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Critical perspectives on narratives in a time of environmental and climate crisis : To ‘invent around’ Bruno Latour, via Alain Touraine

Garland, Joshua LU (2026) In Dialogues in Sociology
Abstract
This Further engagement article takes up Blok and Jensen's recent call, made through a Dialogues in Sociology Forum, to ‘invent around’ the work of Bruno Latour to highlight his continued relevance and contribution to the practice of sociology. It is proposed that one way in which Latour might be usefully invented around is by bringing his work, particularly on matters of concern, into greater relation with Alain Touraine's concept of social conflicts where knowledge and morals are contested. This is argued to represent a unique conversation between Latour and Touraine which indicates one means by which Latour's work can be useful, especially for the study of narratives, social movements, and the environment and climate. The... (More)
This Further engagement article takes up Blok and Jensen's recent call, made through a Dialogues in Sociology Forum, to ‘invent around’ the work of Bruno Latour to highlight his continued relevance and contribution to the practice of sociology. It is proposed that one way in which Latour might be usefully invented around is by bringing his work, particularly on matters of concern, into greater relation with Alain Touraine's concept of social conflicts where knowledge and morals are contested. This is argued to represent a unique conversation between Latour and Touraine which indicates one means by which Latour's work can be useful, especially for the study of narratives, social movements, and the environment and climate. The Latour-Touraine framework created by this conversation could help sociologists identify and critically analyse dominant values, perceptions and practices specifically concerning human-Nature relationships as a novel focus, alongside possibilities to challenge and re-negotiate these in response to pressing environmental and climate crises. (Less)
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author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
epub
subject
in
Dialogues in Sociology
publisher
SAGE Publications
ISSN
2976-8667
DOI
10.1177/29768667261452126
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
577dbcb3-0f52-461d-a120-4c51ff6094f1
date added to LUP
2026-06-10 12:48:51
date last changed
2026-06-29 15:25:31
@article{577dbcb3-0f52-461d-a120-4c51ff6094f1,
  abstract     = {{This Further engagement article takes up Blok and Jensen's recent call, made through a Dialogues in Sociology Forum, to ‘invent around’ the work of Bruno Latour to highlight his continued relevance and contribution to the practice of sociology. It is proposed that one way in which Latour might be usefully invented around is by bringing his work, particularly on matters of concern, into greater relation with Alain Touraine's concept of social conflicts where knowledge and morals are contested. This is argued to represent a unique conversation between Latour and Touraine which indicates one means by which Latour's work can be useful, especially for the study of narratives, social movements, and the environment and climate. The Latour-Touraine framework created by this conversation could help sociologists identify and critically analyse dominant values, perceptions and practices specifically concerning human-Nature relationships as a novel focus, alongside possibilities to challenge and re-negotiate these in response to pressing environmental and climate crises.}},
  author       = {{Garland, Joshua}},
  issn         = {{2976-8667}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{SAGE Publications}},
  series       = {{Dialogues in Sociology}},
  title        = {{Critical perspectives on narratives in a time of environmental and climate crisis : To ‘invent around’ Bruno Latour, via Alain Touraine}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/29768667261452126}},
  doi          = {{10.1177/29768667261452126}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}