MACMILLAN John Dewey and the Notion of Trans-action: A Sociological Reply on Rethinking Relations and Social Processes (Palgrave Studies in Relational Sociology)

Engaging with several emerging and interconnected approaches in the social sciences, including pragmatism, system theory, processual thinking and relational thinking, this book leverages John Dewey and Arthur Bentley’s often misunderstood concept of trans-action to revisit and redefine our perceptions of social relations and social life. The contributors gathered here use trans-action in a more specific sense, showing why and how social scientists and philosophers might use the concept to better understand our social life and social problems. As the first collective sociological attempt to apply the concept of trans-action to contemporary social issues, this volume is a key reference for the growing audience of relational and processual thinkers in the social sciences and beyond.                                              Review “This is the best book yet published on Dewey and Bentley’s important concept of trans-action, bringing together a range of authors who not only explain and develop the concept, but also apply it in the analysis of social networks, organizations, institutions, and activities. As trans-action has become a vital concept in the development of processual and relational sociology, this book will be essential reading for academics and students working in the social sciences today. It is also a fitting tribute to the life and work of François Dépelteau, who did so much to develop relational sociology as a field of study.” (Ian Burkitt, Professor Emeritus of Sociology and Criminology, University of Bradford, UK) “This impressive collection of essays gives us an eagerly awaited key contribution to the processual turn in the social sciences: its authors thoroughly discuss the concept of trans-action, and they put it to good use in diverse fields of social inquiry. Indispensable reading for relational sociologists and for everybody interested in the processual nature of the social world.” (Jan Fuhse, Replacement Professor of Sociology, University of Passau, Germany) From the Back Cover Engaging with three interconnected approaches in the social sciences (pragmatism, processual thinking, and relational thinking), this book leverages John Dewey and Arthur Bentley’s often misunderstood work Knowing and the Known and the concept of trans-action developed therein to revisit and redefine our perceptions of social relations and social life. As it moves us beyond essentialist notions of ‘self-action’ and ‘inter-action,’ trans-action allows us to perceive anew our understandings of ourselves, others, and the social fields, networks, organizations, and processes through which we make our way in the world. The contributors gathered here use these notions in a more specific sense, showing why and how social scientists and philosophers might use them to better understand our social life and social problems. As the first collective sociological attempt to apply the concept of trans-action to contemporary social issues, this volume is a key reference for the growing audience of relational and processual thinkers in the social sciences and beyond. About the Author Christian Morgner’s (University of Leicester, UK) research interests include social justice, communication, social theory and development. He previously held a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at Hitotsubashi University, Japan, and was as a Research Affiliate at the University of Cambridge, UK. He has also held visiting fellowships at Yale University, USA; University of Lucerne, Switzerland; University of Leuven, Belgium, and the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, France.