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Cited by 8,661Weber, Simmel, Sociological TheoryContemporary Sociological Theory and PracticeCultural Differences and Values

Culture in Action: Symbols and Strategies

Swidler, Ann·1986·American Sociological Review
DOI 10.2307/2095521
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Abstract

Culture influences action not by providing the ultimate values toward which action is oriented, but by shaping a repertoire or "tool kit " of habits, skills, and styles from which people construct "strategies of action. " Two models of cultural influence are developed, for settled and unsettled cultural periods. In settled periods, culture independently influences action, but only by providing resources from which people can construct diverse lines of action. In unsettled cultural periods, explicit ideologies directly govern action, but structural opportunities for action determine which among competing ideologies survive in the long run. This alternative view of culture offers new opportunities for systematic, differentiated arguments about culture's causal role in shaping action. The reigning model used to understand culture's effects on action is fundamentally misleading. It assumes that culture shapes action by supplying ultimate ends or values toward which action is directed, thus making values

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  • People also learn how to interact through stories they hear as children, gossip, and mass media.

    “People also learn how to interact through the stories they hear as children from their parents, through the gossip heard about how others behave, and through the stories in mass media (Baumeister et al., 2004; Swidler, 1986; Zerubavel, 2009).”

    From Stories in Action. (2022) · cites this paper as Swidler, 1986

  • The interpretive turn in cultural studies argues that meaning arises from interpretation, mobilization and ordering of cultural symbols and cognitive categories; cultural deep structures become toolkits or repertoires actors use to make sense.

    “The 'interpretive turn' in cultural studies argues that meaning arises from interpretation, a process in which actors actively draw upon cultural deep structures.Meaning arises from the mobilization and ordering of cultural symbols and cognitive categories.Cultural deep structures thus become 'toolkits' or 'repertoires' that actors use to make sense (Swidler, 1986).”

    From Ontologies, socio-technical transitions (to sustainability), and the multi-level perspective (2010) · cites this paper as Swidler, 1986

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Authors
Swidler, A.
Corresponding author
Swidler, Ann
Venue
American Sociological Review
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Published
1986-04
Volume
51
Issue
2
Pages
273
ISSN
0003-1224 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.2307/2095521
OpenAlex
W2125377513
Cited by
8,661
References
74
Citations by year
2026: 366 · 2025: 312 · 2024: 374 · 2023: 426 · 2022: 421 · 2021: 445 · 2020: 498 · 2019: 493 · 2018: 344 · 2017: 346 · 2016: 349 · 2015: 346 · 2014: 374 · 2013: 325 · 2012: 319
FWCI
93.39
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
American Sociological Review (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Weber, Simmel, Sociological Theory
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Contemporary Sociological Theory and Practice
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Cultural Differences and Values
Keywords
cultural influence on behavior, ideology

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