How Scalar Variation Shapes Competitive and Cooperative Action in Fields

• In Event: 20207 - Sociological Theory. Contemporary Developments of Classic Themes.

Abstract

Theories of fields provide a powerful framework for understanding social action and structure, yet they have largely treated fields as isolated, abstract entities. This paper introduces a theory of scalar variation, arguing that fields vary in scale (sub-national to supra-national) and size (small to large), with significant consequences for patterns of competition and cooperation. We highlight the overlooked importance of vertical variation. Namely, actors may be embedded in multiple fields of different scales within the same domain of activity, and this embeddedness likely informs their actions within fields. We develop a typology of fields based on scale and size, demonstrating how these dimensions shape relations among actors, especially regarding patterns of competition and cooperation. We further explore how multi-scalar embeddedness influences actors' behavior within and across fields. We build on recent innovations in field theory that have attempted to move the concept beyond its narrow origins, but go further than existing developments in considering both the boundaries of fields and interpersonal dynamics as analytical questions rather than abstract assumptions. We argue that (1) fields may vary by both scale and size beyond the national level, and that (2) these variations are consequential for dynamics of competition and cooperation within fields, as well as (3) for the relationship between fields. By incorporating scalar variation into field theory, we offer analytical tools to better specify relations between fields and how these impinge upon interpersonal relations within fields.

Authors

• Vanina Leschziner, University of Toronto

• Ethan Shapiro, University of Toronto