Matters of Scale: Sociology in and for a Complex World

Abstract

The article proposes that if sociology is to make sense of a world that is ever more complex and complicated, it is important to reconsider the scale(s) of our relations and actions. Instead of assuming a nested vertical hierarchy of the micro to macro binary, scale should be treated not only as multiple, but also as something produced and sustained in practice. Coming to grips with the complex world, we are living in also necessitates attending to the conduits and connections between various sites, fields, and terrains to which our lives are entangled. The article concludes with a note on the marginalization of sociology from public discussions, and it argues that it is possibly by attending to ambiguity and to the unfinished making of our contemporary world that sociology might have the most to give to discussions about the economy, about the future of humanity, and how to organize society. Cet article suggère que si la sociologie doit nous éclairer sur le sens d'un monde de plus en plus complexe, il est important de revoir l'échelle de nos relations et actions. Au lieu d'assumer une hiérarchie verticale de la dualité micro-macro, cette étendue doit être traitée non seulement comme multiple, mais aussi comme une chose produite et soutenue par la pratique. Pour faire face à la complexité du monde dans lequel nous vivons, il faut aussi de s'occuper des conduits et connections entre des sites divers, des champs, et des terrains dans lesquels nos vies se déroulent. Cet article conclut avec une note sur la marginalisation de la sociologie dans les discussions publiques ; et il défend l'idée que c'est possiblement en appréhendant l'ambiguïté et la construction incomplète de notre monde contemporain que la sociologie peut être la plus fructueuse en termes de discussions portant sur l'économie, le futur de l'humanité, et l'organisation de la société.

Micro, Meso and Macro Levels of Social Analysis

“…This same macro-micro connection underpins, in part, the fact that Sociology is a pluri-paradigmatic science given the different perspectives that emerge in the attempt to articulate these two dimensions (Serpa, 2017;Ferreira & Serpa, 2017;Javeau, 1998;Serpa, 2018;Serpa & Ferreira, 2018;Borup, Brown, Konrad, & Van Lente, 2006;Pyyhtinen, 2017). Ibá ñez (1997) states that -The great proposals of Sociology have done nothing more than to try to explain such continuum, from different epistemological-methodological and/or ontological-descriptive points of view‖ (p. 172).…”

“…The articulation between the micro and macrosocial levels has been one of the most discussed and problematized dimensions in social theory, in general, since the beginnings of the establishment of social sciences and this discussion still maintains in the contemporary world (Wiley, 1988;Sell, 2016;Ibá ñez, 1997;Pyyhtinen, 2017).…”

Farming from a Process‐Relational Perspective: Making Openings for Change Visible

“…As such, a process‐relational perspective is also an invitation to make visible the active role of researchers in collecting and interpreting data, and to increase the awareness of the performativity of our research practices. It is an invitation to researchers to explore new methodological practices, that might be better able to capture and to communicate the openings, the possibilities amidst the complexity and unprecedented connectivity of our modern world (Pyyhtinen ). It is an invitation to show the world in its ‘unfinished making’ (Phyyhtinen , p. 306), to make visible the manifold openings for change, to highlight that it could always be otherwise.…”

“…This leads to ubiquitous dynamics, marked by complexity, i.e., the unpredictable effects of interactions. Indeed, process‐relational sociology takes seriously that the world we live in is complex (Cilliers ; Urry ; Pyyhtinen ). As we do not control the outcomes of our actions, we can expect unwanted, unpredictable chains of interactions, as well as the inevitable unintended consequences.…”

Social–ecological connections across land, water, and sea demand a reprioritization of environmental management

“…Scale in ecology has both spatial and temporal dimensions and reflects different levels of biological organization-individual organisms, populations, communities, and ecosystems (Levin, 1992). Scale in society and social science also has spatial and temporal dimensions in, for example, human relations, actions, governance, ownership, and politics (Clark, 1985;Gunderson and Holling, 2002;Cash et al, 2006;Cumming et al, 2006;Pyyhtinen, 2017). These structural scales of environmental management have political and social consequences that affect environmental processes and management.…”