Full Description
This is the first textbook for sociological theory that is modeled after the texts routinely available for introductory sociology courses. It is concise (although it covers a lot of ground), written in a highly accessible fashion, and includes much of the pedagogy that one expects to find in an introductory text. The book stems from the need of some instructors for a short text to be used in one-semester courses in contemporary sociological theory, or sociological theory more generally. At least some students (and their instructors) have found other texts too long, too dense and too complex. This volume is not only short, but comparatively light (but not lightweight) and less technical.
Contents
1. Introduction Part I CLASSICAL BACKGROUND TO CONTEMPORARY THEORY 2. Classical Grand Theories Auguste Comte: The Law of the Three Stages Biographical Sketch Box: Key Concept: Positivism Emile Durkheim: From Mechanical to Organic Solidarity Biographical Sketch Box: Key Concept: Social Facts Box: A Neat Distinction: The Sacred and the Profane Herbert Spencer: Compounding and from Militant to Industrial Society Biographical Sketch Box: An Unfortunate Idea: Survival-of-the-Fittest Karl Marx: From Capitalism to Communism Biographical Sketch Box: A Key Concept: Dialectical Materialism Max Weber: The Rationalization of Society Biographical Sketch Box: Key Concepts: The Ideal Type and the Ideal-Typical Bureaucracy Georg Simmel: The Growing Tragedy of Culture Biographical Sketch Thorstein Veblen: From Industry to Business Biographical Sketch BOX: Key Concepts: Conspicuous Leisure and Conspicuous Consumption 3. Classical Theories of Everyday Life Max Weber: Social Action Box: Key Concept: Verstehen Georg Simmel: Association Box: Key Concept: Secrecy George Herbert Mead: Social Behaviorism Biographical Sketch Other Key Ideas Associated with the Chicago School Biographical Sketch: Charles Horton Cooley Talcott Parsons: Action Theory Biographical Sketch Alfred Schutz; The Lifeworld Biographical Sketch Part II CONTEMPORARY THEORY 4. Contemporary Theoretical Portraits of the Social World Structural Functionalism The Functional Theory of Stratification and Its Critics Talcott Parsons's Structural Functionalism Robert Merton's Structural Functionalism Biographical Sketch Conflict Theory The Work of Ralf Dahrendorf Niklas Luhmann's General System Theory Autopoietic Systems Society and Psychic Systems Differentiation 5. Contemporary Grand Theories A Structural Functional Theory of Change: Talcott Parsons on Social Evolution Neo-Marxian Theory Critical Theory and the Emergence of the "Culture Industry" Monopoly Capitalism: The Changing Nature of the Capitalist Economy From Fordism to Post-Fordism Rational Choice Theory: James Coleman and the Rise of the Corporate Actor Biographical Sketch Micro-Macro Analysis: Norbert Elias and the Civilizing Process Biographical Sketch Analyzing Modernity: Jurgen Habermas and the Colonization of the Life World Biographical Sketch Analyzing Modernity: Anthony Giddens' "Juggernaut" and Ulrich Beck's Risk Society Biographical Sketch: Anthony Giddens Analyzing Modernity: George Ritzer's "McDonaldization of Society" Analyzing Modernity: Manuel Castells' Informationalism and the Network Society 6. Contemporary Theories of Everyday Life Dramaturgy (And Other Aspects of Symbolic Interaction): Erving Goffman Biographical Sketch Ethnomethodology and Conversation Analysis: Harold Garfinkel Biographical Sketch Exchange Theory: George Homans Biographical Sketch Rational Choice Theory: James Coleman The Everyday World from a Feminist Perspective Modernity, Identity and Intimacy: Anthony Giddens 7. Contemporary Integrative Theories The Micro Foundations of Macrosociology Autobiographical Sketch: Randall Collins The Work of Richard Emerson and His Disciples on a More Integrated Exchange Theory Biographical Sketch: Richard Emerson Toward a More Integrative Rational Choice Theory: James Coleman Structuration Theory: Anthony Giddens Culture and Agency: Margaret Archer Habitus and Field: Pierre Bourdieu Biographical Sketch: Pierre Bourdieu Colonization of the Life-World: Jurgen Habermas An Integrated Feminist Sociological Theory 8. Contemporary Feminist Theories The Basic Theoretical Questions Contemporary Feminist Grand Theories Gender Difference Cultural Feminism Explanatory Theories Existential and Phenomenological Analyses Gender Inequality Liberal Feminism Biographical Sketch: Jessie Bernard Gender Oppression Psychoanalytic Feminism Radical Feminism Biographical Sketch: Dorothy E. Smith Structural Oppression Socialist Feminism Intersectionality Theory Biographical Sketch: Patricia Hill Collins 9. Postmodern Grand Theories Toward Postmodern Grand Narratives: Daniel Bell and the Transition from Industrial to Post-Industrial Society Postmodern Analysis: Michel Foucault and Increasing "Governmentality" Biographical Sketch From Modern to Postmodern: Zygmunt Bauman Postmodern Analysis: Jean Baudrillard's Rise of Consumer Society, Loss of "Symbolic Exchange" and Increase in "Simulations" Postmodern Analysis: The Consumer Society and the New Means of Consumption Biographical Sketch: George Ritzer Feminism and Postmodern Social Theory
