The Social Life of the State: Relational Ethnography and Political Sociology

Political sociologists have typically studied the state as a self-enclosed institution hovering above civil society. In this formulation, is rendered omniscient, gazing out over passive society if it were naturalized landscape. But in special issue, we think about how states “see” relation to whom and what seen, these subjects collective actors become visible first place. We advocate relational political ethnography that views inextricably intertwined mutually co-constitutive. People’s experiences with shape their visions of state, which turn inform strategic decisions everyday engagements. And engagements affect them. To put differently, explore dialectical relationship between “sees” “seen.” They are inseparable processes. As argue here, very unity coherence apparatus turns not just upon its self-representation but equally people make sense representations. How understand apparent context lives crucial source power authority; explains reproduction social institution. conclude by introducing seven empirical contributions all practice ethnography.