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Papers by J. I . ( H A N S ) Bakker
The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology
Michigan Sociological Review volume 17: 119-148
The Netherlands, especially the Province of Holland, is an important case for examining Weber's t... more The Netherlands, especially the Province of Holland, is an important case for examining Weber's theories concerning the rise of Modern Capitalism and the way in which Calvinist and Post Calvinist theologies helped foster a Geist (Spirit) of Modern Capitalism. It is not just an economic question. Rachfahl critiques Weber & this paper tries to sort it out in detail.
Perspectives
This newsletter comment is in reaction to Raewyn Connell (2007) criticizing Max Weber as a "major... more This newsletter comment is in reaction to Raewyn Connell (2007) criticizing Max Weber as a "major point of reference" in sociological theory, while Sayyid Jamal ad-Din al-Afghani (1968) is not as widely cited. (Note that al-Afghani's book is published in English by the University of California Press, as is Max Weber's 1968 Economy and Society.) I briefly develop six ideal type characteristics of Weber's Ideal Type Model (ITM) of Patrimonial prebendalism versus Patrimonial feudalism. There is an oscillation between traditional bureaucratic "prebendal" aspects and "feudal" aspects of Patrimonialism, although the two often exist side by side. An Islamic Caliphate would not include feudal elements (as discssed by Weber).
Patrimonialism
As an ideal type model for comparative historical sociological research, "patrimonialism" provide... more As an ideal type model for comparative historical sociological research, "patrimonialism" provides a useful framework for comparing complex societies. Especially important is the tendency for an "oscillation" of centripetal and centrifugal forces. Max Weber's oscillation thesis makes it clear he was not Eurocentric. The patrimonial state is based on a ruler and a traditional bureaucracy (with prebendal officials). The logic of Magna Carta (1225) requires that the monarch also accept a baronial class as having legitimate authority in addition to his own, but that only applied to England. Thomas Piketty utilizes patrimony to refer to the "heritage" of a bourgeois family in capitalist societies whereas Max Weber was interested in societies that existed long before the emergence of "modern capitalism" in its incipient phases in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Those premodern societies had longdistance trade in luxury goods but only rudiments of modern capitalism. After the seventeenth century it became more and more common for the "imagined community" of the "nation-state" to dominate in capitalist societies. But those societies often had overseas imperial interests and some established European settler colonies, such as England which established parts of South Asia as British colonies. Some use the term "neopatrimonial" to refer to contemporary societies. In essence, the term "patrimonialism" (from Latin patrimonium) in Max Weber's work prior to the Great War of 1914-1918 summarizes a key aspect of traditional "domination." The patriarchal patrimonial ruler is the only person who has legitimate authority. His legitimacy depends on notions of divinity and what came to be called "divine rulership". A patrimonial ruler is an emperor. He may also be designated a king in English translations. On rare occasions a woman may take on the role, but she is still a patriarch.
This chapter proposes to refine the Symbolic Interactionist project by incorporating Peircean sem... more This chapter proposes to refine the Symbolic Interactionist project by incorporating Peircean semiotics and Neo-Weberian interpretation. Symbolic Interactionism appears to have forgotten key sources of its American Pragmatist roots. Peirce's indirect influence on Mead and Blumer, for instance, is often undertheorized but should be made central to foundational narratives of Symbolic Interactionism. This calls for more sophisticated understandings of meaning-making that incorporate Peirce' semiotic triadic model and classifications of signs where symbols are just one kind of signs among others. Here I take on these matters and expand on my Pragmatic Sociology (Bakker, 2011b) to introduce the emergent project of a Semiotic Sociology. In stepwise fashion, I lay foundations of a meta-paradigmatic synthesis-a "Big Tent"-based on five key arguments that build upon each other, including Blumer as its anchor point, American Symbolic Interactionism, global Interactionism, Neo-Weberian interpretive analysis for crosshistorical comparison, and Peircean Semiotics as culminating paradigm that pulls it all together. The Cold War is over (Menand, 2021). But new conflicts are on the horizon (Acemoglu and Robinson, 2019). Only one social science is highly respected by key elite decision-makers: Neoclassical economics. The other social sciences are more fragmented. US sociology, in particular, is focused on political issues having to do with intersectionality, but it is also
The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology, 2007
Rural Sociologists at Work, 2015
Candid accounts by Rural Sociologists: Editor's Introduction by Johannes I. (Hans) Bakker, Br... more Candid accounts by Rural Sociologists: Editor's Introduction by Johannes I. (Hans) Bakker, Brandon University PART I: Background Accounts General Introduction by Lawrence Busch, Michigan State University 1. Rural Sociology: A Slightly Personal History by Stephen Turner, University of South Florida 2. "I Could Tell Stories 'til the Cows Come Home:" Personal Biography meets Collective Biography by Julie N. Zimmerman, University of Kentucky PART II: Candid Accounts 3. An Accidental Rural Sociologist by Michael D. Schulman, North Carolina State University 4. From Estate Agriculture to the Industrial Diet: The Trajectory of a Canadian Rural Sociologist by Anthony Winson, University of Guelph 5. The Intersection of Biography and Work as a Rural Sociologist by Linda Lobao, The Ohio State University 6. Rural Sociologists at Work: Dual Careers, Single Focus by Cornelia Butler Flora and Jan L. Flora, Iowa State University PART III: Theory and Method 7. Rural Sociology: An Intellectual Crescent Wrench by Ralph Brown, Brigham Young University 8. Avoiding Burnout: All Who Wander Are Not Lost by Conner Bailey, Auburn University 9. The Accidental Rural Sociologist by Bill Reimer, Concordia University
Symbolic Interaction, 2014
The Encyclopedia of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 2013
The American Sociologist, 2011
Symbolic Interaction, 2006
Drawing on observation and reflexive introspection, this article analyzes the practice of club DJ... more Drawing on observation and reflexive introspection, this article analyzes the practice of club DJing and reggae DJing in an attempt to shed light on the semiotic dynamics of music-making. To understand the historical, semiotic, and interactionist significance of the musical beat in the social world of club reggae DJing, empirical and analytical attention is paid to changes in technology, in aesthetic conventions, and in the meanings of subcultural practices.
The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology
Michigan Sociological Review volume 17: 119-148
The Netherlands, especially the Province of Holland, is an important case for examining Weber's t... more The Netherlands, especially the Province of Holland, is an important case for examining Weber's theories concerning the rise of Modern Capitalism and the way in which Calvinist and Post Calvinist theologies helped foster a Geist (Spirit) of Modern Capitalism. It is not just an economic question. Rachfahl critiques Weber & this paper tries to sort it out in detail.
Perspectives
This newsletter comment is in reaction to Raewyn Connell (2007) criticizing Max Weber as a "major... more This newsletter comment is in reaction to Raewyn Connell (2007) criticizing Max Weber as a "major point of reference" in sociological theory, while Sayyid Jamal ad-Din al-Afghani (1968) is not as widely cited. (Note that al-Afghani's book is published in English by the University of California Press, as is Max Weber's 1968 Economy and Society.) I briefly develop six ideal type characteristics of Weber's Ideal Type Model (ITM) of Patrimonial prebendalism versus Patrimonial feudalism. There is an oscillation between traditional bureaucratic "prebendal" aspects and "feudal" aspects of Patrimonialism, although the two often exist side by side. An Islamic Caliphate would not include feudal elements (as discssed by Weber).
Patrimonialism
As an ideal type model for comparative historical sociological research, "patrimonialism" provide... more As an ideal type model for comparative historical sociological research, "patrimonialism" provides a useful framework for comparing complex societies. Especially important is the tendency for an "oscillation" of centripetal and centrifugal forces. Max Weber's oscillation thesis makes it clear he was not Eurocentric. The patrimonial state is based on a ruler and a traditional bureaucracy (with prebendal officials). The logic of Magna Carta (1225) requires that the monarch also accept a baronial class as having legitimate authority in addition to his own, but that only applied to England. Thomas Piketty utilizes patrimony to refer to the "heritage" of a bourgeois family in capitalist societies whereas Max Weber was interested in societies that existed long before the emergence of "modern capitalism" in its incipient phases in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Those premodern societies had longdistance trade in luxury goods but only rudiments of modern capitalism. After the seventeenth century it became more and more common for the "imagined community" of the "nation-state" to dominate in capitalist societies. But those societies often had overseas imperial interests and some established European settler colonies, such as England which established parts of South Asia as British colonies. Some use the term "neopatrimonial" to refer to contemporary societies. In essence, the term "patrimonialism" (from Latin patrimonium) in Max Weber's work prior to the Great War of 1914-1918 summarizes a key aspect of traditional "domination." The patriarchal patrimonial ruler is the only person who has legitimate authority. His legitimacy depends on notions of divinity and what came to be called "divine rulership". A patrimonial ruler is an emperor. He may also be designated a king in English translations. On rare occasions a woman may take on the role, but she is still a patriarch.
This chapter proposes to refine the Symbolic Interactionist project by incorporating Peircean sem... more This chapter proposes to refine the Symbolic Interactionist project by incorporating Peircean semiotics and Neo-Weberian interpretation. Symbolic Interactionism appears to have forgotten key sources of its American Pragmatist roots. Peirce's indirect influence on Mead and Blumer, for instance, is often undertheorized but should be made central to foundational narratives of Symbolic Interactionism. This calls for more sophisticated understandings of meaning-making that incorporate Peirce' semiotic triadic model and classifications of signs where symbols are just one kind of signs among others. Here I take on these matters and expand on my Pragmatic Sociology (Bakker, 2011b) to introduce the emergent project of a Semiotic Sociology. In stepwise fashion, I lay foundations of a meta-paradigmatic synthesis-a "Big Tent"-based on five key arguments that build upon each other, including Blumer as its anchor point, American Symbolic Interactionism, global Interactionism, Neo-Weberian interpretive analysis for crosshistorical comparison, and Peircean Semiotics as culminating paradigm that pulls it all together. The Cold War is over (Menand, 2021). But new conflicts are on the horizon (Acemoglu and Robinson, 2019). Only one social science is highly respected by key elite decision-makers: Neoclassical economics. The other social sciences are more fragmented. US sociology, in particular, is focused on political issues having to do with intersectionality, but it is also
The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology, 2007
Rural Sociologists at Work, 2015
Candid accounts by Rural Sociologists: Editor's Introduction by Johannes I. (Hans) Bakker, Br... more Candid accounts by Rural Sociologists: Editor's Introduction by Johannes I. (Hans) Bakker, Brandon University PART I: Background Accounts General Introduction by Lawrence Busch, Michigan State University 1. Rural Sociology: A Slightly Personal History by Stephen Turner, University of South Florida 2. "I Could Tell Stories 'til the Cows Come Home:" Personal Biography meets Collective Biography by Julie N. Zimmerman, University of Kentucky PART II: Candid Accounts 3. An Accidental Rural Sociologist by Michael D. Schulman, North Carolina State University 4. From Estate Agriculture to the Industrial Diet: The Trajectory of a Canadian Rural Sociologist by Anthony Winson, University of Guelph 5. The Intersection of Biography and Work as a Rural Sociologist by Linda Lobao, The Ohio State University 6. Rural Sociologists at Work: Dual Careers, Single Focus by Cornelia Butler Flora and Jan L. Flora, Iowa State University PART III: Theory and Method 7. Rural Sociology: An Intellectual Crescent Wrench by Ralph Brown, Brigham Young University 8. Avoiding Burnout: All Who Wander Are Not Lost by Conner Bailey, Auburn University 9. The Accidental Rural Sociologist by Bill Reimer, Concordia University
Symbolic Interaction, 2014
The Encyclopedia of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 2013
The American Sociologist, 2011
Symbolic Interaction, 2006
Drawing on observation and reflexive introspection, this article analyzes the practice of club DJ... more Drawing on observation and reflexive introspection, this article analyzes the practice of club DJing and reggae DJing in an attempt to shed light on the semiotic dynamics of music-making. To understand the historical, semiotic, and interactionist significance of the musical beat in the social world of club reggae DJing, empirical and analytical attention is paid to changes in technology, in aesthetic conventions, and in the meanings of subcultural practices.
This is the unpublished draft version of a chapter that eventually got published in Studies in Sy... more This is the unpublished draft version of a chapter that eventually got published in Studies in Symbolic Interaction volume 44. Copyright makes it incorrect to post the published chapter but Studies in Symbolic Interaction, a yearbook publication of the Society for the Study of Symbolic Interaction, is available at most good university libraries in hard copy. (I don't know about pdf's of individual chapters with library access.) My main point in the iniitial presentation had more to do with a ritual in Bali that I was learning about, the temple anniversary (odalan) that comes into play once every Balinese year.
"Piktty and Patrimonialism"
The key criticism of Piketty made here is that he does not utilize an intellectual framework invo... more The key criticism of Piketty made here is that he does not utilize an intellectual framework involving Comparative Historical Sociology (CHS). He does not use any form of "historical materialism" (Vidal 2015) and he does not refer to Max Weber's verstehende Soziologie. He utilizes modern technological improvements to pull together data sets for many of the modern capitalist nation-states. But he does not develop a dialectical theory of history, either idealist (Neo-Hegelian) or materialist (Neo-Marxian). In particular, he does not develop the kind of political economy and economic theory associated with Karl Marx and Max Weber. Piketty has been critiqued in many different ways but the contribution this chapter seeks to make is to examine his overall assumptions about exploitation, class relations and wealth in a Neo-Marxian and Neo-Weberian Frankfurt School perspective.
This is a draft paper. It is one version of the paper I presented at the American Sociological As... more This is a draft paper. It is one version of the paper I presented at the American Sociological Association (ASA) conference in Seattle, Washington. (I presented a power point and only had twenty minutes to talk about it.) I have several possibilities for publishing this, but would like to get it right. That is, I would like it to not be too personal but also not too lofty. I publish mostly under J. I. Hans Bakker or J. I. (Hans) Bakker since there are hundreds of Hans Bakker's and Johannes Bakker's on Academia, on Linkedin, on Facebook, etc.
The Methodology of Political Economy: Studying the Global Rural-Urban Matrix
This is the Introductory chapter of my edited book concerning the Methodolog of Political Economy... more This is the Introductory chapter of my edited book concerning the Methodolog of Political Economy as that pertains to interdisciplinary work on the global rural-urban Matrix. I use insights from Marx, Weber and others in this chapter.
The Methodology of Political Economy: Studying the Global Rural-Urban Economy , 2015
This is the Conclusion to my edited book.
Gandhi and the Gita, 1993
The essence of my argument is that M. K. Gandhi did not do his various translation of Bhagavad Gi... more The essence of my argument is that M. K. Gandhi did not do his various translation of Bhagavad Gita all by himself. He had a lot of help from his friends. My main concern was to make it clear that the translation is a very good one. That is despite the fact that Gandhi was not an academic. He was not an academic Sanskrit scholar working at a prestigious research university. Hence his translation is sometimes regarded as flawed. I do not mean that anyone would claim Gandhi was not "scholarly". Please not I am NOT Prof. Hans T. Bakker. HTB often does not include the "T" for his middle initial. But since my middle initial is "I" and "I" looks a bit like "t" I am very often confused by him. That is particularly relevant here since this is a Sanskrit topic.