A foundational assumption of social theory is that things change: structures, institutions, organisations, groups, cultures, and selves all are contingent and subject to transformation. Herein, this malleable foundation is termed transformativity, drawing attention to a specific conceptualisation of change, which predominates and displaces other accounts of change, elaborated via a typology of change that positions transformation between reconfiguration and metamorphosis. Transformativity posits society as contingent, open to reconstruction, but assuming that change acts upon a substrate, which is continuous; altered, yet retaining identity through time. Transformativity is situated culturally by tracing historical conceptions of change from ancient to modern. Next, Turner's liminality, Foucault's power relations, and Butler's performativity are analysed in depth as influential contemporary models of transformativity. Furthermore, transformativist thinking animates governmentality, neo-liberal capitalism, technological thinking, and cultures of self-work. In particular, transformativity intersects with contemporary ideas of ‘experience’, incorporating notions of contingency and change into modern experimentalism. While transformativity facilitates critique and social change, this implies a gradualist model of slow purification and refinement, which may be inadequate to deal with contemporary challenges.

中文翻译：

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变革性：社会理论的可塑性基础

社会理论的一个基本假设是事物会发生变化：结构、制度、组织、群体、文化和自我都是偶然的，并且会发生转变。在这里，这种可塑性的基础被称为变革性，引起人们对变革的特定概念化的关注，它主导并取代了其他变革的解释，通过变革类型学将变革定位在重构和变形之间。变革性将社会假设为偶然的、对重建开放的，但假设变化作用于一个连续的基础；改变，但随着时间的推移保留了身份。变革性通过追溯从古代到现代的历史变化概念来进行文化定位。接下来，深入分析特纳的阈限性、福柯的权力关系和巴特勒的表演性，作为当代有影响力的变革性模型。此外，变革主义思维激发了政府治理、新自由主义资本主义、技术思维和自我工作文化。特别是，变革性与当代“经验”观念相交叉，将偶然性和变化的概念融入现代实验主义中。虽然变革性促进了批判和社会变革，但这意味着缓慢净化和完善的渐进主义模式，这可能不足以应对当代的挑战。