Does our physicality influence society? If it does then what meaning can be derived from that relationship? What follows is an analysis of theory which strives to develop a conceptualization of reality and society which incorporates both a radical social constructivism with the assumption or “givenness” of external reality. The works being drawn upon are predominately associated with phenomenological sociology, systems theory, and semiotics but additional works from philosophy and political science are considered. The result of this venture is the conclusion that affirmation, the proof of the reaction, is the foundation of society. From this conclusion follows the postulation that the greatest danger to social change is the subversion of meaningful action through the creation of recursive forms of affirmation which disperse collective resistance into systems of limited influence.
","abstract_html":"<p>Does our physicality influence society? If it does then what meaning can be derived from that relationship? What follows is an analysis of theory which strives to develop a conceptualization of reality and society which incorporates both a radical social constructivism with the assumption or “givenness” of external reality. The works being drawn upon are predominately associated with phenomenological sociology, systems theory, and semiotics but additional works from philosophy and political science are considered. The result of this venture is the conclusion that affirmation, the proof of the reaction, is the foundation of society. From this conclusion follows the postulation that the greatest danger to social change is the subversion of meaningful action through the creation of recursive forms of affirmation which disperse collective resistance into systems of limited influence.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Dreyer, Benjamin"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Arts (MA)","degree_level":"Open Access Thesis","degree_discipline":"Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Robert Orrange, Ph.D.","Tricia McTague, Ph.D."],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2020,"date_issued":"2020-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2020-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:17:40Z","subjects":["Sociology"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://commons.emich.edu/theses/1041","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Robert Orrange, Ph.D.","Tricia McTague, Ph.D."]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Dreyer, Benjamin"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2020-09-18T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Open Access Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Arts (MA)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Sociology"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://commons.emich.edu/theses/1041"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Does our physicality influence society? If it does then what meaning can be derived from that relationship? What follows is an analysis of theory which strives to develop a conceptualization of reality and society which incorporates both a radical social constructivism with the assumption or “givenness” of external reality. The works being drawn upon are predominately associated with phenomenological sociology, systems theory, and semiotics but additional works from philosophy and political science are considered. The result of this venture is the conclusion that affirmation, the proof of the reaction, is the foundation of society. From this conclusion follows the postulation that the greatest danger to social change is the subversion of meaningful action through the creation of recursive forms of affirmation which disperse collective resistance into systems of limited influence.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Affirmation and reaction: Towards a critical biosemiotic sociology"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Robert Orrange, Ph.D.","Tricia McTague, Ph.D."],"dc:creator":["Dreyer, Benjamin"],"dc:date.available":["2020-09-18T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Does our physicality influence society? If it does then what meaning can be derived from that relationship? What follows is an analysis of theory which strives to develop a conceptualization of reality and society which incorporates both a radical social constructivism with the assumption or “givenness” of external reality. The works being drawn upon are predominately associated with phenomenological sociology, systems theory, and semiotics but additional works from philosophy and political science are considered. The result of this venture is the conclusion that affirmation, the proof of the reaction, is the foundation of society. From this conclusion follows the postulation that the greatest danger to social change is the subversion of meaningful action through the creation of recursive forms of affirmation which disperse collective resistance into systems of limited influence.
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