Sociology 219:
Institutional Theories: Cultural
and Phenomenological Approaches
Winter 2009
Short Assignment #2: Reading Questions
Due: Start of class
(9:00am) Monday February 9
Length: Approx. 2.5
pages, double-spaced.
Answer one of the following questions:
- Contrast
the Meyer/Jepperson (2000) conception of agency with that of some other
perspective (either from the sociological literature or the naïve view
that agency is ‘natural’ to all people).
What are some advantages and/or disadvantages of the
Meyer/Jepperson view? That is, what
are empirical characteristics of people that can better be understood from
one vantage point (or the other)?
- The
Meyer/Jepperson (2000) article discusses rationalized “others” (who engage
in “othering”). What are they
talking about? What is an “other”
and what is it about modern society that creates them? Give some examples (beyond those
discussed in the paper).
- The
Meyer 2008 review ends with a short discussion of some criticisms of the
perspective – recommendations from “realist” scholars. Each is dismissed. What are the recommendations? Why does Meyer think it would be bad to
follow the recommendations of realists.
Elaborate.