A sociology of existence for a late modern world. Basic assumptions and conceptual tools

In the present article, we outline basic assumptions and conceptual tools for a sociology of existence. First, we address man's fundamental conditions of existence: that life's finitude and encounters with the uncertainty of existence are fundamental experiences that construct social relat...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal for the theory of social behaviour 2024-06, Vol.54 (2), p.229-246
Main Authors: Flisbäck, Marita, Bengtsson, Mattias
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Energy resources
Everyday life
existential imperative
existential nausea
existential philosophy
life space
Meaning
Människan i vården
Nausea
Religionsvetenskap
Religious Studies
Social issues
Social relations
Sociology
sociology of existence
The Human Perspective in Care
trust capital
Turning points
Uncertainty
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Summary:In the present article, we outline basic assumptions and conceptual tools for a sociology of existence. First, we address man's fundamental conditions of existence: that life's finitude and encounters with the uncertainty of existence are fundamental experiences that construct social relations. Second, we outline how existential meaning‐making and the ability to cope with the unpredictability of life are dependent on power resources, where especially the resource poor may experience ‘existential nausea’. Third, we discuss how existential dilemmas may intensify under certain historical eras. Therefore, studying individuals' existential dilemmas is a tool to examine the dominant social issues at a particular time and place. Fourth, we elaborate on the importance of studying turning points during individuals' life courses, as existential meaning – or lack thereof – becomes particularly salient at these times. This includes an understanding that death and rebirth are experienced in the form of various endings and beginnings in everyday life. Fifth, and finally, we emphasize an analysis in which the direction of people's lives is conceptualized in a broad time perspective, where past, present, and future interact and influence life choices and social relations constructed during a lifetime.
ISSN:0021-8308
1468-5914
1468-5914
DOI:10.1111/jtsb.12416