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Children and Adolescents in Times of Crises in Europe pp 3–15Cite as

Theories for a Childhood and Youth-Related Crisis Research

Or: Empiricism Seeks Theory: A Speed Date

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Part of the book series: Children’s Well-Being: Indicators and Research ((CHIR,volume 20))

Abstract

Baris Ertugrul questions and compares the sociological theories of Emile Durkheim, Harold Garfinkel and Pierre Bourdieu according to their ability to provide information on crises in connection with children and adolescents. It is shown that the theories diverge epistemologically and in their focal points of observation, although the power to visualise social or dispositional order relationships is inherent to the concept of crisis in all three theories. Bourdieu’s theory of habitus dissolves the oscillation between objectivism and subjectivism, for which Durkheim and Garfinkel emblematically stand, and takes into account not only social structures but also the perspectives of the actors. With this metatheorical course of action, a childhood and youth-related crisis research is outlined which should gain validity as habitus research. Crises are understood analytically as changing material conditions of existence and environmental conditions to which habitus is exposed and within which they are structured and structurally directed towards the world.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    For a comprehensive overview: Grimm et al. (2018).

  2. 2.

    The abundant sociological theories deal with crises in a multitude of ways. As my intention here is to examine how crisis can be addressed, this contribution is of an exploratory nature. It should immediately be noted that it is by no means a “final” theory but rather a first approximation which must prove itself in the research process.

  3. 3.

    August Comte is listed for good reason as the first proponent of sociology in many introductions (cf. for example Kruse 2008).

  4. 4.

    The conceptual inconsistencies of the comparison cannot be dealt with in this work.

  5. 5.

    Durkheim understands norms, rules and values as morality (cf. Müller1983, 1986: 72).

  6. 6.

    Durkheim has nineteenth-century France in mind here, in which the modern capitalist order prevails, political principles of equality are questioned and scientific competitions take place. These phenomena are embedded in social transformation processes.

  7. 7.

    See Kron et al. (2003) for more on this topic.

  8. 8.

    Attentive readers quickly notice that this motive is borrowed from Durkheim. In addition, there is also the theoretical integration of psychoanalysis (cf. Bergmann 2007: 52).

  9. 9.

    Conflict sociology, which also emerged as an antagonist of system theory, suggests that, on this point, Parsons’ statements were fundamentally “harmonious and stability-oriented”.

  10. 10.

    Conversational analysis is research based on ethnomethodology. I mention it here because of its relevance to the subject but do not outline it. See Bergmann 2007 and Breidenstein and Tyagunova 2012.

  11. 11.

    This image is borrowed from Foucault, who ascribes this effect to resistance formations which make power relations visible – and therefore also systems.

  12. 12.

    Here the talk is synonymously of “social state of affairs” or “social facts”.

  13. 13.

    Stark, Kaasch and van Hooren (cf. 2013: 6) also understand crises as a synonym for change.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department for Socialization Research and Centre for Prevention and Intervention in Childhood and Adolescence (CPI), Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany

    Baris Ertugrul

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  1. Baris Ertugrul
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Correspondence to Baris Ertugrul .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department for Socialization Research and Centre for Prevention and Intervention in Childhood and Adolescence (CPI), Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany

    Marc Grimm

  2. Department for Socialization Research and Centre for Prevention and Intervention in Childhood and Adolescence (CPI), Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany

    Baris Ertugrul

  3. Department for Socialization Research and Centre for Prevention and Intervention in Childhood and Adolescence (CPI), Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany

    Ullrich Bauer

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Ertugrul, B. (2019). Theories for a Childhood and Youth-Related Crisis Research. In: Grimm, M., Ertugrul, B., Bauer, U. (eds) Children and Adolescents in Times of Crises in Europe. Children’s Well-Being: Indicators and Research, vol 20. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-16331-0_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-16331-0_1

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