
Michael Brownstein successfully defended his dissertation on Monday, December 15, 2008. The title of the dissertation is "
Practical Sense and Social Action." He writes of his dissertation:
My dissertation argued that theories of social action must distinguish intelligent action from intentional action. I used arguments by Heidegger, Merleau-Ponty, Bourdieu and, more recently, Hubert Dreyfus and Charles Taylor to provide an alternative to theoretical accounts of social action founded on the study of the psychology of intentional actors (i.e. their beliefs and desires). In other words, I showed why a nonconceptual account of intentionality - what Merleau-Ponty calls "motor intentionality" - helps to solve foundational problems in the philosophy of social science. My goal was two-fold: first, to show that the "know-how," "practical sense," or "embodied practical understanding" of ordinary social actors helps to explain their actions; and second, to consider the ramifications for normative social theories of the study of these practical and "sub-intentional" sources of action. Overall, I developed an approach to social theory focused on the tacit practical understanding social actors utilize in their day to day activities as compared to the beliefs, desires or reasons they often point to upon reflection as causes of action. My dissertation concluded with a case study aimed at applying this approach to the study of the internet. I discussed changing conceptions of copyright and propriety, strong and weak ties in online communities and the nature of information retrieval in "peer-produced" computer-mediated social practices.
His committee was chaired by John Christman and included Shannon Sullivan, Len Lawlor and Nancy Love.
Congratulations to Dr. Michael Brownstein.
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