Download or read book Modern Reconstruction of Classical Thought Talcott Parsons written by Jeffrey Alexander and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-04-03 with total page 559 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this volume the author maintains that sociology must learn to combine the insights of both Durkheim and Marx and that it can only do so on the presuppositional ground that Weber set forth. Alexander maintains that the idealist and materialist traditions must be transformed into analytic dimensions of multidimensional and synthetic theory. This volume focusses on the writing of Talcott Parsons, the only modern thinker who can be considered a true peer of the classical founders, and examines his own profoundly ambivalent attempt to carry out this analytic transformation.
Download or read book The Modern Reconstruction of Classical Thought written by Jeffrey C. Alexander and published by . This book was released on 1983 with total page 530 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Sociological Theory and Collective Subjectivity written by J. Domingues and published by Springer. This book was released on 1995-11-01 with total page 211 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The main theme of this book is collective subjectivity, analysed especially in connection with the work of Marx, Parsons, Giddens and Habermas, but also addressing the manifold tendencies of sociological theory, from its inception to the present. The book supports the idea that there is a conceptual shortcoming in the most relevant contemporary research programs in sociological theory, despite some recent efforts to re-develop concepts of collective actor, class or social movement. After the fragmentation of the sixties a number of synthetical approaches emerged. Some writers, such as Touraine, Laclau and Mouffe, Olson, Coleman, Hindess, Mouzelis and Eder have proposed some versions of concepts of collective subjectivity, focusing on collective actors, classes, genders, social movements, organisations and collective utilitarian action. But they do not, in terms of general conceptual construction, go further than Parsons and Marx: they often fail to match their original formulations. The concept of collective subjectivity is introduced to bring together these diverse approaches, which are synthesised and receive a more general definition. Moreover, this new concept is directly linked to those contemporary syntheses.
Download or read book The Antinomies of Classical Thought Marx and Durkheim Theoretical Logic in Sociology written by Jeffrey C. Alexander and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-04-24 with total page 592 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume challenges prevailing understanding of the two great founders of sociological thought. In a detailed and systematic way the author demonstrates how Marx and Durkheim gradually developed the fundamental frameworks for sociological materialism and idealism. While most recent interpreters of Marx have placed alienation and subjectivity at the centre of his work, Professor Alexander suggests that it was the later Marx’s very emphasis on alienation that allowed him to avoid conceptualizing subjectivity altogether. In Durkheim’s case, by contrast, the author argues that such objectivist theorizing informed the early work alone, and he demonstrates that in his later writings Durkheim elaborated an idealist theory that used religious life as an analytical model for studying the institutions of secular society.
Download or read book The Social Thought of Talcott Parsons written by Professor Uta Gerhardt and published by Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.. This book was released on 2013-01-28 with total page 457 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Social Thought of Talcott Parsons offers an insightful new reading of the work of Talcott Parsons, keeping in view at once the important influences of Max Weber on his sociology and the central place occupied by methodology - which enables us to better understand the relationship between American and European social theory. Revealing American democracy and its nemesis, National Socialism in Germany as the basis of his theory of society, this book explores the debates in which Parsons was engaged throughout his life, with the Frankfurt School, C. Wright Mills and the young radicals among the "disobedient" student generation, as well as economism and utilitarianism in social theory; the opponents that Parsons confronted in the interests of humanism. In addition to revisiting Parsons' extensive oeuvre, Uta Gerhardt takes up themes in current research and theory - including social inequality, civic culture, and globalization - offering a fascinating demonstration of what the conceptual approaches of Parsons can accomplish today. Revealing methodology and the American ethos to be the cornerstones of Parsons' social thought, this book will appeal not only to those with interests in classical sociology - and who wish to fully understand what this 'classic' has to offer - but also to those who wish to make sociology answer to the problems of the society of the present.
Download or read book Modern Social Theory written by Ian Craib and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2015-08-12 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The revised edition of this widely acclaimed textbook provides a clear, accessible and comprehensive introduction to modern social theory.As with the first edition, the book is based around the themes of structure and action. After the introductory chapters which examine the nature of theory and its role in the social world, the book then turns to theories of action and the inability of those theories to comprehend social structures in a coherent way.Part 1 covers: Parson's structural-functionalism and the development of conlict theory and neofunctionalism; rational choice theory; symbolic interactionism; ethnomethodology and structuration theory.Part 2 looks at structuralism, structuralist Marxism, and the development of post-structuralist and postmodernist theory.Part 3 examines Critical Theory and the work of Jurgen Habermas.In conclusion, Ian Craib discusses current trends in theory and what might be expected in the future.This second edition has been revised throughout. There are new chapters on rational choice theory and structuration theory and existing chapters have been extended to deal with the development of neofunctionalism, postmodernism and the recent works of Habermas as well as recent developments in other approaches.Throughout, the aim of the book is to demystify a diffcult subject area, emphasising the practical and everyday nature of theoretical thinking in the context of making sense of a rapidly changing world. The late Ian Craib was Lecturer in Sociology at the University of Essex.
Download or read book Modern Sociological Theory written by George Ritzer and published by SAGE Publications. This book was released on 2017-01-23 with total page 665 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Now with SAGE Publishing, and co-authored by one of the foremost authorities on sociological theory, the Eighth Edition of Modern Sociological Theory by George Ritzer and Jeffrey Stepnisky provides a comprehensive overview of the major theorists and theoretical schools, from the Structural Functionalism of early 20th century through the cutting-edge theories of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. The integration of key theories with biographical sketches of theorists and the requisite historical and intellectual context helps students to better understand the original works of contemporary thinkers. New to this Edition A new chapter focuses theories of race, racism, and colonialism, as well as theories about indigenous peoples and theories from the “Global South” that challenge the work of scholars from Europe and North America. New material on colonialization, classical women theorists, and race, as well as new timelines in history chapters. The chapter on Symbolic Interactionism now discusses work on the sociology of emotions. The concluding chapter now discusses affect theory and theories of prosumption, one of the newest developments in consumer theory. The chapter on Contemporary Theories of Modernity includes new section on the work of Charles Taylor. New perspectives on the work of Immanuel Wallerstein have been added to the chapter on Neo-Marxian theories. The opening historical sketch chapters now include a discussion of colonialism as one of the forces that shaped modern society; new material on the historical significance of early women founders; and a section on theories of race.
Download or read book Theoretical Logic in Sociology The modern reconstruction of classical thought Talcott Parsons written by Jeffrey C. Alexander and published by . This book was released on 1982 with total page 568 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Founding Sociology Talcott Parsons and the Idea of General Theory written by John Holmwood and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-09-25 with total page 152 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The theories of Talcott Parsons' are enjoying a revival in the world of sociology. Rather than following closely the complex original prose in an effort to explain the theory in its minutiae, Holmwood presents a highly readable non-technical critique of several of the strongest underlying sociological themes and shows how, although flawed in many respects, these themes have been recurring, in different forms, in the theories of those critical of his work.
Download or read book Theory of Societal Constitutionalism written by David Sciulli and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1992 with total page 382 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The author argues that the existing conceptual frameworks of political and social theory restrict both theorists and empirical researchers to a narrow definition of authoritarianism that focuses on governmental structure and fails to take account of forms of social control exercised outside the governmental sphere. Rather than define authoritarianism primarily by contrast to liberal democracy, Sciulli argues, we need to broaden our conception of authoritarianism to include "social authoritarianism," referring to social control imposed by private organizations and institutions, such as business corporations and professional associations. In this book, Sciulli develops an alternative conceptual framework, which he calls the theory of societal constitutionalism, and he explains how the theory can be used to assess whether social order in a society, whether democratic or authoritarian in political rule, is characterized by some degree of social authoritarianism. The book will be important reading for theorists in sociology, political science and legal studies.
Download or read book The New Blackwell Companion to Social Theory written by Bryan S. Turner and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2016-09-26 with total page 642 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A comprehensive new collection covering the principal traditions and critical contemporary issues of social theory. Builds on the success of The Blackwell Companion to Social Theory, second edition with substantial revisions, entirely new contributions, and a fresh editorial direction Explores contemporary areas such as actor network theory, social constructionism, human rights and cosmopolitanism Includes chapters on demography, science and technology studies, and genetics and social theory Emphasizes key areas of sociology which have had an important impact in shaping the discipline as a whole
Download or read book Visions of the Sociological Tradition written by Donald N. Levine and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 1995-09 with total page 379 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is a masterful account of the social science enterprise by one of its most accomplished practitioners. Moving from the origins of systematic knowledge in ancient Greece to the present day, Donald Levine offers a richly detailed, ingeniously organized introduction to the cornerstone works of Western social thought.
Download or read book Theoretical Logic in Sociology written by Jeffrey C. Alexander and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2021-03-11 with total page 1669 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This four volume work, originally published in the 1980s and out of print for some years, represents a major attempt to redirect the course of contemporary sociological thought. Jeffrey Alexander analyses the most general and fundamental elements of sociological thinking about action and order and their ramifications for empirical study. He insists that sociological thought need not choose between voluntary action and social constraint. The four volumes can be read independently of one another as each presents a distinctive theoretical argument in its own right. The first volume is directed at contemporary problems and controversies, not only in ‘theory’ but in the philosophy and sociology of science. The last three volumes make interpretations, confronting the individual theorists, and the secondary literature, on their own terms.
Download or read book Theory of Culture written by American Sociological Association and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 1992-01-01 with total page 432 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With the increasing focus on the concept of culture by sociologists and other social scientists, there is now a need for clarifying and developing theoretical perspectives on this issue. The contributors to this volume have answered this call, each adding new insight to the debate over culture, its definition, and its relationship with other basic categories in sociological theory. Along the way they touch on other fundamental issues, such as the interrelationship of culture with society, the human personality, and the wider environment of the human condition.
Download or read book Antisemitism and the Constitution of Sociology written by Marcel Stoetzler and published by U of Nebraska Press. This book was released on 2014-07-01 with total page 390 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Modern antisemitism and the modern discipline of sociology not only emerged in the same period, but—antagonism and hostility between the two discourses notwithstanding—also overlapped and complemented each other. Sociology emerged in a society where modernization was often perceived as destroying unity and “social cohesion.” Antisemitism was likewise a response to the modern age, offering in its vilifications of “the Jew” an explanation of society’s deficiencies and crises. Antisemitism and the Constitution of Sociology is a collection of twelve essays providing a comparative analysis of modern antisemitism and the rise of sociology. This volume addresses three key areas: the strong influence of writers of Jewish background and the rising tide of antisemitism on the formation of sociology; the role of antisemitism in the historical development of sociology through its treatment by leading figures in the field, such as Emile Durkheim, Talcott Parsons, and Theodor W. Adorno; and the discipline’s development in the aftermath of the Nazi Holocaust. Together the essays provide a fresh perspective on the history of sociology and the role that antisemitism, Jews, fascism, and the Holocaust played in shaping modern social theory.
Download or read book The New Criminology written by Ian Taylor and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2002-11 with total page 358 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A major contribution to criminology in which Taylor, Walton and Young provide a framework for a fully social theory of crime.
Download or read book Contemporary Sociological Theory written by Doyle Paul Johnson and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2008-04-23 with total page 631 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume is designed as a basic text for upper level and graduate courses in contemporary sociological theory. Most sociology programs require their majors to take at least one course in sociological theory, sometimes two. A typical breakdown is between classical and contemporary theory. Theory is perhaps one of the bro- est areas of sociological inquiry and serves as a foundation or framework for more specialized study in specific substantive areas of the field. In addition, the study of sociological theory can readily be related to various aspects of other social science disciplines as well. From the very beginning sociology has been characterized by alternative theoretical perspectives. Classical theory includes the European founding figures of the dis- pline whose works were produced during the later half of the nineteenth century and the first couple of decades of the twentieth century plus early American th- rists. For most of the second half of the twentieth century, a fairly high consensus has developed among American sociologists regarding these major founders, p- ticularly with regard to the works of Durkheim and Weber in analyzing the overall society and of Simmel in analyzing social interaction processes. Since the late 1960s and early 1970s the influence of Marx has also been recognized. Recent decades have also witnessed an increased emphasis on the important contributions of several pioneering feminist perspectives in the early years of sociology.
