Relational Goods and Their Subjects: The Ferment of a New Civil Society and Civil Democracy

From some years now, the social sciences have been highlighting the existence of a type of goods that are neither material things, nor ideas, nor functional performances but consist, instead, of social relations and, for this reason, are called relational goods. This contribution proposes to clarify this concept from the viewpoint of relational sociology, which avoids both methodological individualism and holism. Subsequently, it argues that such goods can be produced only by specific social subjects, which the Author calls ‘relational subjects’. Relying upon many theoretical and empirical researches, the paper explains in which sense and in which way relational subjects, and the goods they generate, can contribute to making civil society more robust: that is, no longer the typically capitalist society of the market, but an ‘associational’ society able to sustain a mature democracy.Desde hace algunos años, las ciencias sociales han resaltado la existencia de un tipo de bienes que no son ni cosas materiales, ni ideas, ni prestaciones funcionales pero que consis- ten, en cambio, en relaciones sociales. Por esta razón se les llama bienes relacionales. Este texto propone aclarar este concepto desde el punto de vista de la sociología relacional, evi- tando tanto el individualismo como el holismo metodológico. Posteriormente, se argumenta que tales bienes pueden ser producidos únicamente por sujetos sociales específicos, que el autor denomina como «sujetos relacionales».Apoyándose en numerosas investigaciones teó- ricas y empíricas, el texto explica en qué sentido y de qué manera los sujetos relacionales, y los bienes que generan, pueden contribuir a que la sociedad civil sea más robusta. Entendién- dola no como la sociedad típicamente capitalista de mercado, sino como una sociedad «aso- ciativa» capaz de sostener una democracia madura.From some years now, the social sciences have been highlighting the existence of a type of goods that are neither material things, nor ideas, nor functional performances but consist, instead, of social relations and, for this reason, are called relational goods. This contribution proposes to clarify this concept from the viewpoint of relational sociology, which avoids both methodological individualism and holism. Subsequently, it argues that such goods can be produced only by specific social subjects, which the Author calls ‘relational subjects’. Relying upon many theoretical and empirical researches, the paper explains in which sense and in which way relational subjects, and the goods they generate, can contribute to making civil society more robust: that is, no longer the typically capitalist society of the market, but an ‘associational’ society able to sustain a mature democracy

Interculturality needs a 'relational human reason' to build and manage the 'inter'

Our societies are becoming more and more multiethnic and multicultural. How can we approach the growing cultural differences and diversity that can be seen in society as a result of globalization? The political doctrine of multiculturalism has generated more negative than positive effects. Today, in its place, we speak of inter-culturalism. But this expression too seems more or less vague and uncertain. Interculturalism lacks a relational interface between cultures. To get beyond multiculturalism’s shortcomings and the fragilities of interculturalism, a secular approach to the question of coexistence between cultures is needed – one that is capable of restoring life to reason through a new semantics of inter-human difference/ diversity. ‘Making human reason more relational’ is the proposal of this contribution.Nuestras sociedades se están convirtiendo poco a poco en multiétnicas y pluriculturales. ¿Cómo podemos acercarnos a las emergentes diferencias culturales y de diversidad que se dan en la sociedad debido a la globalización? La doctrina política del multiculturalismo ha generado más efectos negativos que positivos. A día de hoy, y en su lugar, hablamos de interculturalidad, pero esta expresión también parece un tanto confusa y problemática. La interculturalidad carece de una interconexión relacional entre culturas, así que para superar las limitaciones del multiculturalismo y las inconsistencias del interculturalismo es necesario abordar un acercamiento tradicional respecto a la convivencia entre culturas, un acercamiento capaz de darle sentido a la vida mediante una nueva filosofía interhumana de diferencias y diversidad. “Hacer la razón humana más relacional” es la propuesta de este artículo

Los bienes relacionales y sus sujetos: el germen de una nueva sociedad civil y democracia civil

From some years now, the social sciences have been highlighting the existence of a type of goods that are neither material things, nor ideas, nor functional performances but consist, instead, of social relations and, for this reason, are called relational goods. This contribution proposes to clarify this concept from the viewpoint of relational sociology, which avoids both methodological individualism and holism. Subsequently, it argues that such goods can be produced only by specific social subjects, which the author calls «relational subjects». Relying upon many theoretical and empirical researches, the paper explains in which sense and in which way relational subjects, and the goods they generate, can contribute to making civil society more robust: that is, no longer the typically capitalist society of the market, but an «associational » society able to sustain a mature democracy.Desde hace algunos años, las ciencias sociales han resaltado la existencia de un tipo de bienes que no son ni cosas materiales, ni ideas, ni prestaciones funcionales pero que consisten, en cambio, en relaciones sociales. Por esta razón se les llama bienes relacionales. Este texto propone aclarar este concepto desde el punto de vista de la sociología relacional, evitando tanto el individualismo como el holismo metodológico. Posteriormente, se argumenta que tales bienes pueden ser producidos únicamente por sujetos sociales específicos, que el autor denomina como «sujetos relacionales». Apoyándose en numerosas investigaciones teóricas y empíricas, el texto explica en qué sentido y de qué manera los sujetos relacionales, y los bienes que generan, pueden contribuir a que la sociedad civil sea más robusta. Entendiéndola no como la sociedad típicamente capitalista de mercado, sino como una sociedad «asociativa » capaz de sostener una democracia madura

Unprotected time of early adolescence and intergenerational relations: a new educational issue

The paper was given on 26 october 2001 at the international congress on “unprotected time of young people in the EU”, held at the University of Bologna (Italy). It discusses the social problems connected to the time in which young people (10-15 years) are unprotected by the socialising agencies in everyday life. The policies designed so far in eu countries to combat these problems are analysed and evaluated. The author underlines the fact that time is not equal for all generations, because time undergoes very differing accelerations and decelerations depending on the position of each generation and therefore it acquires a very different value and meaning for each of them. For these reasons, to Ea003 Professor of Sociology. University of Bologna [email protected] Pierpaolo Donati ESE Nº3 2002 pose the problem of unprotected time for young people means entering into the problem of how the various generations LIVE THEIR OWN time and the time for RELATING WITH OTHER GENERATIONS. The paper ends by suggesting some proposals for EU educational policies

El trabajo en la era de la globalización

La diferenciación social ha generado nuevas formas de trabajo que aportan ventajas pero también riesgos a la sociedad de la globalización. El artículo analiza las formas de capital y trabajo que definen las "nuevas economías" actuales y atiende especialmente a los problemas de su regulación legal

Transcending Modernity with Relational Thinking

This book explores the ways in which social relations are profoundly changing modern society, arguing that, constituting a reality of their own, social relations will ultimately lead to a new form of society: an aftermodern or relational society. Drawing on the thought of Simmel, it extends the idea that society consists essentially of social relations, in order to make sense of the operation of dichotomous forces in society and to examine the emergence of a "third" in the morphogenetic processes. Through a realist and critical relational sociology, which allows for the fact that human beings are both internal and external to social relations, and therefore to society, the author shows how we are moving towards a new, trans-modern society – one that calls into question the guiding ideas of Western modernity, such as the notion of linear progression, that science and technology are the decisive factors of human development, and that culture can entirely supplant nature. As such, it will appeal to sociologists, social theorists, economists, political scientists, and social philosophers with interests in relational thought, critical realism, and social transformation