Ann Swidlerâs âCulture in Actionâ is a foundational text for understanding how culture works in the real world. It offers a powerful alternative to the common-sense idea that culture is a set of values that people hold, which then determines how they behave. Swidler argues that this view is too simplistic. Instead, she proposes that we think of culture as a âtoolkitâ of symbolic resourcesâstories, rituals, symbols, and ways of seeing the worldâthat people use to construct âstrategies of action.â This is a crucial shift in perspective. It moves us from seeing people as passive recipients of culture to active agents who use cultural resources to solve problems and navigate their lives.
This idea of culture as a device for living resonates deeply with the DEVICES framework. Swidlerâs âtoolkitâ is a conceptual device that mediates our experience of the world. Itâs not just a collection of abstract ideas; itâs a set of practical tools that we learn to use through social interaction. These tools become embodied in our habits and practices, shaping what we think, feel, and do. By focusing on how people use culture, Swidler helps us see that devices are not just external objects but are also internalized capacities that we deploy in our everyday lives.
Swidlerâs distinction between âsettledâ and âunsettledâ times is also particularly relevant today. In settled periods, culture operates in the background, providing a stable set of assumptions and routines. But in unsettled times, like our own, culture comes to the foreground. People actively and consciously deploy cultural resources to make sense of a changing world and to forge new ways of living. Understanding how this process works is essential for anyone trying to make sense of the rapid social and technological transformations of the 21st century.
Learning Objectives
- Explain the "cultural toolkit" metaphor and its implications for understanding agency.
- Differentiate between "settled" and "unsettled" cultural periods and their impact on action.
- Analyze how cultural resources are used to construct "strategies of action" in everyday life.
Key Concepts
Cultural Toolkit
Ann Swidler's central metaphor is that culture is a 'toolkit' of symbols, stories, rituals, and world-views that people use to solve different kinds of problems. Instead of a unified system of values that dictates behavior, she sees culture as a collection of heterogeneous and often contradictory resources. This makes culture a resource for action, not a determinant of it. In the DEVICES framework, this toolkit is a conceptual device that people use to make sense of and navigate their world. These tools aren't just abstract ideas; they are embodied in practices and become part of how we experience reality.
Strategies of Action
This concept describes how individuals use their cultural toolkits. People don't just randomly pick tools; they assemble them into coherent lines of action to solve problems, pursue goals, or maintain a sense of self. These strategies are not always conscious or deliberate. They are often deeply ingrained habits and ways of being. Swidler's focus on strategies highlights the active, agentic role people play in shaping their lives, even within cultural constraints. It moves beyond the idea of people as cultural 'dopes' who are programmed by their society.
Settled vs. Unsettled Lives
Swidler argues that the way people use their cultural toolkits depends on whether their lives are 'settled' or 'unsettled.' In settled periods, culture provides a repertoire of traditions and common-sense assumptions that people can rely on without much thought. Action flows along established paths. In unsettled periodsâtimes of social transformation or crisisâexplicit ideologies and new cultural models come to the fore. People more consciously choose and deploy cultural resources to organize and justify new patterns of action. This distinction helps explain why some historical moments are periods of great cultural and social change, while others are characterized by stability.
Assignment
Read Ann Swidler's "Culture in Action: Symbols and Strategies." As you read, focus on how she develops the 'toolkit' metaphor. What does she see as the primary limitation of previous models of culture? How does her alternative model help us understand the relationship between culture and social change?
Read: Culture in Action: Symbols and Strategies Knowledge Check
Reflect on the key topics in this lesson.
1
How might the 'cultural toolkit' you possess differ from that of your parents or grandparents?
Hint: Think about the different historical contexts and technological environments each generation has experienced.
2
Can you identify a 'strategy of action' you use in your own life to navigate a specific social situation (e.g., a job interview, a first date)?
Hint: Consider the symbols, stories, and rituals you draw upon to present yourself and manage the interaction.
3
Is our current moment a 'settled' or 'unsettled' time, in Swidler's terms? Why?
Hint: Think about the pace of technological change, political polarization, and social movements.
Additional Resources
Supplementary materials for deeper exploration.
Thinking with Theory: A New Practice for the Social Sciences
Bourdieu's concept of 'habitus' provides a complementary perspective to Swidler's 'toolkit,' emphasizing the embodied, non-conscious aspects of cultural practice.
The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life
Goffman's dramaturgical analysis of social interaction offers a micro-sociological lens on how individuals use symbolic resources to manage impressions and perform social roles, which can be seen as a form of 'strategy of action.'