2009
Recent Submissions
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Witkin III
(University of Exeter, 2009)I am fortunate to have as my respondents two scholars who have made, and continue to make, important contributions to what Professor Alexander terms the “strong program” for a sociology of the aesthetic. They have responded ... -
On the autonomy of the aesthetic: Witkin I versus Witkin II
(University of Exeter, 2 October 2009)On this occasion we celebrate and deliberate the publication twenty years ago of Robert Witkin’s “The Aesthetic Imperative of a Rational-Technical Machinery.” It is a striking and richly textured essay. Witkin weaves ... -
The aesthetic imperative of a rational-technical machinery: a study in organizational control through the design of artifacts
(University of Exeter, 2009)The development of modern business and administrative organizations that are formally rational and technical in their structures and operations has given rise to the false conclusion that the aesthetic dimension does not ... -
The social organisation of aesthetics – a note
(University of Exeter, 2009)When reading Robert Witkin's paper from 20 years ago, I am, first and foremost, reminded that aesthetics – in even the broadest of definitions – have had a patchy and, on the whole, disappointing history in sociology. It ... -
Music as evil: deviance and metaculture in classical music
(University of Exeter, 29 March 2009)This paper aims to apply the sociology of deviance and the concept of metaculture to the sociology of high-art and music. Examples of classical music criticisms over time are presented and discussed. Music critics have ...