Fragmentation and Cohesion in American Society*

Fragmentation and Cohesion in American Society*: "Much of Henry Quarentelli's professional life has been devoted to the study of community, although not as the term is conventionally defined in sociology. Following Shakespeare's advice to ''by-indirection find directions out' he has looked to the rupture (or anticipated rupture) of community and established social patterns during situations of crisis. In the rich tradition of deviant or contrasting case analysis, he has given us insights into processes of ordinary behavior by looking at extraordinary situations. Through his extensive worldwide efforts he has also helped create new institutions and communities. In this chapter I continue this interest in community by considering some issues around fragmentation and cohesion in American society. In doing this I also touch on other issues that have occupied him such as mass communications, popular culture, and collective behavior."

Murky Conceptual Waters: The Public and the Private

Murky Conceptual Waters: The Public and the Private: "Abstract: In discussions on the ethics of surveillance and consequently surveillance policy, the public/private distinction is often implicitly invoked as a way to structure the discussion and the arguments. In these discussions, the distinction ‘public’ and ‘private’ is often treated as a uni-dimensional, rigidly dichotomous and absolute, fixed and universal concept, whose meaning could be determined by the objective content of the behavior. Nevertheless , if we take a closer look at the distinction in diverse empirical contexts we find them to be more subtle, diffused and ambiguous than suggested. The paper identifies a number of distinct meanings of the concepts. It argues that the public and private be treated as multi-dimensional, continuous and relative, fluid and situational or contextual concepts, whose meaning lies in how they are interpreted and framed. Those using the terms public and private would benefit from more clearly specifying which dimensions they have in mind and how they relate."