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Drawing on Berman (1982) and Taylor (1991), we discuss the thought of early sociologists drawing attention to the ambivalence toward modernity that characterizes much of their works as well as contemporary thinkers, focusing in particular on how they have moved away from ambivalence toward more thinly optimistic or pessimistic views of modernity. Next, we use Inglehart's (1997) individualizing strand, focused primarily on the presence or absence of external control, and rationalizing strand, focused primarily on the presence or absence of shared meaning, as heuristic devices to look for answers concerning the effects of modernity. We then hypothesize that early sociologists' ambivalence about modernity might be explained by the fact that, while they tend to empirically co-occur, the forces of individualization tend to promote subjective well-being while the forces of rationalization tend to hinder subjective well-being. We suggest that classical theorists were focused on both strands simultaneously, thus the source of their ambivalence, while contemporary theorists tend to focus on one or the other strand and thus miss this important nuance. After laying the theoretical groundwork, we test these two hypotheses using the World Values Survey. We find support for our predictions even with numerous individual and structural controls that might also be related to subjective well-being. We hope that this will inaugurate more research into the relationship between broader cultural forces such as those outlined here and individual outcomes. The present research has only identified a robust empirical relationship between two key cultural strands and an important individual-level outcome. Future research should work to disentangle these links in order to better understand one of sociology's great concerns—the promises and perils of modernity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most sociological research, even among students of culture, assumes that networks exert a causal influence on cultural beliefs. Network-focused research has failed to consider the possibility that cultural beliefs or worldviews have an independent effect on the formation of social networks. Building on Emirbayer and Goodwin's (1994) structuralist constructionism and using longitudinal data from the National Study of Youth and Religion, this paper shows that the different moral worldviews outlined in Habits of the Heart were causally linked to changes in the ego-networks of young people between 2002 and 2005. These effects are robust to the inclusion of prior network composition and behavioral homophily and are generally stronger than prior network and homophily effects. The study concludes with a brief discussion of the implications of the findings for the sociological study of networks and culture. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cultural theorists debate whether different moral languages or repertoires can explain why certain people participate in civic efforts that promote the public good while others do not. On the one hand, there are the so-called "communitarians," most notably the Bellah group ([1985] 1996), who argue that languages grounded in the civic republican or the biblical tradition are more likely to mobilize people to get involved in civic engagement than individualist languages. On the other hand, scholars such as Lichertman (1995, 1996) argue that the language of "individualism" or "personalism" is sufficiently capable of motivating individuals to participate in public action. Analyzing survey data based on a national probability sample of Americans, we find that, controlling for other important factors associated with civic engagement, the language of civic responsibility (but not religious duty) is more likely to promote volunteer efforts in communities than the language of personal fulfillment. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The image of the deliberative public sphere, empirically and theoretically contested as it is, is a central figure of democratic thought and practice. This article examines one "mediated public sphere" in which citizens attempt to enact public communication: the letters-to-the-editor column found in virtually all newspapers. Using a unique data set consisting of letters and information on their authors, we theorize this mediated public sphere and offer insights into its actual and potential public-sphere capacities. Public debate in the Letters to the Editor column represents a pragmatic approach to solving a normative problem: the paucity of spaces in which citizens can enact the kind of public sphere demanded by their understanding of democracy. It is, of course, by no means an ideal public sphere offering inclusion, deliberation, and extensive consideration of important issues. It is, however, a tool available for citizens to use in seeking to practice the democratic ideals they imagine to fulfill effective citizenship. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In focusing on economic returns and subjective outcomes, previous studies of the changing value of a college degree have neglected to consider its value as cultural or symbolic capital. Using General Social Survey data from 1972-2002 and a variety of quantitative techniques (regression, multiple correspondence analysis, measures of entropic constraint), I demonstrate that the symbolic value of a college degree has declined significantly in the past three decades. These changes suggest the decline of the "college-educated lifestyle" and have implications for the relationship between education and class identity. There is also evidence of a change in the logic of class identity – the results suggest the decreasing salience of production-related characteristics and the increasing salience of consumption-related characteristics for predicting subjective class. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The educational attainments of the U.S. labor force have increased more rapidly than have the skill requirements of available jobs. Using the 1972-2002 General Social Surveys and newly compiled data on skill requirements, I investigate the increasing proportion of overeducated (or underemployed) workers in the full-time labor force, analyze the relationship between overeducation and a number of outcomes, and explore how these effects have changed over a 30-year period. Using diagonal reference models developed by Sobel, I find that ? for men ? overeducation is a significant predictor of lower job satisfaction, political polarization, and a weakened belief in the link between hard work and success. Finally, I discuss in detail the implications of the study for conflicting theories about the connection between education and work (human capital and credential inflation). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This symposium explores and connects the ideas of scholars from management and cultural sociology who are developing research that integrates perspectives on language, cultural tool kits, and institutional logics with implications for strategies of action and practice. In bridging these perspectives, we seek to open new avenues of scholarship in the fields of management and entrepreneurship. How might one think about this? All words are defined relative to conceptual frames. The institutional logics perspective is a conceptual frame, i.e., the institutional orders of the family, religion, community, market, state, professions, and the corporation, are associated with distinct language domains. The cultural tool kit perspective is a mechanism that explains how language is exportable across domains and used to justify action and practice. Conversations between management and cultural sociology scholars have been limited; we bring together scholars who stand out as beacons of one or more of these three arenas. The panelists will make short presentations outlining their perspectives and identify opportunities to bridge to ideas of the other perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]