AM 10/02/2001 -0400, you wrote:
>Hi Moodey
>
>
>Thanks for the pointer to the social construct, i've got a good start.
> >From a Bhaskarian point of view the four planner social cube has a 
> constraining /enablement level for social construction. What is 
> interesting to me is the constraining level  rather than enabling on on 
> social construction plane. I'm still think about it, if constraining can 
> result into social construct too.

Where can I find a good discussion of the "four planner social cube"?  I'm 
a beginner in the Bhaskarian world.


>A small note though on social construction - which one should I look at?

I'm currently reading Sayer's "Realism and Social Science," and he talks 
about social construction.  My first reading in this area was Berger and 
Luckmann's "Social Construction of Reality," and I recently read and liked 
"The Construction of Social Reality" by John Searle.

>I have the following in mind below these are mere examples.
>
>A. society creates urban life with an immense need for energy then society 
>looks for the cheapest (?) for example atomic energy from, which per our 
>time scale (philosophical /sociology )start generating all unanticipated 
>events know and unknown. Indeed here, there is also a counter level as a 
>result of this type of social construct- the environmental social 
>construct, i.e. the urban squeeze (space), decay etc. can we call it so?

I look at this as an example of what Bernard Lonergan in "Insight" calls 
"general bias."   This bias is characterized by the rejection abstract, 
theoretical, and long-term considerations, in favor of what is concrete, 
practical, and immediate (or short-term).  The refusal of key 
decision-makers to take long-term consequences into account is a prime 
example of general bias, but does not, I think, imply a different time scale.


>B. society reproduces itself hence the institution of marriage  takes form 
>- working, non-affluent and affluent off spring forms the core of society 
>outlook. (evolutional or social construct ?) There is a difference here 
>between urban /rural social construct looking deep down at the resulting 
>futures of societies which  emerges as result- I am still investigating. 
>Take for example the affluent fighting for the non affluent's cuase- which 
>indeed is a counter structure generated as an institution of marriage 
>forms - what is this type of social construct?

The comment will seem very much as if I am avoiding the issue you raise in 
favor of a side-issue, but the side issue is important to me.  I don't 
believe that society is  the kind of thing that can have an 
"outlook."  Even more radically, I don't believe that people who do share 
the same culture (symbols and artifacts) SHARE either beliefs or values.  I 
would hold this to be true even of siblings or twins raised in the same 
household.  So, some among the affluent value their own self-interest more 
than do others, and some are committed to a vision of the common good, and 
are willing to make sacrifices for the common good.


>c. Society creates blue-chip shares, as market growth in wireless   and 
>mobile technology takes form. Share in mineral inputs get prestigious 
>price fixture  etc. despite the sliding market projections (mechanistic 
>social construct?)----> kondratieff cycles
>
>It is quite an interesting subject  with enormous implications. I observe 
>though, not conclusively that there is counter interplay of cultural, 
>spiritual and economic time scale, generating or sustaining social 
>construction trajectories in different forms. I'm still looking at it.
>
>
>bwanika.
>
>--------------
>Richard Moodey <moodey001-AT-mail1.gannon.edu> wrote:
>
> >Bwanika,
> >
> >This might not be very helpful, but I believe that ALL time scales are
> >socially constructed -- they are symbolic constructions.  I do not know of
> >any unique time scales that have been constructed by sociologists.  There
> >are schemes of recurrence in the physical world that we have used in
> >constructing notions of days, months, and years, but the scales based on
> >these have been socially constructed.
> >
> >Dick Moodey
> >
> >At 04:30 AM 10/01/2001 -0400, you wrote:
> >>Dear Listers
> >>
> >>I am trying to understand or grasp (writing about) what can be termed as A
> >>SOCIOLOGICAL /(philosophical) TIME SCALE.  In fact there is a biological
> >>time scale as well as physical time scale, there is also a cosmological
> >>(not sure).
> >>
> >>My contention here is how to understand what a sociological(philosophical)
> >>time scale is. How i can define it.  Note that some of you have never
> >>lived or been touched with village life style as i have experience it in
> >>Africa - therefore your sociological/ philosphical/biological  time scale
> >>might be different from mine - i.e. urban time scale which might be
> >>measured along the environmental , medical and economic variables and 
> so on.
> >>
> >>Listers , help me to understand this problem which has been worring in
> >>the past recent  with an reference if there is any. Natural as well
> >>humanistic reference will do.
> >>
> >>thanks in advance
> >>
> >>
> >>Bwanika.
> >>mailto: dbbwanika-AT-netscape.net
> >>
> >>n.b sorry for the bad english - i am trying.
> >>
> >>--
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> >>____________
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> >>
> >>
> >>Bwanika
> >>
> >>url: http://www.uganda.co.ug
> >>e-mail: dbbwanika-AT-netscape.net
> >>
> >>
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> >>
> >>__________________________________________________________________
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> >>
> >>
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> >
> >
> >
> >
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> >
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>____________
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>Bwanika
>
>url: http://www.uganda.co.ug
>e-mail: dbbwanika-AT-netscape.net
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>__________________________________________________________________
>Your favorite stores, helpful shopping tools and great gift ideas. 
>Experience the convenience of buying online with Shop-AT-Netscape! 
>http://shopnow.netscape.com/
>
>Get your own FREE, personal Netscape Mail account today at 
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>
>
>
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