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Disenchanting the oncept of omm unityBenn et t M Berger

n t h e l i t e r a t u r e o f s o c i o l o g y t h e c o n c e p t o f c o m -m u n i t y h a s , s i n c e t h e n in e t e e n t h c e n t u r y , b e e n c o n -

t r as t ed wi th t he i dea o f soc i e ty . Communi ty i s t r ad i -t io n ; s o c i e t y i s c h a n g e . C o m m u n i t y i s f e e l in g ; s o c i e t yi s r a t i ona l i t y . Communi ty i s f emale ; soc i e ty i s mal e .C o m m u n i t y i s w a r m a n d w e t a nd i n t im a t e ; s o c i e t y isc o l d a n d d r y a n d f o r m a l . C o m m u n i t y i s l o v e ; s o c i e t yi s , wel l , bus iness .T h e c o n t r a s t b e t w e e n c o m m u n i t y a n d s o c i e t y i s p a r to f t h e c o n s e r v a t i v e p o l i ti c a l t r a d it io n o f s o c i o l o g i c a li d e a s . I t w a s p r o m o t e d m o s t l y , a l t h o u g h n o t e x c l u -s i v e l y , b y E u r o p e a n c o n s e r v a t i v e s a n d t h e i r c o u n t e r -p a r t s i n N o r t h A m e r i c a w h o s a w p r i m a r i l y t h e d a r ks ide o f t he i ndus t r i a l r evo lu t i on : t he rup tu re o f t rad i -t i ona l t i es t o v i l l age , f ami ly , chu rch , and gu i l d , andt h e a p p e a r a n c e o f t h o s e t w i n p s y c h o l o g i c a l b f t es no i twa l i e n a t i o n a n d a n o m i e . T h e y t e n d e d e i t h e r t o i g n o r eo r t o t r i v i a l i ze t he b r i gh t er s i de o f t h i s p rocess , wh ichm e n a n d w o m e n o f th e d e m o c r a t i c L e f t k n o w a s f r ee -d o r a o r l i b e r a t i o n o r p l u r a l i s m o r c h o i c e a n d w h i c h lc h a r a c t e r i z e h e r e s i m p l y a s c u l t u r a l m o d e r n i s m . U n -l ik e t h e h o l i s m o f t h e i d e a o f c o m m u n i t y ( w i t h i tsy e a r n i n g f o r f r a t e r n i t d a n d i t s p r e d o m i n a n t k i n s h i pi m a g e r y ) , c u l t u r a l m o d e r n i s m e m p h a s i z e s l i m i t e d ,p a r t i a l , s e g m e n t e d , e v e n s h a l l o w , c o m m i t m e n t s t o av a r i e ty o f d i v e r s e c o l l e c t i v i t i e s - - n o o n e o f w h i c h c o m -mands an i nd iv idua l ' s t o t a l l oya l t y .

In cu l t u ra l t e rms , what modern i sm does i s t o r e -duce , a l t hough no t e l imina t e , t he t o t a l cons t r a in t o rc o n t r o l t h a t c o m m u n i t i e s h a v e o v e r i n d i v i d u a l m e m -

b e r s i n f a v o r o f th e d i f f u s i o n o f c o n s t r a in t s a m o n gsevera l co l l ec t i v i t i es i n wh ich per sons have d i f f e r i ngd e g r e e s o f p a r ti a l i n v o l v e m e n t . V i e w e d f a v o r a b l y , w eca l l th i s f r eedom : t he p rosp ec t o f hav ing a l t e rna t i ves .V i e w e d n e g a t i v e l y , w e c a l l i t a l i e n a ti o n b e c a u s e p e r -s o n s m a y h a v e n o c e n t r a l i d e n t i t y ; a n d w e c a l l i ta n o m i e b e c a u s e p e r s o n s m a y n o t k n o w w h a t t o b e -l i eve i n when , as i s o f t en t he case i n modern l i f e , t heyg e t c o n t r a d i c t o r y o r i n c o m p a t i b l e s i g n a l s f r o m t h e i rv a r io u s c o m m u n i t i e s o f m e m b e r s h ip .

W h a t c u l t u ra l m o d e r n i s m d o e s n o t d o , a n d p e r h a p sc a n n o t d o , i s l i b e r a t e o r a l i e n a t e p e r s o n s f r o m t h et a k e n - f o r - g r a n t e d c u l t u r e o f t h e ir e v e r y d a y c o m m u -n i t y l i f e , wh ich i s par t o f t he i r per sona l h i s t o ry o f so -c i a l i z a t i o n - w h a t P i e r r e B o u r d i e u c a l ls h a b i t u s . I td o e s n o t d o t h is b e c a u s e m o s t p e o p l e m o s t o f th e t i m ea r e o n l y d i m l y o r p a r t l y c o n s c i o u s o f th e c o n n e c t i o n sbe tween t he i r f e l t , t aken - fo r -g ran t ed be l i e f s and t he i rl oca t i on i n soc i a l spaces o r soc i a l s t ruc tu re . Psycho-a n a l y s i s c l a i m s t o l i b e r a t e p e o p l e f r o m n e u r o s e s d e -r i v e d f r o m i g n o r a n c e o f f a m i l y c o n s t r a in t s b y m a k i n gt h e m c o n s c i o u s o f r e p r e s s e d fe a r s a n d t ra u m a s . S o -c io log i ca l ana lys i s o f hab i t u s can i n t heo ry l i bera t e ,o r a li e n a te , p e r s o n s f r o m t h e r e c e i v e d w i s d o m a n d t h erece ived s t ruc tu re s o f f ee l i ng t ha t a r e par t s o f the i rp e r s o n a l h i s t o r y o f s o c i a l iz a t i o n b e y o n d t h e f a m i l y ,bu t a l so i nc lud ing i t . I t does t h i s by mak ing t hem con-s c i o u s o f t h e r e la t i on s b e t w e e n t h e ir c h e r i s h e d i d e a so r f ee l i ngs and t he roo t s o f t hese i n t aken - fo r -g ran t edc o m m u n i t i e s .

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L i k e p s y c h o a n a l y t i c p a t ie n t s , w h o m a y b e e x p e c t e dt o e n g a g e i n a l o t o f r e s i s ta n c e t o m a k i n g t h e u n c o n -s c i o u s c o n s c i o u s , w e s h o u l d n o t e x p e c t m a n y p e o p l et o be g ra t e fu l fo r soc i o l og i ca l e f fo r t s t o r ender hab i -t u s v i s i b l e . I t i s an i l l u s i on t ha t de t achmen t f rom t hehab i t s o f soc i a l i zed cu l t u re , neu ro t i c o r no t , is some -t h in g d e v o u t l y t o b e w i s h e d . F e w p e o p l e a r e l i k e l y tobe eager t o r i sk y i e l d i ng t he cer t a i n t y o f t he i r conv i c-t i o n s a n d t h e n a t u r a l n e s s o f t h e i r f e e l i n g s to t h er e l a t i v is m s o f s o c i o l o g i c a l a n a l y s i s . C o n f u s i o n a n da m b i v a l e n c e a r e f r e q u e n t l y t h e r e s u l t s . T h a t i s w h yYeat s ' s f am ous l i nes t he bes t l ack a ll conv i c t i on / w h i l et h e w o r s t a r e fu l l o f p a s s io n a t e i n t e n s i ty c o m e a s a nab rup t shock t o r eader s t r a i ned t o t h i nk o f n i h i l i sm ase v i l a n d a u t h e n t i c c o n v i c t i o n a s g o o d . W h a t F r e u dk n e w a b o u t t h e u n c o n s c i o u s , S i m m e l a n d o t h e r s o c i -o l o g i s t s i n f l u e n c e d b y h i m k n o w a b o u t s o c i a l i z a t i o n :t o r ender i t s p rocesses v i s i b l e i s fu l l o f mor t a l r i sks .N e a r l y f i f t y y e a r s a g o , E r i c h F r o m m p o i n t e d t o t h ef a c t t h a t f r e e d o m c a n b e a b u r d e n f r o m w h i c h s o m eseek t o escape . Al ong wi t h i t ma y go a l i ena t i ons , anx i -e t i e s, a n o m i e s , f e e l i n g s o f d i s p l a c e m e n t t h at f r e e d o mand soc i a l mob i l i t y engender . S t endhal ' s Ju l i en So re l ,in The Red and the Black i s an ear l y and t r ag ic a r c he-t ype o f t he i n s i gh t t ha t ma rg i na l i t y can k i ll you .

T h i s i s b a d n e w s f o r t h e M a r x i s t a n d E n l i g h t e n -men t t r ad i t i ons wh i ch hoped t ha t l i bera t i on wou l d c re-a t e the unmi xe d b l ess i ng s o f oppor t un i t y . Ne ver t he l ess ,Marx made an i mpor t an t con t r i bu t i on t o t he t r ad i t i ono f l i bera t i on f rom rece i ved i deas wi t h h i s soc i o l og i -c a l a n a l y s i s o f t h e m . H e c o n c e i v e d t h i s a s a p r o i e c t o fd e m y s t i f i c a t i o n ; b u t b e c a u s e h i s i n t e n t i o n w a s t o d e -bunk and t o r evea l t he c l ass o r i g i ns and c l ass conse-que nce s o f i deas , he l i mi t ed h is ana l ys i s to ' bou rgeo i sand o t her i deas he r egarded as obso l e t e . Yet i t i s c l earf rom h i s ear l y wr i t i ngs t ha t Marx r e t a i ned more t hana l i t t l e sympat hy fo r ho l i sm o r t o t a l i sm i n h i s i mageof a hum an com m uni t y t ha t is no t s t r a t if i ed by c l ass ,and t herefo re no t exp l o i t i ve , and wh i ch t herefo re hasn o n e e d t o m y s t i f y i t s i d e a s a b o u t a c o m m o n c u l t u r e .T h a t r e t a i n e d i m a g e o f n a tu r a l f r a t e r n it y i n M a r x ' se a r l y w r i t i n g s g o e s f a r t o e x p l a i n w h y h i s w o r k w a sso a t t r ac t i ve t o the N ew Le f t in t he 1961)s .

B e c a u s e M a r x ' s p r i m e i n t e n t i o n w a s t o d e m y s t i f ya n d d e b u n k a n d t h e r e b y t o w e a k e n o r u n d e r m i n e t h edom i nat i on o f bourge o i s i deas, he cou l d no t ex t end t oal l ideas, including those of the Lef t , the pr inciple im-pl ici t in h is sociological analysis : that al l ideas, includ-i ng the i dea o f com mu ni t y , mu s t be under s t ood i n t e rmsof t he ir g roup o r i g i ns and t he i r conseq uenc es l i )r r ep ro -duc t i on o r change i n soc ia l o rder . Th i s p rob l em has hadan odd consequence . S i nce Marx , mos t i n t e l l ec t ua l s o f

t he Lef t - - i n de ed mo s t in t e l lec t ua l s o f wh at ever po l it i -c a l s t r i p e - - h a v e b e e n e a g e r t o a n a l y z e s o c i o l o g i c a l l yi deas t hey r egarded as f a l se , mi s l ead i ng , pern i c i ous ,exp l o i t i ve , o r wh i ch t hey o t herwi se d i s l i ked , becausesuch ana l ys i s was t he equ i va l en t o f dem ys t i f i ca t ion . Ont he who l e t hey have d i scree t l y r e f r a i ned f rom soc i o -l og i ca l ana l ys i s o f t he i r own i deas , o r any i deas t heywere l bnd o f , because t he s t y l e and subs t ance o f suchanal ys i s , r oo t ed i n t he t r ad it i on o f dem ys t i f i ca t i on , wasi n t ended t o w eake n t he i r c r ed ib i l it y .

K a r l M a n n h e i m t r ie d t o e x t e n d t h e s t y l e o f M a r x i s tana l ys i s t o a l l i deas ( a l l po l i t i ca l i deas , t ha t i s - -heexempt ed sc i ence) , bu t he t oo f e l t ob l i ged t o l ook t k ) ra s t ra t u m a n d a p o i n t o f v i e w t h a t c o u l d u n i f y o r m a k ew h o l e t h e d i v e r s it y o f c o n f l i c t i n g p e r s p e c t i v e s g e n e r -a t ed by c l ass and o t her p l ac em en t s i n soc i a l s t ruc t u re .In r e t ro spec t , he seems na i ve i n hav i ng ass i gned sucha ro l e t o t he i n t e l l ec t ua l s who , we have l earned , maybe as par t i san as any g roup .

A n t o n i o G r a m s c i m a d e a m a j o r c o n t ri b u t io n t o t h isMa rx i s t t r ad i ti on by show i ng t ha t wi de l y d i f fu sed com -m o n c u l t u re b r i d g i n g c l a s s d i v i s i o n s w a s n o t s im p l y ac a s e o f f a l s e c o n s c i o u s n e s s b r u t a ll y i m p o s e d b y aru l i ng c l ass i n t en t on perpe t ua t i ng i t s domi na t i on . Fo rh i m , ' h e g e m o n y o r h e g e m o n i c d o m i n a t i o n re f e r re dt o t h e c o n s e n t a n d c o m p l i a n c e i n d u c e d b y h a b i t u a ls o c i a li z a t io n , b y a n a u t h e n t i c a l l y f e l t c o m m o n c u l t u r eo f i m p l ic i t , s e l f - e v i d e n t p i e t i e s . B u t e v e n G r a m s c is e e m e d t o l im i t h is i d e a o f h e g e m o n y t o b o u r g e o i sh e g e m o n y , e x p l o i t i v e a n d t h e r e f o r e n e e d i n g t o b e r e -v e a l e d . I t w o u l d h a v e b e e n d i f f i c u l t f o r h i m t o a c c e p tt he i n s i gh t t ha t a l l soc i e t i es r equ i r e some hegemon i ccu l t u re : i mp l i c i t , t aken - fo r -g ran t ed , and - - fo r t he h i s -t o r i c a l m o m e n t - - r e l a t i v e l y u n c h a l l e n g e d . W i t h o u t i t ,r ou t i ne soc i a l i n t e r ac t i on and o rd i nary c i v i l d i scou r sew o u l d b e j u s t a b o u t i n c o n c e i v a b l e .

To say t ha t a l l soc i e t i es r equ i r e some wi de l y sharedhegemon i c cu l t u re i s no t t o say t ha t such hegemon i esdo no t change over t i me. They change i n par t t h roughs t rugg l es car r i ed on by g roups d i f f e r en t l y p l aced i n so -c i a l s t ruc tu res , w ho a t t empt t o l eg i t imat e t he i r s t rugg l esl ess wi t h cu l t u ra l i nducemen t s ( t ha t i s , w i de l y t aken -for-granted piet ies) than wi th ideologies ( that i s , ideasst i l l predominant ly cont roversial ) . In Western count r ies ,ove r t he sho r t space o f a hundred year s , we hav e seenequal i t y o f oppor t un i t y , t he un i ver sa l f r anch i se , mar -r i age fo r love , and exp ress i on i s t aes t he t i cs t r ans l o rm edf rom i s sues o f deep i deo l og i ca l con t rover sy t o va l uest ha t com m and near -un i ver sa l consen t . I see a con t i nu -ing his tor ical process in which shared cul ture i s brokenup i n t o d iv i s i ve i deo l og i es and i n wh i ch , over t i me, som ei deo l og i es wi n su f f ic i en t cons ensus t o app roach beco m-

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i n g n e w o r r e s t o r e d c h u n k s o f h e g e m o n i c c u l t u re . T h i sv i s i on has m ade m e a par ti san o f t he soc io log i ca l ana ly -s i s o f i deas . Desp i t e t he very r ea l r i sks o f n ih i l i sm o ra n o m i e i t im p l i e s, i f it h e lp s p e o p l e t o b e c o m e a w a r e o ft h e r e la t io n b e t w e e n w h a t t h e y b e l i e v e a n d w h e r e t h e yare o r were , i t can po t en t i a l l y he lp t hem to de t ach t hem-se lves f rom ideas t ha t no l onger se rve t hem w el l and t oscan t he i r cu l t u ra l env i ronmen t s fo r some t ha t do .

In th i s con t i nu ing s t rugg l e i t may be t ime fo r u s , asscho l ar s and i n t e l l ec tua l s , t o submi t t he i deas we l i ket o d e m y s t i f i c a t i o n - - t o p a s s t h e m t h r o u g h t h e f i r e o fs o c i o l o g i c a l a n a l y s i s . I h a v e i n m i n d h e r e a n d n o wt h e i d e a o f c o m m u n i t y . T h e q u e s t f o r c o m m u n i t y i svery l i ke ly e t e rna l , a nd i t r e f l ec t s t he f ac t tha t o rde r l ys o c i a l l i f e i s i n c o n c e i v a b l e w i t h o u t s o m e s h a r e d c u l -t u re . W h a t e v e r e l s e i t m e a n s , c o m m u n i t y a l w a y s r e f e r st o c o m m o n l y h e l d v a l u e s a n d b e h a v i o r a l p r e s c r i p ti o n s ,t h e h o n o r i n g o f w h i c h a r e u l ti m a t e l y c o n d i t i o n s o fme m bersh ip . I t i s a l so t rue tha t t he sus t enance o f t ha tc o m m o n c u l t u r e u s u a l ly r e q u i re s f r e q u e n t f a c e - t o - f a c ein t e rac ti on am ong i t s par t i sans o r me mb ers , ve ry li ke lym o r e f r e q u e n t t h an i n t e r a c ti o n w i th n o n m e m b e r s . F r e -quen t i n t e rac t i on wi th ou t s i der s r ep resen t s t he poss i -b i l it y o f s e d u c t i o n to n e w m e m b e r s h i p s a n d r e d u c e st h e c o s t s o f e x p u l s i o n f r o m o l d m e m b e r s h i p s .

F o r t hi s r e a s o n , t h e i n v o c a t i o n o f t h e c o n c e p t o fc o m m u n i t y m a y m o r e o f t e n b e li k e a n i n c a n ta t i on t h a na p rec i se r e fe rence ; i t s rhe to r i ca l u se t aps t he mag ica n d m y s t e r y o f c u l t u r e a n d f r a m e s i t in a g a u z y h a l o ,r a t h e r l i k e s o f t - f o c u s p h o t o g r a p h y . I t e m p h a s i z e s t h ef a m i l i a r i t y a n d c o m f o r t t h a t s e c u r e m e m b e r s h i p i ss u p p o s e d to b r i n g - - t h a t s e n s e o f w e t ha t w e c o n -g r a t u la t e o u r s e l v e s t h a t w e n e e d a n d w h i c h c o m -m u n i t y p r o v i d e s . I f t h e d a r k s i d e o f f r e e d o m i sa l i e n a t i o n a n d a n o m i e o r t h e i n s a t i a b l e e g o i s m t h a tD u r k h e i m w a r n e d o f a nd w h i c h a b i t s o f t h e e a r ta l s o i n v o k e s , t h e d a r k s i d e o f c o m m u n i t y i s t h e e te r -n a l i n t e r n a l p o w e r s t r u g g l e o v e r a l w a y s l i m i t e d r e -s o u r c e s a n d o v e r th e a u t h o r i t y t o i n t e r p r e t t h eu l t i m a t e l y a m b i g u o u s , s h a r e d c u l t u r e i n a w a y t h a te n s u r e s o p t i m a l c o n f o r m i t y a n d c o n t i n u it y o f m e m -b e r s . H e n c e w e u se p h r a s e s li k e t h e b l a c k c o m m u -n i ty , 'th e a c a d e m i c c o m m u n i t y , a n d t h e f e m i n i s tc o m m u n i t y i n a n i n c a n ta t io n a l m a n n e r. T h e w o r d

c o m m u n i t y a d d s n o t h in g c o n c r e t e t o b l a c k s , 'a ca -dem ics , and f em in i s t s : ac tua l l y i t h i des t he i n te r -n a l c o n f l ic t s w i t h i n e a c h o f t h e s e g r o u p s b e h i n d a nimpl i ed rhe to r i c o f shared cu l t u re .

T h e d i s t i n c t iv e l y m o d e r n s e n s e o f c o m m u n i t y i sm i n i m a li s t. C o m m u n i t i e s a r e a l w a y s w h o l e s i n s o m esense , bu t i n t he pos t i ndus t ri a l wor ld o u r ques t s fo r f r ee-dom and a l t e rna t i ves mean t ha t we share t he min imum

cu l tu re nece ssary fo r soc i a l o rder ; we i deo log i ca l l y d i s -ag ree ab ou t t he r es t , and b r i ng t o bea r ou r h igh ly d i f f e r -e n t i a t e d , p a r t i a l a n d s e g m e n t e d s u b c o m m u n i t i e s i npo l i t i ca l s t rugg l es over what we are ob l i ged and con-s t r a ined t o accep t and what we are f r ee t o choose , d i s -sen t f rom, and r ebe l aga ins t . The h i s t o ry o f l i bera t i onf rom the au tho r i t y - - som et ime s t he t yranny- -- --of com -muni t i es i s a g rea t p sycho log i ca l adv en tu re s t o ry . I t t e l lso f e i ther a l i ena ti on and an om ie o r l imi t ed comings t o -ge ther and g o ings apar t on be ha l f o f an image o f re l a -t i v e ly a u t o n o m o u s i n d i v i d u a l s c h o o s i n g t h e i rcom mu ni t i es o f a ff i li a t ion fo r t he t ime be ing , and f romwhich members a re f r ee t o wi thd raw o r sever t he i r t i eswhen t he g roup no l onger se rves t hem.

C o m m u n i ty is w a r m a n d w e ta n d i n t im a t e ; s o c i e ty i s c o l d a n d

d r y a n d f o r m a l

T h i s i m a g e i s d e e p l y o f f e n s i v e t o s o m e b e c a u s e i tcon t r ad i c t s t he p r imord i a l ima ge o f com mu ni ty as no ta mat ter of choice but of b i r th , ascr ip t ion, fate, or i r re-vocab l e ' comm i tmen t . Alon gs ide t h is no t i on , cho i cepales in to t r iv ial ity . I t is for th is reaso n that the v oca bu-l a ry o f k i n sh i p d o m i n a t e s t h e d i s c u s s io n o f c o m m u -n i t y - t h e f a m i l y o f n a ti o ns , s i s te r h o o d i s p o w e r f u l ,t he ' b ro therhoods o f l abo r, t he b ro ther s i n t he b l ackghet t o , and t he i n t en t iona l f am i l i es o f t he coun t er -c u l t u r e - - f o r k i n sh i p i s a n e x e m p l a r o f c o m m u n i t y m e m -ber sh ip wh ich fo r cen tu r i es one was no t f r ee t o cance l .B lood , we say , i s t h i cker t han wat er . The me taphor ma ys ti ll be ap t , bu t i ts days m ay be n um bered . Ov er t he l as to n e o r t w o h u n d r e d y e a r s b l o o d h a s b e e n n o t i c e a b l yth inn ing , wh i l e t he wat er s have become increas ing lym u d d i e d . I n a w o r l d i n c r e a s i n g l y d o m i n a t e d b yt r ansna ti ona l co rpo ra t i ons , t he i nvoca t i on o f k insh ip andcommuni ty may seem l i ke l i t t l e more t han sen t imen-t a l i t y o r , worse , a cyn i ca l p seudo-gemeinschaf t .

I f t h e t ra d i ti o n a l i m a g e o f c o m m u n i t y i s i n c re a s -i ng ly sen t imen t a l o r an e f fo r t a t r eenchan t i ng t he wor ld ,t h e im a g e o f a u t o n o m o u s i n d i v id u a l s c h o o s i n g t h e i rcom mu ni t i es o f a f f i l ia t i on i s a my th . Ch o i ce , a f t e r a l l,i s a l w a y s t o s o m e e x t e n t s t r u c t u r e d , c o n s t r a i n e d , h a -b i t ua l . I t i s a lways cho i ce f l om a more o r l ess l imi t edr a n g e o f a lt e r n a ti v e s m a d e a c c e s s i b l e b y o n e ' s p l a c e -m e n t i n s o c i a l s p a c e . N e v e r t h e l e s s , i t m a y b e a m y t hwor th be l i ev ing i n i f i t he lps t o i ncrease t he r ange o fa l t e rn a t i v e s f r o m w h i c h ' fr e e p e o p l e m a k e c h o i c e s .

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The ch arac t e r o f t he cons t r a i n t s i n p lu ra l i s t ic soc i e t -i e s i s i n c r e a s i n g l y c o m p l e x . M a r x h a d t o d e a l w i t hs t r a t i fi ca t i on by c l ass . W e have l earne d t ha t genders o c i a l i z a t i o n m a y c r e a t e h e g e m o n i e s r e l a t i v e l y i n d e -pende n t o f c l ass , and age ce r t a i n l y does . In a ti me o fi n t e rna t i ona l mi g ra t i on , e t hn i c i t y does t oo .

Th i s mu l t i p l ic i t y o f maj o r i n t e r ac t ing var i ab l es con -s t i tu t es t he g rea t cha l l enge t o a soc i o l o gy o f cu l t u re ;and t h is b r i ngs me f ina l l y to t he r ad i ca l i sm o f eve ry -day l i f e . W hat t he i dea evok es fo r me i s t he f ac t t ha t,over and above t he maj o r var i ab l es , i n a g i ven s i t ua-t i on o f soc i a l l i fe t here a r e more var i ab l es opera t i ngt h a n a n y s o c i a l s c i e n t i s t c a n t a k e a c c o u n t o f : m u c hl ess con t ro l . Very smal l i n t e r ac t i ve d i f f e r ences amongt h e m c a n p r o d u c e v e r y l a r g e u n a n t i c i p a t e d c o n s e -q u e n c e s . T h a t i s w h y e v e r y d a y l i f e i s f l d l o f u n e x -

p e c t e d t u rn s , a n d w h y i t i s a lw a y s m o r e c o m p l e x t h a nt h e g e n e r a l i z a t i o n s o f s o c i a l s c i e n t i s ts c a n c o n t a i n .That i s no r eason t o t abandon i ng t he e f f l ) r t s a t gener -a l i za t ion . I t is on l y t o say t ha t o u r par t i c i pa t i on i n t hehuman communi t y , w i t h a l l i t s r ad i ca l compl ex i t i es ,g i ves u s ou r capac i t y t o su rp r i se . That i s t roub l e l o rsoc i a l sc i ence , bu t i t shou l d be a de l i gh t t b r soc i a l sc i -e n t is t s w h o v a l u e t h e ir m e m b e r s h i p i n t h e h u m a n c o m -m u n i t y m o r e t h a n t h e i r m e m b e r s h i p i n t h e s o c i a ls c i e n c e c o m m u n i t y .

B e n n e t t M . B e r g e r w a s b o r n a n d r a i s e d i n N e w Y o rkC i t y b u t L , r e w u p i n C a l i[ 'o r n ia , t o w h i c h h e r e m a i n sgrcItefitl. He is p r ~ [ ~ 's s o r ~ s o c i o l o g y a t t h e U n i v e r s i t y o fCal i f i~rn ia , San D ie go . H i . s la t e s t b~ , ok , Sociology and Au-tobiography, i s in pre s s .

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