The Centre for Social Ontology (CSO) is delighted to share the Special Issue commemorating the work of Margaret Archer, published by the Journal of Critical Realism in July 2026.

This Special Issue brings together reflections on Archer’s intellectual legacy and her foundational role in shaping the CSO’s identity.

As members Ismael Al-Amoudi (Honorary Director) and Douglas Porpora underline in their introduction:

“This special issue of the Journal of Critical Realism (JCR) is a commemoration of the work and intellectual leadership of Margaret Archer by her associates at the Centre for Social Ontology (CSO)… As the intellectual leader of the group, Archer was the guiding presence.

With her passing in 2023, the surviving members are grateful to the editors of JCR for the opportunity to present the following papers commenting on what each sees as the important legacy Archer bequeaths to social science.…We hope that these papers will help not only to consolidate Archer’s contribution to knowledge but also be of comfort to all who mourn her passing.”

---

Articles included in the Special Issue

Al-Amoudi, I., & Porpora, D. (2026). Introduction to the special issue commemorating the work of Margaret Archer. Journal of Critical Realism, 25(2), 147–148. https://doi.org/10.1080/14767430.2026.2690680

Al-Amoudi, I., & Tomlinson, S. (2026). In memoriam: Margaret Archer (1943–2023). Journal of Critical Realism, 25(2), 149–152. https://doi.org/10.1080/14767430.2026.2688789

Porpora, D. V. (2026). Margaret Archer’s contribution to social science. Journal of Critical Realism, 25(2), 153–163. https://doi.org/10.1080/14767430.2026.2686014

Al-Amoudi, I. (2026). Margaret Archer’s legacy to business and management studies: a bibliometric analysis. Journal of Critical Realism, 25(2), 164–190. https://doi.org/10.1080/14767430.2026.2687289

Donati, P. (2026). Archer’s theory of the person: a humanizing paradigm of socialization. Journal of Critical Realism, 25(2), 191–215. https://doi.org/10.1080/14767430.2026.2686563

Lawson, T. (2026). Contrasting social positioning theory and Archer’s morphogenetic/morphostatic approach. Journal of Critical Realism, 25(2), 216–245. https://doi.org/10.1080/14767430.2026.2686019

Maccarini, A. (2026). Historical paths in quest of sociological understanding: the legacy of Margaret Archer’s multi-level model of macro-social change. Journal of Critical Realism, 25(2), 246–264. https://doi.org/10.1080/14767430.2026.2686926

Morgan, J. (2026). Archer, morphogenesis and time. Journal of Critical Realism, 25(2), 265–285. https://doi.org/10.1080/14767430.2026.2678093

Steyn, R. (2026). No shortcuts to explaining the ‘vexatious fact of society’: reading Archer’s final intervention: A Review of Morphogenesis Answers Its Critics, by Margaret S. Archer, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2024, 221 pp., ISBN: 9781009405430. Journal of Critical Realism, 25(2), 286–289. https://doi.org/10.1080/14767430.2026.2688013

Exploring CSO Research

To consult and explore other research produced by CSO members, please visit our dedicated page.

To consult Margaret Archer’s complete list of publications, please follow this link.