Wer Geschichte in ihren großen Zügen verstehen will – das gilt für die politische wie für die Gesellschaftsgeschichte –, tut manchmal gut daran, seinen Blick auf Organisationen und Institutionen überschaubaren Ausmaßes zu richten. Dort sind meist Akteure am Werk, deren Handeln die Normen und Wertvorstellungen, die Zwänge und Freiräume widerspiegelt, die auch über Erfolg oder Misserfolg des Staatsverbands, innerhalb dessen sie funktionieren, entscheiden. Die auffälligen Übereinstimmungen zw...

Dieses Buch vermittelt wissenschaftlich fundierte Grundlagen personaler und organisationaler Führung. Es bietet realistische Einblicke in die Praxis von Führungskräften und regt zur Reflexion etablierter Führungsleitbilder an.Der Autor geht zunächst der Frage nach, warum sich erwachsene Menschen freiwillig fremden Autoritäten unterwerfen. Er untersucht die notwendigen Grundkompetenzen einer Führungskraft und beleuchtet die organisationalen Dimensionen von Führung. In beiden Bereich...

In Praise of Doubt explores how to survive the political, moral, and religious challenges raised by the extreme poles of relativism and fundamentalism.In this insightful and thought-provoking book, two world-renowned social scientists, Peter L. Berger and Anton C. Zijderveld, ask and answer Big Questions, offering invaluable guidance on how to have convictions without becoming a fanatic."A book of great practical wisdom by authors who have pr...

Der in die Jahre gekommene Rockmusiker Old Bergi will als Frühpensionär auf Zypern seinen Lebensabend verbringen. Die »Insel der Liebe« entpuppt sich jedoch als Vorgarten der Hölle, weil ihm überraschend schnell und brutal ein Strich durch die Rechnung gemacht wird; nicht nur von seiner Jugendliebe und deren neuen Liebhaber, sondern auch von den »Damen der Nacht« und deren Zuhältern. Um sich aus dem Strudel von Hass, Intrigen und Korruption zu befreien, bleibt Old Bergi nichts anderes übri...

Leading religious and cultural commentator, Peter Berger, explores how and what we can believe in modern times.Deals clearly with questions such as ‘Does God exist? What was so special about Jesus? How can one be Christian in a pluralistic society?Structured around key phrases from the Apostles' Creed.Draws on the Christian theological tradition and the work of other relevant thinkers, such as Freud and Simone Weil.The author tak...

Il matrimonio come costruzione sociale è un esercizio di microsociologia del sapere che evidenzia la capacità dell'istituzione di generare un nomos condiviso. Con il matrimonio due estranei costruiscono, giorno dopo giorno, un universo simbolico condiviso e convalidato che li farà diventare persone diverse e che li aiuterà a trovare il loro "posto nel mondo". L'importanza di questa sfera di vita ordinata – che media la complessità della società anonima – è qui descritta in modo impareggiab...

There is a growing anxiety about the basic health of society. Everywhere we see the fraying of the social fabric, the decline of families, the absence of consensus on unifying moral principles, and the disappearance of community and voluntary associations. Around the world, politicians and intellectuals of all political persuasions seek to restore civil society by cultivating stronger public ethics and social institutions. In The Essential Civil Society Reader Don Eberly, one of t...

With particular attention to his work on modernization and modernity as construed by a sociologist of knowledge, this book offers a sympathetic exposition and evaluation of Peter Berger’s work as one of the world’s most accomplished and influential sociologists.In the context of an examination of Berger’s ongoing work on the social construction of reality, styles of consciousness, the role of science-based technology, pluralism, and other pertinent topics, the author also considers...

Peter Berger is the most influential contemporary sociologist of religion. This collection of essays is the first in-depth study of his contribution to the field, providing a comprehensive introduction to his work and to current thought in the study of religion. Themes addressed include: * Berger on religion and theology * Religion, spirituality and the discontents of modernity * Secularization and de-secularization A postscript by Peter Berger, responding to the essays, completes this ove...

Europe is a relatively secular part of the world in global terms. Why is this so? And why is the situation in Europe so different from that in the United States? The first chapter of this book - the theme - articulates this contrast. The remaining chapters - the variations - look in turn at the historical, philosophical, institutional and sociological dimensions of these differences. Key ideas are examined in detail, among them: constitutional issues; the Enlightenment; systems of law, edu...

Peter L. Berger (1929–2017) was among the most prominent sociologists of the past half-century. He co-authored with Thomas Luckmann, The Social Construction of Reality, considered to be a modern classic of social science. His work on social theory, the sociology of religion, third-world development, and the role of capitalism in modern life define his enduring importance as a leading figure in social science. Berger established an international reputation for his various studies o...

Developing Cultures: Case Studies is a collection of 27 essays by a group of leading internationals scholars on the role of culture and cultural change in the evolution of countries and regions around the world.