Page 32 - Contemporary Political Sociology Globalization Politics and Power

18 Changing Definitions of Politics and Power

In his work The Civil Sphere , Jeffrey Alexander builds on the later work
of Durkheim on religion to argue that, although contemporary societies
have been transformed by secular humanism, spiritual dimensions are
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vital to the construction of social solidarity. He argues that there is an
underlying consensus in American society that democracy is sacred, and
that it must be protected from profane counter - democratic persons, events,
and activities. The civil sphere is organized around cultural codes that
maintain this fundamental binary opposition and which are available, and
invariably drawn on, when concrete political disputes arise. The civil
sphere exists alongside other spheres in differentiated societies, as a
“ solidary sphere, in which a certain kind of universalizing community
comes to be culturally defined and to some degree institutionally enforced ”

(Alexander, 2006 : 31). Membership in the civil sphere depends on account-
ing for oneself as motivated and as acting democratically (rationally,
reasonably, and realistically, and not irrationally, hysterically, or unreal-
istically) to support democratic social relationships (which are open,
trusting, truthful) and institutions (which are rule - regulated, not arbitrary,
promote equality not hierarchy and inclusion not exclusion). Whatever

or whoever comes to be defined as profane is seen as polluting, “ to be
isolated and marginalized at the boundaries of civil society, and some-
times even destroyed ” (Alexander and Smith, 1993 : 164). The civil sphere
may be expanded to include class and status groups previously excluded
from its terms where those stigmatized as counter - democratic are able to
claim, and to institutionalize, their membership through its cultural codes.
The codes of the civil sphere may also be used to “ invade ” the non - civil
spheres of the economy, the state, the family, and religious interaction.
Alexander gives detailed attention to the social movements that have suc-
cessfully used the language of the ideal community of the civil sphere to
bring black Americans, women, and Jews into the democratic main-
stream. Ultimately, this is possible because the civil sphere is premised on
moral individualism; it is the rights of the person that are sacred in con-
temporary societies. The civil sphere therefore contains within it the pos-
sibility of expanding terms of democratic and social justice.
Alexander ’ s “ strong programme ” of cultural sociology, of which The
Civil Sphere is the most highly developed exemplar, involves a sophisti-
cated account of how culture, structure, and social action fi t together. We
will draw on some of the insights of this program later in the chapter to
develop the theoretical framework for analyzing cultural politics. In terms
of political sociology, however, The Civil Sphere , whilst it brilliantly

updates Durkheim ’ s work for the twenty - first century, also shares some

of the difficulties of that work with regard to politics.