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Southern Theory: Social Science And The Global Dynamics Of Knowledge
In Southern Theory Raewyn Connell presents the case for a new ‘world social science' - one that is inclusive of many voices - by arguing for a more democratic global recognition of social theory from societies outside the dominant European and North American metropole.
Intellectual production of the majority ‘southern' world does in fact include theory, though its contribution is often marginalised and intellectually discredited by the metropole. Connell shows how social theory about the modern world from peripheral societies is equal in intellectual rigour and is often of greater political relevance to our changing world.
Beginning with an examination of the hidden assumptions of modern general theory, Southern Theory looks to the ‘southern' social experience and the theories that have emerged from Australia, Indigenous peoples, Latin America, India, Africa, Islam and other post-colonial societies, as sources of important and vital contributions to world social science. These myriad theories offer valuable perspectives so crucial to the application of social theory in the contemporary world, having the power to transform the influence of the metropolitan hegemony on social thought by mutual regard and interaction.
Southern Theory is a major new work in social theory, drawing on anthropology, history, psychology, philosophy, economics and cultural studies, with wide-ranging implications for the social sciences in the 21st century.
Intellectual production of the majority ‘southern' world does in fact include theory, though its contribution is often marginalised and intellectually discredited by the metropole. Connell shows how social theory about the modern world from peripheral societies is equal in intellectual rigour and is often of greater political relevance to our changing world.
Beginning with an examination of the hidden assumptions of modern general theory, Southern Theory looks to the ‘southern' social experience and the theories that have emerged from Australia, Indigenous peoples, Latin America, India, Africa, Islam and other post-colonial societies, as sources of important and vital contributions to world social science. These myriad theories offer valuable perspectives so crucial to the application of social theory in the contemporary world, having the power to transform the influence of the metropolitan hegemony on social thought by mutual regard and interaction.
Southern Theory is a major new work in social theory, drawing on anthropology, history, psychology, philosophy, economics and cultural studies, with wide-ranging implications for the social sciences in the 21st century.
272 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2007
About the author
Raewyn W. Connell
46 books108 followersRaewyn Connell (also known as R.W. Connell and Robert W. Connell) is an Australian sociologist. She gained prominence as an intellectual of the Australian New Left. She is currently Professor Emeritus at the University of Sydney and known for the concept of hegemonic masculinity and southern theory.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
July 24, 2011
The longer I have lived in the UK while most of my research deals with imperial and colonial cultural issues the more I have become aware that it is not just political theory that needs adapting to non-metropolitan conditions, but broader social theory as well. In this book Raewyn Connell builds a compelling critique of sociology that draws out many of the problems of using metropolitan ideas in the periphery. There are three sections – a critical outline of the development of sociology and critique of analyses of globalisation, a set of case studies of scholars from outside the periphery (west Africa, Latin America, Iran, India) whose work shows the limitations of metropolitan theory, and a case for sociological analyses grounded in place, in which she draws on Australia (and she says, the place she knows best). Overall, this is a powerful case for building new networks of scholars not mediated by the metropole that can help break the traditional arrangement where the usual role of places outside the Euro-American North Atlantic nexus (including subaltern communities located within those countries) is to provide data to be exploited by the high priests of classical social theory (developed and in generalised from conditions in that nexus).
Since moving to the UK I have become acutely aware of the place-based characteristics of theory, and of the subtle ways that my upbringing in the (antipodean) edge of the world means that I look at and see things differently, that the conceptual ideas I come across in Indian, Latin American/Caribbean and indigenous peoples analyses resonate in ways they don’t seem to with my British fellow researchers and other academics. Connell’s case for more synthetic (or syncretic) theoretical development therefore rings true.
But this is not an anti-theory argument or a postmodernist diatribe against grand narratives, just a powerful case that sociology’s dominant grand narratives stem from the specific conditions of the North Atlantic nexus (my term, not hers) and that too much of the impressive and exciting intellectual development outside the metropolitan socio-political space has to be sacrificed to the terms of the dominant metropolitan discourses (or it won’t be understood) or is discounted because the metropolitan concepts are of little use in other settings. So, she says, we need to continue to challenge the metropolitan dominance and build networks between ourselves to develop Southern Theory and therefore the liberatory potential of social science research. One of the most intellectually liberating books I have read in years.
Since moving to the UK I have become acutely aware of the place-based characteristics of theory, and of the subtle ways that my upbringing in the (antipodean) edge of the world means that I look at and see things differently, that the conceptual ideas I come across in Indian, Latin American/Caribbean and indigenous peoples analyses resonate in ways they don’t seem to with my British fellow researchers and other academics. Connell’s case for more synthetic (or syncretic) theoretical development therefore rings true.
But this is not an anti-theory argument or a postmodernist diatribe against grand narratives, just a powerful case that sociology’s dominant grand narratives stem from the specific conditions of the North Atlantic nexus (my term, not hers) and that too much of the impressive and exciting intellectual development outside the metropolitan socio-political space has to be sacrificed to the terms of the dominant metropolitan discourses (or it won’t be understood) or is discounted because the metropolitan concepts are of little use in other settings. So, she says, we need to continue to challenge the metropolitan dominance and build networks between ourselves to develop Southern Theory and therefore the liberatory potential of social science research. One of the most intellectually liberating books I have read in years.
December 29, 2013
This was a book I picked up based on the title only. The concept of a form of theory coming from the south was appealing. Her central argument is that essentially all forms of epistemological theory radiates from the 'metropole' (aka the North, First World, Minority World etc) to the 'periphery' (aka the South, Third World, Majority World etc). Even scholars working in the Majority World, she argues, have historically described their part of the world using theory that originates in the 'metropole. This book surveys attempts to create a theory of knowledge that emerges from the Majority World rather than one that is 'imported'.
Whilst it is a relatively easy read with concepts clearly explained and defined, it is a book that is designed more the academic world or those who wish to keep their brain active.
The book is broken into four parts with, for me, the most interesting section being Part III: Southern Theory. In here, we see how her notions can really be applied with interesting surveys of work from Iran and South America standing out. When she brings her ideas closer to 'home', into the Australian context, with which she is most familiar, we see a very challenging point of view expressed on how the notion of land is integrated into an indigenous construct of epistemology.
Overall, a useful work to illustrate the continuing influence of the global North on ways of thinking and the potentials that exist for an ongoing conversation that pulls the conversation away from its colonialist tendencies.
Whilst it is a relatively easy read with concepts clearly explained and defined, it is a book that is designed more the academic world or those who wish to keep their brain active.
The book is broken into four parts with, for me, the most interesting section being Part III: Southern Theory. In here, we see how her notions can really be applied with interesting surveys of work from Iran and South America standing out. When she brings her ideas closer to 'home', into the Australian context, with which she is most familiar, we see a very challenging point of view expressed on how the notion of land is integrated into an indigenous construct of epistemology.
Overall, a useful work to illustrate the continuing influence of the global North on ways of thinking and the potentials that exist for an ongoing conversation that pulls the conversation away from its colonialist tendencies.
June 14, 2022
Highly recommend for anyone interested in how ‘Northern’ theories have come to dominate social science. Will definitely begin reading up on theories from the periphery and alternate perspectives to the general theories of sociology.
July 30, 2022
خريطة، قامت بها بدوافع 'حركة تصحيحية' في علم الاجتماع.
November 28, 2013
Great book! Easy to read and presents a clear and comprehensive overview of how sociology from the Centre (or North or Western perspective) has dominated all sociological discourse over the last 100 years or so. She also presents some very interesting alternatives from Periphery (or South), including from Africa, indigenous Australia, India and South America. The last chapter, which is her attempt to argue for a more inclusive or integrated approach is less convincing, or perhaps just needs to be developed more.
January 26, 2024
Mahalagang mabasa nang sinumang interesado sa sosyolohiya at sa mga teoryang panlipunan ang unang bahagi ng aklat na ito kung saan ipinaliwanag ni Connell ang kalakaran sa paglinang ng Northern theory. Mula Kabanata 1 hanggang Kabanata 3, malinaw niyang nailahad ang problemang kinahaharap ng kasalukuyang lagay ng pagteteorya sa daigdig ng mga mananaliksik. Para sa akin ito ang pinakamagandang bahagi ng aklat.
Sa Part I, inilahad ni Connell kung paanong ang disiplina ng sosyolohiya ay nag-uugat sa kolonyalistang pananaw ng mga naunang tagapagtaguyod nito. Mahalaga sa mga naunang sosyoloho ang paghahambing sa lipunan ng mga mananakop at sa lipunan ng mga 'primitibong' kanilang sinakop. Kinuwestiyon din ni Connell ang mga "modern general theory" at ang kanilang pagdadalumat at pagsusulat na nakakiling sa masikip na espasyo ng Global North. Binubura ng ganitong klaseng pagteteorya ang danas ng mga taong nakaranas ng dahas at pananakop mula sa mga malalaking bansang pinanggagalingan ng mga teoryang panlipunan. Hindi kasi sinasama ng mga nagteteorya ang kasaysayan ng imperyalismo at kolonyalismo sa kanilang "universla grand theory" ng lipunan ng sangkatauhan. Arogante ang pagsusulat ng unibersal na teorya na hindi sinasama ang danas ng kalakhang populasyon ng daigdig.
Ang konstruksiyon naman ng "sociological canon" at ang trikotonomiya nina Weber-Durkheim-Marx ay nabuo sa Estados na sinimulan ni Talcott Parsons upang bigyang sagot ang krisis na dinaranas ng disipline pagkatapos bumagsak ang "old sociology" dulot ng Digmaang Pandaigdig. Sa konstruksyong ito, patuloy na binura ang presensya ng sosyolohikal na pag-aaral na nagmumula sa peripheries.
Pinakanagustuhan ko bukod sa Part I ang kabanata tungkol sa Indian sociology. Maraming mapupulot na aral sa kabanatang ito lalong-lalo na sa pagkritika sa kolonyalistang pananaw ng mga naunang siyentistang nag-aral sa lipunang kanilang sinakop. Kapansin-pansin rin ang pag-uulit ni Connell sa iba't ibang panig ng daigdig, marami sa mga sosyologo ang nag-aangkat ng mga teorya at konsepto na binuo sa Global North upang iangkop na lang sa kanilang lokal na sitwasyon. Ganito rin ang kinahaharap ng sosyolohiya sa Pilipinas ngayon. Mayroong trabaho ang mga bagong sosyologo na umigpaw sa liberal na panghihiram at subukang mas palalimin ang pag-unawa sa lipunang kanilang ginagalawan.
Gayunman, hindi naman kailangang kalimutan ang mga "sociological canon", manghiram ng mga konsepto, o pigilang gumawa ng generalisasyon ang mga nagteteorya sa sosyolohiya. Mahalaga lang na alamin ang konteksto kung saan at kailan ito nadalumat at naisulat. Dapat na kinikilala kung sino ang mas may kapangyarihan at sino ang patuloy na inaabuso sa kalakaran ng globalisasyon at pagsasakaysayan. Mahalaga na subukan ng mga nagteteorya na gumawa ng isang ingkulisbong pag-usisa sa ating daigdig kung saan walang binuburang kuwento ng pang-aalipin, pagpatay, pagsira ng pagkakabanghay, pagnanakaw, at paghihirap.
Sa Part I, inilahad ni Connell kung paanong ang disiplina ng sosyolohiya ay nag-uugat sa kolonyalistang pananaw ng mga naunang tagapagtaguyod nito. Mahalaga sa mga naunang sosyoloho ang paghahambing sa lipunan ng mga mananakop at sa lipunan ng mga 'primitibong' kanilang sinakop. Kinuwestiyon din ni Connell ang mga "modern general theory" at ang kanilang pagdadalumat at pagsusulat na nakakiling sa masikip na espasyo ng Global North. Binubura ng ganitong klaseng pagteteorya ang danas ng mga taong nakaranas ng dahas at pananakop mula sa mga malalaking bansang pinanggagalingan ng mga teoryang panlipunan. Hindi kasi sinasama ng mga nagteteorya ang kasaysayan ng imperyalismo at kolonyalismo sa kanilang "universla grand theory" ng lipunan ng sangkatauhan. Arogante ang pagsusulat ng unibersal na teorya na hindi sinasama ang danas ng kalakhang populasyon ng daigdig.
Ang konstruksiyon naman ng "sociological canon" at ang trikotonomiya nina Weber-Durkheim-Marx ay nabuo sa Estados na sinimulan ni Talcott Parsons upang bigyang sagot ang krisis na dinaranas ng disipline pagkatapos bumagsak ang "old sociology" dulot ng Digmaang Pandaigdig. Sa konstruksyong ito, patuloy na binura ang presensya ng sosyolohikal na pag-aaral na nagmumula sa peripheries.
Pinakanagustuhan ko bukod sa Part I ang kabanata tungkol sa Indian sociology. Maraming mapupulot na aral sa kabanatang ito lalong-lalo na sa pagkritika sa kolonyalistang pananaw ng mga naunang siyentistang nag-aral sa lipunang kanilang sinakop. Kapansin-pansin rin ang pag-uulit ni Connell sa iba't ibang panig ng daigdig, marami sa mga sosyologo ang nag-aangkat ng mga teorya at konsepto na binuo sa Global North upang iangkop na lang sa kanilang lokal na sitwasyon. Ganito rin ang kinahaharap ng sosyolohiya sa Pilipinas ngayon. Mayroong trabaho ang mga bagong sosyologo na umigpaw sa liberal na panghihiram at subukang mas palalimin ang pag-unawa sa lipunang kanilang ginagalawan.
Gayunman, hindi naman kailangang kalimutan ang mga "sociological canon", manghiram ng mga konsepto, o pigilang gumawa ng generalisasyon ang mga nagteteorya sa sosyolohiya. Mahalaga lang na alamin ang konteksto kung saan at kailan ito nadalumat at naisulat. Dapat na kinikilala kung sino ang mas may kapangyarihan at sino ang patuloy na inaabuso sa kalakaran ng globalisasyon at pagsasakaysayan. Mahalaga na subukan ng mga nagteteorya na gumawa ng isang ingkulisbong pag-usisa sa ating daigdig kung saan walang binuburang kuwento ng pang-aalipin, pagpatay, pagsira ng pagkakabanghay, pagnanakaw, at paghihirap.
May 10, 2020
Great book! I came across it in the return shelves of SOAS library. God! I miss the library.
This book tries to highlight how social theory production is concentrated in the metropoles of the global north. In Raewyn's view, this is a type of exploitation. Northern social scientists collect data from all over the world, bring them back to the cities, and publish their empirical and theoretical findings in their circles. Grand ethnography and universalist assumptions are the two most prevalent mispractice in these northern social scientists' social theory production.
Then, she went to talk about how the universities/academic institutions in Australia (where she is from) originates. And how, even though Australians are physically in the South, they try to kiss the Northern social theorists' ass. And she draws attention to indigenous resistance to the land-grabbing acts of the Australian colonists. However, instead of only analyzing the superficial ways through which some social scientists attempt to draw in indigenous theories about the world, she argues that the real productive engagement with indigenous movements might be found more in the ways they conceive of the impact of colonialism as a form of disruptive force. A force that creates chaos.
I thought about how Covid-19 is also a form of disruptive force for me. I can't even imagine how it might have been like for the indigenous populations whose lives were turned into chaos.
Then, the last section of this book explores specific regional emergents of social theory starting from Africa, to the Islamic scholars, to Indian scholars and ending with Latin American scholars. This book introduced me to many brilliant scholars that I am now basing most of social theories upon. Out of all her regional explorations, Latin American scholars were the most fruitful/interesting for me. They talked a lot about globalization theory etc etc. Nestor Garcia Canclini has become my love, my boo.
I'd recommend this book to any social science/humanities major. A much needed work.
This book tries to highlight how social theory production is concentrated in the metropoles of the global north. In Raewyn's view, this is a type of exploitation. Northern social scientists collect data from all over the world, bring them back to the cities, and publish their empirical and theoretical findings in their circles. Grand ethnography and universalist assumptions are the two most prevalent mispractice in these northern social scientists' social theory production.
Then, she went to talk about how the universities/academic institutions in Australia (where she is from) originates. And how, even though Australians are physically in the South, they try to kiss the Northern social theorists' ass. And she draws attention to indigenous resistance to the land-grabbing acts of the Australian colonists. However, instead of only analyzing the superficial ways through which some social scientists attempt to draw in indigenous theories about the world, she argues that the real productive engagement with indigenous movements might be found more in the ways they conceive of the impact of colonialism as a form of disruptive force. A force that creates chaos.
I thought about how Covid-19 is also a form of disruptive force for me. I can't even imagine how it might have been like for the indigenous populations whose lives were turned into chaos.
Then, the last section of this book explores specific regional emergents of social theory starting from Africa, to the Islamic scholars, to Indian scholars and ending with Latin American scholars. This book introduced me to many brilliant scholars that I am now basing most of social theories upon. Out of all her regional explorations, Latin American scholars were the most fruitful/interesting for me. They talked a lot about globalization theory etc etc. Nestor Garcia Canclini has become my love, my boo.
I'd recommend this book to any social science/humanities major. A much needed work.
December 6, 2024
هذا الكتاب يُمكن إعتبارهُ تأريخاً للسوسيولوجيا المتروبولية، وهو يُمثِّلُ ايضاً نقداً لمسار السوسيولوجيا الكلاسيكية والحديثة في جزء كبير منها. فروين كونيل تنقُد المزاج العام للسوسيولوجيا الغربية في مُحاولتها لمحو تجربة المجتمعات الجنوبية (أو الشرقية)، وذلك من خلال النظريات التي تَزعَمُ الشمولية وتُعمم نظرتها للعالم رغم قُدرتِها التفسيرية المحدودة. فكونيل ترى أن نظريات السوسيولوجيين في المتروبول لا تأخذ بعين الإعتبار التجارب الاستعمارية لمجتمعات السكان الأصليين في تأسيسها للنظرية السوسيولوجية. كما تقوم كونيل بعرض بعض الأعمال السوسيولوجية - أو تلك التي أرادت أن تُنشأ سوسيولوجيا خاصة بها - من العالم الجنوبي وتُبين الصعوبات الكثيرة التي يُعاني منها الباحث الجنوبي والتي غالبا ما يَكونُ مصدرها المتروبول، وهو ما يَعكس النزعة الفوقية التي تُشكل علاقة السلطة و المعرفية بين الشمال والجنوب. كونيل لا تَقولُ بحلٍ يقتدي نبذ الآخر، بل هي تدعوا إلى تَوجه ديمقراطي في علم الاجتماع يتعلم فيه الطرفان من بعضهِما البعض تحت مبدأ الاعتراف والنوايا الحسنة والصداقة. لكن قبل الشروع في فعل ذلك، يجب تغيير الطريقة التي يعملُ بها علم الاجتماع، وإلغاء لعملية السلطة في عالم المعرفة وإنهاء تبسيط السوسيولوجيا في الأطراف ليُناسب ذلك الحوار العالمي.
أما مُشكلة الطبعة العربية أنها مُترجمة ترجمة حرفية لا تُراعي الأسلوب اللغوي العربي، وهي بذلك ترجمة سيئة في كثير من المواضع. لولا استعانتي بالنص الانجليزي الاصلي لبقيت أعواما أحاول فهم بعض الجمل.
أما مُشكلة الطبعة العربية أنها مُترجمة ترجمة حرفية لا تُراعي الأسلوب اللغوي العربي، وهي بذلك ترجمة سيئة في كثير من المواضع. لولا استعانتي بالنص الانجليزي الاصلي لبقيت أعواما أحاول فهم بعض الجمل.
September 1, 2020
Read as an assignment for a graduate theory class in order to balance out the effects of the textbook convention and textbook canon (Marx, Durkheim, Mead, etc.). The author can write one hell of an argument.
I never loved textbooks. Now, I have to wrestle with the malicious ease with which we tend to accept summarized knowledge as well as the assumed "masters" of the field. In a small way, I hate that my mind is in thrall to so many agents of control. Life has dictated the fact that I am limited in the number of books I can read.
I often judge a book by (1) the number of blank pages the publisher leaves at the end and (2) the number of comments I write in those pages. This book only had a single page (one side) and the blank back cover. Both of those pages are full of jotted comments and ideas. That's the place the rating came from. I could have used another blank page.
I never loved textbooks. Now, I have to wrestle with the malicious ease with which we tend to accept summarized knowledge as well as the assumed "masters" of the field. In a small way, I hate that my mind is in thrall to so many agents of control. Life has dictated the fact that I am limited in the number of books I can read.
I often judge a book by (1) the number of blank pages the publisher leaves at the end and (2) the number of comments I write in those pages. This book only had a single page (one side) and the blank back cover. Both of those pages are full of jotted comments and ideas. That's the place the rating came from. I could have used another blank page.
August 4, 2016
I found this book to be very interesting! This social theory book presents an argument for a new world order of social science that is not dominated by the discourses of sociology, anthropology, history, psychology, economics and philosophy that have radiated out of the knowledge traditions of the 'North/West'. Its a book written for academia but one that anyone can read because the concepts and arguments are clearly explained and very accessible.
December 3, 2016
A recommendable work that successfully dealt with the significance of intellectual inclusiveness, whereby looking beyond and searching meanings beyond the 'Euro-North American intellectual hegemony'!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews