Rethinking embodiment and historicity in cultural sociology : A critical view on Alexander's aesthetics of iconicity
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2025 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Thesis Eleven |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| web | https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/07255136251344959 |
| Doi | https://doi.org/10.1177/07255136251344959 |
| Keywords | embodiment; historicity; iconicity; lived experience |
| Attached files | |
| Description | This paper explores the potential for enriching Jeffery Alexander's ‘aesthetics of iconicity’ within cultural sociology by further developing its engagement with embodiment and historicity. Cultural sociology, concerned with the meanings inherent in social life, distinguishes itself from approaches focused solely on functional unity or linguistic signification, emphasising instead the hermeneutical dimensions of understanding and the lived experiences of those who comprehend meanings. Alexander's description of the perceiving subject's immersion in the object of experience suggests a conception of the subject as a living being, possessing and being a living body. This paper proposes that a more nuanced understanding of iconic experience can be achieved by integrating a deeper exploration of how this embodied subject engages with icons within specific historical contexts. By attending to the lived dimensions of embodiment, we can further illuminate the complex interplay between iconic meaning and the human experience of social life. |
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