Social imaginaries and the limits of differential meaning : A cultural sociological critique of symbolic meaning structures

BINDER, Werner. Social imaginaries and the limits of differential meaning : A cultural sociological critique of symbolic meaning structures. Österreichische Zeitschrift für Soziologie. Wiesbaden: Springer, 2019, vol. 44, Supplement 2, p. 17-35. ISSN 1011-0070. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11614-019-00371-2.

Basic information

• Original name: Social imaginaries and the limits of differential meaning : A cultural sociological critique of symbolic meaning structures
• Authors: BINDER, Werner (276 Germany, guarantor, belonging to the institution).
• Edition: Österreichische Zeitschrift für Soziologie, Wiesbaden, Springer, 2019, 1011-0070.

Other information

• Original language: English
• Type of outcome: Article in a journal
• Field of Study: 50401 Sociology
• Country of publisher: Germany
• Confidentiality degree: is not subject to a state or trade secret
• WWW: URL
• RIV identification code: RIV/00216224:14230/19:00111337
• Organization unit: Faculty of Social Studies
• Doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11614-019-00371-2
• UT WoS: 000496294000002
• Keywords in English: Cultural sociology; Cornelius Castoriadis; social imaginary; Niklas Luhmann; structuralism
• Tags: rivok
• Tags: International impact, Reviewed

Abstract

Elaborating on theories of the social imaginary, this contribution addresses the shortcomings of a differential conception of meaning, which is widespread in the social and cultural sciences. After a brief literature review, a preliminary concept of the social imaginary and its sociological relevance will be outlined drawing on the works of Taylor and others. The theoretical argument of this article, the fundamental difference and complementarity between the differential logic of the symbolic and the fuzzy logic of the imaginary, will be developed in a discussion of structuralism and one of its most fervent critics: Castoriadis. The latter developed his account of the social imaginary as a critique of Marxist reductionism, of the structuralist analysis of language and totemism, and of "ensemblistic-identitarian logic" in general. The social imaginary, as a reservoir of meaning and condition for the emergence of new meanings, not only illuminates the blind spots in these theories, but also has the potential to transform our thinking about culture and society.