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Goals and Behaviour
Cíle a chování
[journal article]
Abstract In the first part of this paper I intend to argue that anthropologists have a predominantly
causal conception of explanation and that the only feasible way to avoid this is to apply
consistently the assumption of goal-orientation of behaviour, that is to hold what could broadly be
called a teleol... view more
In the first part of this paper I intend to argue that anthropologists have a predominantly
causal conception of explanation and that the only feasible way to avoid this is to apply
consistently the assumption of goal-orientation of behaviour, that is to hold what could broadly be
called a teleological conception of explanation – a view that developments are due to the purpose
or design that is served by them. Further on I will try to show that groups and norms do not exist
and act independently of people. They have no existence as “things” apart from forming a part of
the relevant stock of knowledge of the members of society. They can be brought to bear on actions
only by people invoking them. Thus we have to make a sharp distinction between the conceptual
or notional level of phenomena, and the transactional or processual level, sometimes known as
cultural and social respectively.... view less
Classification
Ethnology, Cultural Anthropology, Ethnosociology
Free Keywords
goal orientation of behaviour; groups; norms; causal explanation of behaviour; individual strategies
Document language
English
Publication Year
2014
Page/Pages
p. 9-42
Journal
Historická sociologie / Historical Sociology (2014) 2
DOI
https://doi.org/10.14712/23363525.2014.1
ISSN
1804-0616
Status
Published Version; peer reviewed
Licence
Creative Commons - Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works