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The book addresses the problem of institutionalised order in modern capitalist societies with highly developed division of labour. Via thorough critique and reconstruction of neo institutionalist theory, classical social theories, and critical ideology theory, The Invisible Order introduces the first relational theory of social institutions to explain in detail how individuals end up encountering institutions as objective. Thus synthesising integrative and conflicting social relations, the work calls into question deeply rooted understandings in which society is variously construed as spontaneous equilibrium, solely conflict-driven, or a set of agent-based constructions. It offers a new take on the age-old questions of classical and critical social theory and on the fundamentals of institutional and organisational theory alike. This timely and useful relational examination of social institutions reveals how complex societies can keep functioning even though theirorders are constantly contradicted by multiple disordering endeavours and tendencies.
List of contents
1.Introduction: In Search of Invisible Order.- 2.The Relational Structure of Social Institutions.- 3. Institutions in Neo-institutionalism.- 4. Historical Institutions.- 5. Institutions as Ideas.- 6. The Social as a System.- 7. A Lifeworld as an Institution.- 8. Capitalist Social Order.- 9. Ideology in Capitalist Societies.-10. Conclusion: The Invisible Order.
About the author
Olli Herranen is a researcher at University of Helsinki, Finland. His work has focused on social theory, climate-change denialism, and the political economy and public administration of both Finland and the European Union.
