Sociological Theories And Contemporary Culture

Running head: SOCIOLOGICAL THEORIES AND CONTEMPORARY CULTURE
Sociological Theories and Contemporary Culture
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note

1SOCIOLOGICAL THEORIES AND CONTEMPORARY CULTURE
Donna Haraway (“A Manifesto for Cyborgs” 2043-2065):
Donna Haraway is an American writer and professor in the field of history of
consciousness department as well as the studies of feminism in the University of California,
United States. She has been attached with the faculty of women’s studies, anthropology, along
with environmental studies. She has provided her valuable contribution towards feminist theory
as well as technosciences in the field of communication and media program.
Donna Haraway have pointed out the problematic usage along with various justifications
of western traditions in her most popular work, “A Manifesto for Cyborgs.” The work is
structured on several western traditions such as colonialism, naturalism, patriarchy, and
essentialism. All the traditions have been highlighted on the problematic construction of
taxonomies as well as identifications. She has discussed about the antagonistic dualisms that
have paved the way towards Western discourse. As stated by Haraway, “have all been systematic
to the logics and practices of domination of women, people of color, nature, workers, animals...
all [those] constituted as others.” She has elaborated about particular subjects related to
problematic dualisms that have been dealt with cultural backgrounds, gender, civilized, truth,
God and humanity. Thus, it may provide enough shreds of evidence in order to stimulate the
ideas and knowledge of the readers. The social and political ideologies are directly connected
with the matter. It can be stated that various evolution has been included with the feminism. The
term cyborg icon is referred to as the liberation of ideology by adapting technology effectively as
well as neglecting characterization. Haraway have embraced her individual ways of accepting
relevant technology and establishing the cyborg like a new image for the feminist perspective
under social backgrounds. Hence, technology is also significant part of human beings for getting
engaged in establishments and advancements.

2SOCIOLOGICAL THEORIES AND CONTEMPORARY CULTURE
Jean-Francois Lyotyard (“Defining the Postmodern” 1385-1388) + Fredric Jameson
(“Postmodernism and Consumer Society” 1758-1771) + Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattary
(“Rhizome” 1374 -1382):
Jean-Francois Lyotyard is a philosopher and author of the book The Postmodern
Condition: A Report on Knowledge that has been analysed on the notion of knowledge during
the post-modern society. He has introduced the term ‘post-modernism’ in the field of philosophy
and social sciences along with various observations attached with it. Lyotyard has criticized the
meta-narratives like teleological notions of human history along with reductionism which is
significantly related to Marxism and Enlightenment. As stated in the book that : “But there is no
getting away from the fact that literary studies in general, and American Marxist theorists in
particular, have avoided the effort of seriously bridging the gap between the superstructure and
the base levels in textual, historical scholarship.”
Several aspects of the contemporary reality has been discussed along with the
differentiation of political as well as pure knowledge. The details have been supported by
Hayden White (1928) about the production of the contemporary knowledge in the context of
contemporary West has been presented in this book. The need for the redefinition of the theory
inside the black cultures for the granting of the premises of the racist has been mentioned in a
systematic order. Several kinds of qualifications that are reasonable are surely important. The
frequent attacks on the critics of the black literature along with the responses of those of the
black readers towards remarking the work of that of the critics of the black literature as entirely
Greek has been presented. Higher levels of concerns are showcased by the literature of Afro-
American regarding the complicated nature of the relationship which is shared between both the
theories along with the literature as well.

3SOCIOLOGICAL THEORIES AND CONTEMPORARY CULTURE
The elusive figure of the people has been focused as well meditated upon. It has also
been stated that the ideological construction of the gender is kept under the control or dominated
by the male figures. Several critical signatures of times by several kinds of authors have also
been focused upon. The definition provided by Henry Louis Gates Jr., in his book ‘The
Signifying Monkey: A theory of Afro-American Literary Criticism (1988)’ regarding the critics
of literature along with the argument of Gates regarding the attention of the tradition of the black
literary have also been focused on along with discussion of the fostering of the greater levels of
recognition of the cultures for the Afro-Americans or African-Americans. The opposition of the
grounds of the evangelical certitude by the simplest assertions of the tradition of the antagonistic
cultures have been thoroughly described in this book.
The accountable authority for writing of the Bible was directly challenged along with the
notions of the evidences of Christianity have been mentioned in this book. Several concepts of
the differences of the culture have been described along with focusing on the problems related
with the ambivalence of the authorities of the culture. The differences between the histories of
the institution along with theories of the critics have been mentioned.
N. Katherine Hayles (“How We Read: Close, Hyper, Machine” 2073-2093):
N. Katherine Hayles is a well-known post-modern literary critic, and she has contributed
her efforts in the field of literature, American literature, electronic literature and science. She is
the director and professor of Graduate education of the literature program in Duke University.
She has produced an article named “How we read: Close, Hyper, Machine” and it was published
in the 2010 ADE Summer Seminar East in Adelphi Maryland. She has optimistically about the
decline of reading of print in the last twenty years. According to Hayles, hyper-reading has

4SOCIOLOGICAL THEORIES AND CONTEMPORARY CULTURE
established a significant place in filtering the systems along Google searches. It has turned out to
be a part of most of the scholar’s toolkit like hyper-reading.
From the discussion of the book, Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910), who is a Russian novelist, it
has been discussed that the civil society would be considered as one of the most important
gradation based on political importance. The overall discussion over the fact confirms over the
fact that the Russian society could be considered as a subject of general matter, which would be
of utmost political priority. The most important powers in the state are of France, Britain and in
recent times of the United States. In the described states, the cultural difference could become
the most primary cause of disciplinary struggle between the various sections of the society.
The other factor discusses about the factor of orientalism, which has been described from
the perspective of a French journalist. Glambattista Vico (1668-1744), who is an Italian historian
and philosopher had discussed about the resemblance of a cultural and historical society. There is
a wide discussion of cultural statements and systems that would be present a better form of
ambience in the society. From the critical assessment of the book, it can also be seen that
transformation or translation could be produced based on understanding of the tension present
within the critical theory. This theory could be established between the revisionary force and
institutional containment. These are further described as constraints based on the major aspect of
discursive construction and contemporary theory. The use of this theory would further lead to
positive impact over the culture.
From the understanding of the book, it can also be discussed that Alexander Crummell
and John C. Calhoun, it has been discussed by them that black literature and criticism could be
put together under the subject of aesthetics. The nature of the black people were thought to be
disregarded in the society and thus they would majorly focus over the betterment of the society.

5SOCIOLOGICAL THEORIES AND CONTEMPORARY CULTURE
Based on the critical analysis of the book, it has thus been concluded that the erasure of
traditional boundaries between the politics of theory could be controlled to a wide extent. A
certain theory of knowledge could also be gained based on structuring the object of theory and
which would determine the political objectives. Thus, from the discussion it could also be
concluded that there should be a certain form of decreasing form of disregards within the societ,
which would further lead to discrepancies.

6SOCIOLOGICAL THEORIES AND CONTEMPORARY CULTURE
References
Leitch, Vincent B., et al., eds. The Norton anthology of theory and criticism. WW Norton &
Company, 2018.