Nothing final de-anonymised.pdf (251.72 kB)
A sociology of nothing: understanding the unmarked
Nothing is a sociologically neglected terrain, comprising negatively defined phenomena, such as non-identification, non-participation and non-presence. Nevertheless, these symbolic social objects are created and managed through meaningful social interaction. Nothing is accomplished either by active commission (doing/being a non-something) or by passive omission (not-doing/not-being something). I explore these dichotomous forms through four dimensions of negative social space: non-identity; inactivity; absence; and silence. Paradoxically, nothing is always productive of something: other symbolic objects come into being through the apprehension of phantoms, imaginaries, replacements and alternatives, which generate further constitutive meanings. A sociological analysis illuminates these processes, revealing how much nothing matters.
History
Publication status
- Published
File Version
- Accepted version
Journal
SociologyISSN
0038-0385Publisher
SAGE PublicationsExternal DOI
Issue
1Volume
52Page range
3-19Department affiliated with
- Sociology and Criminology Publications
Full text available
- Yes
Peer reviewed?
- Yes
Legacy Posted Date
2017-04-07First Open Access (FOA) Date
2017-04-07First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date
2017-04-07Usage metrics
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