Artikel

Technocratisering en de reconstructie van onze cultuur: actualisering van de sociologie van Alexis De Tocqueville

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Abstract

Technocracy and the reconstruction of our culture - The sociology of culture in the works of Alexis de Tocqueville is very relevant for a study of the characteristics and developments of our own time and society. Tocqueville’s approach combines analysis of social structures with prognosis of their potential developments. Social structure and culture are systematically seen in their interrelations. This type of sociology is topical now that the structure and dynamics of our macrofield are more and more being experienced as problematic. Western societies are in a period of fundamental reorientation towards the development and objectives of their productive machinery. In Tocqueville’s conceptual scheme “aristocracy” and “democracy” have a major importance as Idealtypen in the analysis of the transition towards a democratic society. We propose to extend his typology with “technocracy”, in order to make Tocqueville’s approach relevant for an analysis of our transition towards a technocratic society. We try to point out that this process of social change also implicates a reconstruction of our culture. In this process culture is broken up into diverse and potentially conflicting cultures.

How to Cite:

Buiks, P., (1976) “Technocratisering en de reconstructie van onze cultuur: actualisering van de sociologie van Alexis De Tocqueville”, Tijdschrift voor Sociale Wetenschappen 21(4), 307–319. doi: https://doi.org/10.21825/tvsw.96040