Papers by Nicholas Hookway
Everyday Moralities
From concerns of dwindling care and kindness for others to an excessive concern with self and con... more From concerns of dwindling care and kindness for others to an excessive concern with self and consumerism, plenty of evidence has been provided for the claim that morality is in decline in the West, yet little is known about how people make-sense of and experience their everyday moral lives. This insightful book asks how late-modern subjects construct, understand and experience morality in a context of moral uncertainty. With a focus on two areas of morality and human conduct – love and intimacy, and the human treatment of animals – the author draws on the work of Bauman, Ahmed, Irigaray, Foucault and Taylor to construct an innovative theoretical synthesis, which is combined with new empirical material drawn from online diaries or blogs to examine the complex and intriguing ways that contemporary subjects narrate and experience everyday moral-decision-making. Providing theoretical and empirical insights into the contemporary production of morality and selfhood in late-modernity, Everyday Moralities sheds new light on the ways in which people morally navigate a changing social world and advances sociology beyond models of narcissism, moral loss and community breakdown. As such, it makes an important contribution to an underdeveloped area of the discipline, explicitly addressing the everyday ways morality is lived and practiced in a climate of moral ambiguity.
Journal of Philanthropy and Marketing, 2022
Recent decades have witnessed growing popularity in embodied philanthropy, where participants und... more Recent decades have witnessed growing popularity in embodied philanthropy, where participants undertake various types of publicly displayed bodily labour in support of their respective causes. The fundraising potential of such efforts reached extraordinary heights during Sir Captain Thomas Moore's "Walk for the National Health Service," wherein the 99-year-old World War II veteran walked laps of his garden to raise funds during the COVID-19 pandemic. Within less than a month "Captain Tom" raised over £30 million, the highest amount ever by an individual charity walker. To better understand the social and cultural drivers behind Moore's incredible popularity this article applies Julie Robert's theoretical framework of embodied philanthropy, exploring the multivalent semiotic potential that Moore radiated through his age, disability, military adornments, Yorkshire grit, and unfailingly positive, aphoristic style of speaking. During a time of global crisis, this distinct array of bodily affordances enabled Captain Tom to simultaneously serve as an honest broker, teacher, exemplar, rallying figure, and ultimately martyr. Such practices of sacrificial citizenship, however, raise troubling questions, particularly in relation to expectations that fellow citizens should likewise stoically uphold civic-minded resilience during times of crisis. Furthermore, while the potential benefits can prove extraordinarily impactful, organizations should exercise care in too readily attaching themselves to particular causes, lest they become complicit in contentious agendas or even inadvertently mislead donors.
An exploration of charity sport event donor perceptions of online peer-to-peer fundraising mechanisms
Sport Management Review, 2022
Blogs in Social Research
Handbook of Research Methods in Health Social Sciences, 2019
Blogs are the quintessential early twenty-first century text blurring the boundary between privat... more Blogs are the quintessential early twenty-first century text blurring the boundary between private and public. In this chapter, we approach blogs as contemporary “documents of life” and offer our reflections on what blogs can offer social researchers based on our own research experiences. Blogs offer rich first-person textual accounts of the everyday, but there are practical, methodological, and ethical issues involved in doing blog research. These include sampling, collecting, and analyzing blog data; issues of representation; and authenticity; whether blogs should be considered private or public, and if the people who create them are subjects or authors. The chapter also critically reflects on the methodological and ethical implications of the different decisions we made in our own research projects. We conclude that embracing new confessional technologies like blogs can provide a powerful addition to the qualitative researcher’s toolkit and enable innovative research into the nature of contemporary selves, identities, and relationships
Becoming and being a Masters athlete
This research aims to understand the life trajectory of becoming and being a Masters Games athlet... more This research aims to understand the life trajectory of becoming and being a Masters Games athlete and explores how competitive sports participation can be a context for empowering older adults. To do this, physical activity engagement in later life is viewed through an ‘active ageing’ lens, focusing on the enabling factors for mature-age competitive sports participation rather than the deficit-based approach which dominates existing research and policy. Athletes competing in the 2017 Australian Masters Games were invited to participate in a survey about their experiences, training and motivations for participation in the Games. The survey questionnaire included the 40-item ‘Physical Activity and Leisure Motivations Scale’ (PALMS) and also asked questions about challenges and enablers in becoming and being a Masters athlete. In all, 271 athletes completed the survey and this presentation focuses on the responses from respondents aged 50 years and over (N=163). The majority of partic...
Reading in the Regions: A Scoping Study of Online and F2F Book Club Activity in Northern Tasmania
‘Reading in the Regions’ examines book club activity in Launceston and surrounding districts of N... more ‘Reading in the Regions’ examines book club activity in Launceston and surrounding districts of Northern Tasmania. In doing so it is one of the few studies of book clubs to focus on a defined geographical region. We are particularly interested in examining how book clubs—defined as a ‘middle-brow’ cultural practice—operate in regional settings, characterised by lower levels of social, economic and cultural capital. Further, we are interested in how book club membership takes formation online and how this articulates with face-to-face (f2f) membership. In addition to collecting data on the formation and perceived benefits of book clubs, it extends the work of the few studies on online book club activity, to consider the dynamics and interplay between f2f and online book club activity.
This thesis is about how contemporary morality is understood and constructed by a group of Austra... more This thesis is about how contemporary morality is understood and constructed by a group of Australian bloggers. Its central argument is that the bloggers depict morality as an actively created, non-conforming and autonomous do-it-yourself project, configured in different variations of self-responsibility, bodily encounter, emotion, feeling and ideals of ‘being-true-to-yourself’. The thesis challenges the moral ‘decline’ arguments of ‘communitarian’ and ‘cultural pessimist’ theorists whose views on morality are rooted in Durkheimian assumptions concerning the egoistic tendencies of human nature and the need for authoritative social structures. Drawing upon the work of Bauman (1993), Foucault (1986), Taylor (1992), Ahmed (2000) and Irigaray (1991), the thesis argues that these perspectives ignore the ethical significance of self, body, emotions and ideals of authenticity. The study is based on a qualitative analysis of 44 Australian blogs combined with 25 online in-depth interviews. T...
Generation Solidarity? The young (and old) Australians who are rejecting age-related stereotypes
The Sociological Review Online, 2021
Fitness Philanthropy: Exploring a Movement at the Nexus of Leisure, Charity, and Events
Sociology of Sport Journal, 2021
Sport is increasingly being used by individuals, charities, and corporate sponsors as a means of ... more Sport is increasingly being used by individuals, charities, and corporate sponsors as a means of acquiring donors and fundraisers to support a variety of social and health causes. This paper examines five key features of fitness philanthropy that when considered together provide new sociological insight into a unique social phenomenon. These are: (a) peer-to-peer giving, (b) social media accounts of embodied philanthropy, (c) community connection and making a difference, (d) fitness philanthropy as social capital, and (e) charity and corporate giving. The significance of the paper is threefold. First, it highlights the ways in which fitness philanthropy points to the changing nature of sport, leisure, and physical activity, whereby fundraising is a key motivation for participation. Second, it examines the types of “empathy paths” created by fitness philanthropy with its emphasis on the body, social media, and peer-to-peer forms of organizational giving. Third, the paper seeks to ans...
M/C Journal, 2014
Introduction There is, as Andrew Rowan dubs it, a “constant paradox” in the way we treat, relate ... more Introduction There is, as Andrew Rowan dubs it, a “constant paradox” in the way we treat, relate to, and consume animals in our everyday lives (Arluke and Sanders 4). This paper examines this paradox in relation to the rise of vegetarianism as a new taste and consumer culture in the West. The first part of the paper, drawing upon Bourdieu, argues that vegetarian “taste” is fundamentally a social practice linked to class and gender. It then offers a preliminary theoretical sketch of the sociological drivers and consequences of vegetarianism in late-modernity, drawing on social theory. Having established the theoretical framework, the second part of the paper turns to an empirical analysis of the moral motivations and experiences of a selection of Australian bloggers. The key argument is that the bloggers narrate vegetarianism as a taste practice that entangles self-care with a larger assemblage of non-human responsibility that works to re-enchant a demoralised consumer modernity. Veg...
Living Authentic: "Being True to Yourself" as a Contemporary Moral Ideal
M/C Journal, 2015
IntroductionFrom reality television and self-help literature to exhortations to be “true to yours... more IntroductionFrom reality television and self-help literature to exhortations to be “true to yourself,” authenticity pervades contemporary culture. Despite their prevalence, cultures of self-improvement and authenticity are routinely linked to arguments about increasing narcissism and declining care for others. Self-improvement involves self-based practices geared to help realise the “improved” and “better you” while authenticity is focused on developing the unique, inner and “real” you. Critiques of both self-improvement and authenticity culture are particularly evident in a sociological tradition of “cultural pessimism” (Hookway, Moral). This group of thinkers argue that the dominance of a “therapeutic” culture where the “self improved is the ultimate concern of modern culture” has catastrophic social and moral consequences (Reiff; Bell; Lasch; Bellah; Bauman and Donskis). Drawing upon Charles Taylor, I take critical aim at such assessments, arguing that ideals and practices of aut...
Navigating ‘thin’ dating markets: Mid-life repartnering in the era of dating apps and websites
Journal of Sociology, 2020
This article is a qualitative analysis of how people aged in their 30s and 40s use dating apps an... more This article is a qualitative analysis of how people aged in their 30s and 40s use dating apps and websites to repartner following relationship separation or divorce. While ‘mid-life’ is a period of significant relationship churn, there is little sociological research that addresses how people in this age group use digital dating technologies to repartner. Drawing upon in-depth interviews with a small group of Australians, the article shows how dating technologies help ‘thicken’ thin dating markets associated with time pressures and access to the night economy, but also loss and convergence of friendship networks unique to mid-life. The study highlights the impact of gender on digital repartnering experiences, particularly experiences of online safety, and introduces the concept of ‘emotional filtering’ to describe how past relationships specifically shape the repartnering process for this middle-aged group.
Risk, morality and emotion: social media responses to pregnant women who smoke
Health, Risk & Society, 2017
In this article, we use qualitative data to examine the shape and nature of the online ‘moral out... more In this article, we use qualitative data to examine the shape and nature of the online ‘moral outrage’ that was directed at a research trial that used financial incentives to encourage pregnant mothers to quit smoking. Mai Frandsen developed the research trial in Tasmania, a small island state in Australia characterised by high rates of smoking in pregnancy. In this article, we draw on data from 121 online text comments posted in relation to three Australia-wide media stories relating to the research trial in 2015. Two of the online stories came from popular Australian independent ‘mummy’ website ‘Mamamia’. We found that the intense negative moral judgement directed at the programme and the women it benefited was driven by an individualised risk discourse drawing on ideologies of the ‘good’ and ‘intensive’ mother. We argue in this article that the over-emphasis on risk in relation to pregnancy produces a conservative morality that demonise women, fails to account for the social determinants of health and diminishes care for the Other. We argue that the research programme with its incentive component was a useful alternative to more punitive risk approaches as it promoted reward rather than blame and shame and acknowledged the importance of including emotions and morality in analysing the relationship between risk, health and society.
The British Journal of Sociology, 2016
A new sociological agenda is emerging that interrogates how morality can be established in the ab... more A new sociological agenda is emerging that interrogates how morality can be established in the absence of the moral certainties of the past but there is a shortage of empirical work on this topic. This article establishes a theoretical framework for the empirical analysis of everyday morality drawing on the work of theorists including Ahmed, Bauman and Taylor. It uses the Australian Survey of Social Attitudes to assess the state and shape of contemporary moralities by asking how kind are Australians, how is its expression socially distributed, and what are the motivations for kindness. The findings demonstrate that Australians exhibit a strong attachment and commitment to kindness as a moral value that is primarily motivated by interiorized sources of moral authority. We argue these findings support the work of theorists such as Ahmed and Taylor who argue authenticity and embodied emotion are legitimate sources of morality in today's secular societies. The research also provides new evidence that generational changes are shaping understandings and practices of kindness in unexpected ways.
Emotions, Body and Self: Critiquing Moral Decline Sociology
Sociology, 2012
Morality is argued to be in a state of decline in the contemporary West. This article identifies ... more Morality is argued to be in a state of decline in the contemporary West. This article identifies two dominant strands of moral decline sociology: the ‘cultural pessimists’ and the ‘communitarians’. The article argues that these two dominant assessments of moral loss are underwritten by a set of assumptions concerning ‘society’ as the necessary source of morality and a disparaging view of emotion, body and self-authenticity culture. Drawing on Bauman, Ahmed, Irigaray and Taylor, the cultural pessimist and communitarian diagnoses of the moral present are critiqued as offering an overly pessimistic account of contemporary morality that ignores society as a ‘morality-silencing’ force and denies the ethical significance of self, emotions, body and therapeutic ideals of self-improvement and authenticity.
Qualitative Research, 2008
Since 1999 blogs have become a significant feature of online culture. They have been heralded as ... more Since 1999 blogs have become a significant feature of online culture. They have been heralded as the new guardians of democracy, a revolutionary form of bottom-up news production and a new way of constructing self and doing community in late-modern times. In this article I highlight the significance of the `blogosphere' as a new addition to the qualitative researcher's toolkit and some of the practical, theoretical and methodological issues that arise from this. Some of the key ethical issues involved in blog data collection are also considered. The research context is a project on everyday understandings and experiences of morality.
‘Losing my religion’: Managing identity in a post-Jehovah’s Witness world
Journal of Sociology, 2013
What is it like to be socialised into the self-contained Christian fundamentalist world of the Je... more What is it like to be socialised into the self-contained Christian fundamentalist world of the Jehovah’s Witnesses and to move towards disinheriting that tradition during adolescence? This article considers this question by looking at how a group of young, Australian Jehovah’s Witnesses (JWs), who were born into the religion, make the journey from membership to dissent. The interview data suggest that for these young respondents the roots of disaffiliation lie in disagreement with specific JW practices and the freedom and hedonistic attractions offered by the secular world. It shows how disaffiliation was staged as a dynamic struggle for self as the ex-JWs swung between the secular attractions of freedom and hedonism, and the certainty and comfort of the religious community. Further, the article suggests that parental socialisation and the differences between those born into such movements and converts are important factors in understanding reasons for disaffiliation.
Moral decline sociology: Critiquing the legacy of Durkheim
Journal of Sociology, 2014
This article critically evaluates key assumptions within classical and contemporary ‘decline’ mor... more This article critically evaluates key assumptions within classical and contemporary ‘decline’ moral sociology. It argues that two dominant models of moral loss sociology – the ‘cultural pessimist’ and ‘communitarians’ – are indebted to a set of Durkheimian assumptions that underwrite his original diagnosis of the moral crisis of modernity. Three specific assumptions are identified and critiqued: view of human nature and self; ‘society’ as the necessary source of morality; and the functions of morality. The article suggests that these assumptions work to ignore how self, emotions and cultural ideals of self-improvement may work as alternate moral structures in late modernity.
Acta Sociologica, 2017
Zygmunt Bauman’s sociology of morality signals an important new direction from the orthodoxy of E... more Zygmunt Bauman’s sociology of morality signals an important new direction from the orthodoxy of Emile Durkheim’s ‘society’ realised ethics. The first part of this paper defends Bauman’s postmodern position as valuable in theorising the moral present, offering a sociological conception of the sources, strategies and experience of contemporary morality. The paper then shifts to a critique of Bauman’s social theory of ‘being for the other’, arguing that it misses the particular and embodied aspects of moral sociality and effaces the self in endless responsibility to the Other. It is suggested that a sociology of morality is needed which goes beyond Bauman’s moral saint and provides conceptual space to theorise the self and cultures of authenticity and self-fulfilment.
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Papers by Nicholas Hookway