Social Theory: Twenty Introductory Lectures

Description

Social theory is the theoretical core of the social sciences, clearly distinguishable from political theory and cultural analysis. This book offers a unique overview of the development of social theory from the end of the Second World War in 1945 to the present day. Spanning the literature in English, French and German, it provides an excellent background to the most important social theorists and theories in contemporary sociological thought, with crisp summaries of the main books, arguments and controversies. It also deals with newly emerging schools from rational choice to symbolic interactionism, with new ambitious approaches (Habermas, Luhmann, Giddens, Bourdieu), structuralism and antistructuralism, critical revisions of modernization theory, feminism and neopragmatism. Written by two of the world's leading sociologists and based on their extensive academic teaching, this unrivalled work is ideal both for students in the social sciences and humanities and for anyone interested in contemporary theoretical debates. Cover SOCIAL THEORY Title Copyright Dedication CONTENTS INTRODUCTION I What is theory? II The classical attempt at synthesis talcott parsons III Parsons on the road to normativist functionalism IV Parsons and the elaboration of normativist functionalism V Neo-utilitarianism VI Interpretive approaches (1): Symbolic interactionism VII Interpretive approaches (2): Ethnomethodology VIII Conflict sociology and conflict theory IX Habermas and critical theory X Habermas' 'theory of communicative action' XI Niklas Luhmann's radicalization of functionalism XII Anthony Gidden's theory of structuration and the new British sociology of power XIII The renewal of Parsonianism and modernization theory XIV Structuralism and poststructuralism XV Between structuralism and theory of practice: The cultural sociology of Pierre Bourdieu XVI French anti-structuralists: (Cornelius Castoriadis, Alain Touraine and Paul Ricoeur) XVII Feminist social theories XVIII A crisis of modernity? New diagnoses: (Ulrich Beck, Zygmunt Bauman, Robert Bellah, and the debate between liberals and communitarians) XIX Neo-pragmatism XX How things stand BIBLIOGRAPHY AUTHOR INDEX SUBJECT INDEX