Cultural Sociology

This book offers a detailed and innovative study of the Dutch case of politics of citizenship and nationalism by focusing on public and political controversies in the crucial period of 1973–2015. By foregrounding the crucial role of performance and narration in public and political debates, this book shows how discourses of citizenship and nationhood are deeply shaped by established repertoires and long-lasting lines of disagreement about difference and belonging in the Netherlands.   

While change did occur within the Dutch context during this period, this book reveals that these transformations were not primarily driven by purportedly permissive and accommodating responses to immigration and cultural diversity. Instead, it unveils a Dutch landscape deeply marked by challenges related to race, democracy, and liberal exceptionalism. In doing so, the book contributes to ongoing debates in the study of citizenship, nationalism, and intellectual history around the merits and limitations of liberal politics of inclusion. It critically extends concepts and arguments in cultural pragmatics and problematizes the common hope that public debate may progressively resolve antagonisms over difference.

What if humanity’s past isn’t really past? Bernhard Giesen, during his lifetime one of the most prominent voices of German cultural sociology, believed that social and cultural forms that originated in earlier societies have not simply vanished but continue to shape our lives in often surprising ways. Consequently, he conducted his yearly introduction to cultural sociology as a tour de force through the history of humanity. This book contains a previously unpublished script, prepared by Giesen for a series of lectures at Yale University, offering the first comprehensive account of his unique perspective on human history. Giesen examines six types of societies, each characterized by its unique modes of production, classification, circulation, and representation, showcasing their enduring legacy with contemporary examples. Whether you are a student looking for an engaging introduction, a teacher looking for inspiration, or an expert eager to engage with new ideas, Human Societies offers an accessible yet intellectually profound work.