Cultural sociology in perspective: Linking culture and power

Abstract

Cultural sociology aims at incorporating the central role of meaning-making into the analysis of social phenomena. The article presents an overview of cultural sociology, focusing on its main theoretical frameworks, methodological strategies and empirical investigations. The interplay between the cultural and the social and the focus on meaning variations are two central principles of analysis based on which cultural sociologists seek to revitalize the notion of culture in sociology. Since these principles can be combined in different manners, the article compares the two main current approaches to connect cultural codes and social interactions in the symbolical analysis of social phenomena.

Power and Culture: The Cultural Foundations of Brazilian Sociology

“…However, on the methodological level linking theory to empirical processes, the strategies for relating cultural and social structures entail two different ways of grasping culture as foundational for sociology, two different manners of addressing the interplay between culture and power. At this point, either cultural sociologists analyse cultural codes in the light of power relationships or they do precisely the opposite, which is to analyse power relationships in the light of their cultural codifications (Lima Neto, 2014).…”

“…This trend is particularly strong in British sociology (Inglis et al, 2007). Both conceptions of cultural sociology are intended to place the notion of culture as foundational for sociology insofar as they seek to explore the interplay between culture and power (Lima Neto, 2014).…”

“…In countries such as France and Brazil, the discussion about cultural sociology is practically non-existent (Cefaï, 2009; Lichterman, 2007; Lima Neto, 2014). This is because in both traditions, the notion of culture has never been seen as irrelevant.…”