The third field of sociology
It is generally agreed that politics and the economy are essential parts of con¬temporary societies; and indeed, most social social scientists work with topics related to these fields. There is much more debate about the nature of the rest of the social world, and how it should be con¬ceptualized. Some speak of „civil socie¬ty“, others of „culture“, and yet others of „communication“. In this article, a diffe¬rent view is presented of this „third“ field, focusing on a vital and materially heavy conglomeration of visual media, city, gender problematics, sexuality, ae¬stheticizing, apparatus of self-analysis, sensitivity and parliamentary complex. The article presents an overview of Bechs studies in this field, as well as of the par¬ticular approaches, methods and style of these studies.
