Download or read book Arguments and Actions in Social Theory written by Peter Preston and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 189 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book argues that theorists are located within the social world; exercises in theorizing are both bounded and creative; imagination and creativity build upon the resources of tradition; and such awareness is the basis for dialogue with the denizens of other traditions, cultures and ways of making sense of the world.
Download or read book Arguments and Actions in Social Theory written by P. W. Preston and published by Palgrave MacMillan. This book was released on 2009-05-21 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Preface p. vi Acknowledgements p. vii Chapter 1 The Practical Nature of Social Theorizing p. 1 Chapter 2 Arguments from Natural Science p. 9 Chapter 3 Arguments from Language/Understanding p. 44 Chapter 4 Arguments from Political Community p. 78 Chapter 5 Language, Tradition and Practice p. 117 Notes p. 147 Bibliography p. 171 Index p. 183.
Download or read book Central Problems in Social Theory written by Anthony Giddens and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 1979-11-29 with total page 308 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "One of the most creative among the younger generation of critical social theorists, Giddens stands alone in his concern for the classical tradition on sociology; but he also makes brilliant use of the latest philosophical and theoretical work of several contemporary schools and disciplines. A very important book for all of social science."—Jeffrey C. Alexander
Download or read book Theories of Action and Morality written by Mark Alznauer and published by Georg Olms Verlag. This book was released on 2016-02-01 with total page 271 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Die in diesem Band versammelten Essays erörtern die Frage nach der Möglichkeit des Verstehens menschlichen Handelns ohne den Rückbezug auf moralische Werte und Normen. Obwohl die Autoren sich dieser Frage auf ganz unterschiedliche, manchmal divergierende, Weisen nähern, verbindet sie alle die Annahme, es sei nicht wünschenswert oder sogar inkohärent, das menschliche Handeln grundsätzlich unabhängig von moralischen Werten zu betrachten. Die Herausgeber haben sich um eine für Philosophen und Gesellschaftswissenschaftler gleichermaßen attraktive Beitragssammlung bemüht. Die Verknüpfung philosophischer und soziologischer Perspektiven könnte zur Klärung gegenseitiger Missverständnisse beitragen, die aufgrund eines mangelhaften Dialogs zwischen der philosophischen und soziologischen Handlungstheorie erwachsen sind. In diesem Band enthalten sind Essays von Terry Pinkard, Sebastian Rödl, Dieter Schönecker, Ana Marta González, John Levi Martin, Alejandro N. García Martínez, Sophie Djigo, Teresa Enríquez und Evgenia Mylonaki. The essays in this volume address the question of whether we can understand human action without reference to moral norms or values. Although the authors approach this question in different and sometimes even incompatible ways, they are united in thinking that it is undesirable or even incoherent to treat human agency as if it were conceptually independent of value questions. The editors have attempted to invite contributions that would be interesting to both philosophers and social theorists. The conjunction of philosophic and sociological perspectives might help to overcome some of the mutual misunderstandings that have been fostered by a lack of dialogue between the philosophic and sociological action theory. The volume includes essays by Terry Pinkard, Sebastian Rödl, Dieter Schönecker, Ana Marta González, John Levi Martin, Alejandro N. García Martínez, Sophie Djigo, Teresa Enríquez, and Evgenia Mylonaki.
Download or read book The Myth of Social Action written by Colin Campbell and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1998-07-09 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Myth of Social Action, first published in 1996, is a powerful critique of the sociology of the time and a call to reject the prevailing orthodoxy. Arguing that sociological theory had lost its way, Colin Campbell mounts a case for a new 'dynamic interpretivism' a perspective on human conduct which is more inkeeping with the spirit of traditional Weberian action theory. Discussing and dismissing one by one the main arguments of those who reject individualistic action theory, he demonstrates that this has been wrongly rejected in favour of the interactional, social situationalist approach now dominating sociological thought.
Download or read book Understanding Agency written by Barry Barnes and published by SAGE. This book was released on 2000 with total page 182 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this penetrating and assured book, one of the leading commentators in the field argues that social theory is moving in the wrong direction in its reflections on human freedom and autonomy. It has borrowed notions of 'agency' and 'choice' from everyday discourse, but increasingly it puts a misconceived individualistic gloss upon them. Against this, Barnes unequivocally identifies human beings as social agents in a profound sense, and emphasises the vital importance of their sociability. Notions of 'agency', 'freedom' and 'choice' have to be understood by reference to their role in communicative interaction; they are key components of the discourse through which human beings identify each other, and have effects upon each other, as soci
Download or read book Arguments and Actions in Social Theory written by P. Preston and published by Springer. This book was released on 2009-05-21 with total page 196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book argues that theorists are located within the social world; exercises in theorizing are both bounded and creative; imagination and creativity build upon the resources of tradition; and such awareness is the basis for dialogue with the denizens of other traditions, cultures and ways of making sense of the world.
Download or read book A Theory of Social Action written by R. Tuomela and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 1984-09-30 with total page 554 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It is somewhat surprising to find out how little serious theorizing there is in philosophy (and in social psychology as well as sociology) on the nature of social actions or joint act. hons in the sense of actions performed together by several agents. Actions performed by single agents have been extensively discussed both in philosophy and in psycho~ogy. There is, ac cordingly, a booming field called action theory in philosophy but it has so far strongly concentrated on actions performed by single agents only. We of course should not forget game theory, a discipline that systematically studies the strategic interac tion between several rational agents. Yet this important theory, besides being restricted to strongly rational acting, fails to study properly several central problems related to the concep tual nature of social action. Thus, it does not adequately clarify and classify the various types of joint action (except perhaps from the point of view of the agents' utilities). This book presents a systematic theory of social action. Because of its reliance on so-called purposive causation and generation it is called the purposive-causal theory. This work also discusses several problems related to the topic of social action, for instance that of how to create from this perspective the most central concepts needed by social psychology and soci ology. While quite a lot of ground is covered in the book, many important questions have been left unanswered and many others unasked as well.
Download or read book Explaining and Arguing written by Charles Antaki and published by SAGE. This book was released on 1994-08-04 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Explanations identify causes, back up claims and justify actions. Social scientists study them because they reveal how people understand and construct their worlds. This stimulating book offers a critical review of the major approaches to the study of everyday explaining and arguing. Using concrete examples to illuminate the range of contemporary approaches, Antaki's concern is to test theory against practice. He draws a picture of explanation as a richly social achievement of speaker and audience, involving a balance between delicate manoeuvre and the exercise of discursive power.
Download or read book The Elements of Social Theory written by Barry Barnes and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2014-07-14 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Over the past quarter century, social theory has moved in diverse and often seemingly incompatible directions, exaggerating differences of approach that existed even in earlier periods. In a strikingly original book, Barry Barnes uses this intellectual diversity not only to identify but also to unify the central ways of looking at the field. Barnes frames his task by addressing the most important problem confronting all students of society today: the apparent conflict between cultural and functional methods of describing the social order, on one hand, and choice-theoretic accounts, on the other. But rather than reviewing in detail the origins and development of these contending views of reality, Barnes conducts a dialogue between the two perspectives, thereby revealing their respective strengths and shortcomings. In the process, he develops a case for a theoretical "third way," an interactionist understanding of the workings of the social order and the emergence of behavioral norms. Barnes successfully applies interactionist analysis, formerly used mostly for micro-social settings, to macro-phenomena like the formation of status groups, the origin of social movements, the politics of class formation, and the dynamics of bureaucratic action. He shows how these phenomena are inexplicable in terms of exclusively cultural- functional or choice-theoretic methods: they can be understood only by showing how norms emerge through interaction. Barnes has constructed a coherent and learned vision of the fundamentals of social theory that will excite not only sociologists but all social scientists and their students. Originally published in 1995. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.
Download or read book Explanation and Social Theory written by John Holmwood and published by Springer. This book was released on 1993-06-18 with total page 254 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Modern social science is largely pessimistic about social life and inquiry and this text traces the reasons for this. It argues for a creative and progressive social science to tackle the real problems of society and to find a solution which would expand human competence and practical resources.
Download or read book Handbook of Social Theory written by George Ritzer and published by SAGE. This book was released on 2001-01-02 with total page 565 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is an indispensable resource for anyone interested in the roots, current debates and future development of social theory. It draws together a team of outstanding international scholars and presents an authoritative and panoramic critical survey of the field. The volume is divided into three parts. The first part examines the classical tradition. Included here are critical discussions of Comte, Spencer, Marx, Durkheim, Weber, Simmel, Mead, Freud, Mannheim and classical feminist thought. This part conveys the classical tradition as a living resource in social theory, it demonstrates not only the critical significance of classical writings, but their continuing relevance. The second part moves on to examine the terrain of contemporary social theory. The contributions discuss the significance and strengths and weaknesses of structural functionalism, recent Marxian theory, critical theory, symbolic interactionism, phenomenology, ethnomethodology, exchange theory, rational choice, contemporary feminism, multiculturalism, postmodernism, the thought of Foucault and Habermas, and figurational sociology. The reader gains a comprehensive and informed picture of the key issues and central figures of the day. The final part ranges over the key debates in current social theory. Questions relating to positivism, metatheorizing, cultural studies, consumption, sexualities, the body, globalism, nationalism, socialism, knowledge societies, ethics and morality, as well as post-social relations are fully discussed. The dilemmas and promise of contemporary social theory are revealed with pinpoint accuracy.
Download or read book EBOOK Situating Social Theory written by Tim May and published by McGraw-Hill Education (UK). This book was released on 2008-08-16 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "... a very substantial and reliable introduction to social theory, imaginatively written and extremely readable. The new edition contains three valuable additional chapters." William Outhwaite, Professor of Sociology, University of Sussex, UK The long-anticipated second edition of this original and approachable text examines social theory in the context of its traditions and historical development, and explores its contemporary relevance in explaining society and understanding social relations. The text has been substantially revised and includes three new chapters, two of which depict theory in action, and a new conclusion. May and Powell have also added new material on both emotion and globalisation. Situating Social Theory begins by charting the history of social theory, examining its development in terms of the Enlightenment project and the cultural and intellectual contexts in which theorists worked and constructed their ideas. It goes on to critically examine traditions in social thought, including hermeneutics, phenomenology, pragmatism, critical theory, structuralism, actor network theory, systems theory and feminisms. In outlining the main ideas behind these traditions, the form and content of modern social theory is situated within its historical roots, enabling the reader to actively explore the arguments and reflect upon their strengths and weaknesses. Throughout the book, the relationships between agency, the social self and social structure provide a thematic coherence. There is a comprehensive bibliography that will help the reader to explore theories of particular interest in greater depth. Situating Social Theory is an invaluable text for intermediate undergraduate courses within sociology and the wider social sciences, and provides an essential source of reference for advanced undergraduates and postgraduate researchers.
Download or read book Structure Interaction and Social Theory RLE Social Theory written by Derek Layder and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-08-21 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A central problem in contemporary social theory is that of providing an account of social interaction that does justice both to the self-monitoring capacities of the individuals involved and to the society that ‘frames’ the interaction. This book attempts to resolve this problem, arguing for an objectivist or ‘structuralist’ account which does not undervalue the importance of the indexical and negotiated aspects of interaction, and which takes seriously the Marxist-rationalist critique of empiricism and humanism and the associated idea that society should be treated as a supra-individual, preconstituted and constraining object of scientific analysis. First, Dr Layder pinpoints certain of the strengths and weaknesses of various schools of thought: social psychology (scrutinized in both its sociological and psychological forms), sociology, the Marxist-rationalist approach. Whilst rejecting the mechanistic or naively deterministic theories which are often associated with an objectivist stance, he argues that the productive activities of situated actors must be understood as existing in an articulated relationship with, and within, sets of preconstituted contextual constraints. This thesis is illustrated conceptually by the development of a framework which distinguishes two types and levels of social structure, with different modes of production and reproduction, and empirically by an analysis of aspects of interaction in the occupation of acting.
Download or read book Pragmatism and Social Theory written by Hans Joas and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 1993-03-15 with total page 284 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Rising concerns among scholars about the intellectual and cultural foundations of democracy have led to a revival of interest in the American philosophical tradition of pragmatism. In this book, Hans Joas shows how pragmatism can link divergent intellectual efforts to understand the social contexts of human knowledge, individual freedom, and democratic culture. Along with pragmatism's impact on American sociology and social research from 1895 to the 1940s, Joas traces its reception by French and German traditions during this century. He explores the influences of pragmatism—often misunderstood—on Emile Durkheim's sociology of knowledge, and on German thought, with particularly enlightening references to its appropriation by Nazism and its rejection by neo-Marxism. He also explores new currents of social theory in the work of Habermas, Castoriadis, Giddens, and Alexander, fashioning a bridge between Continental thought, American philosophy, and contemporary sociology; he shows how the misapprehension and neglect of pragmatism has led to systematic deficiencies in contemporary social theory. From this skillful historical and theoretical analysis, Joas creates a powerful case for the enduring legacy of Peirce, James, Dewey, and Mead for social theorists today.
Download or read book Theoretical Logic in Sociology written by Jeffrey C. Alexander and published by . This book was released on 1982 with total page 558 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book A Social Theory of Freedom written by Mariam Thalos and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-03-17 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In A Social Theory of Freedom, Mariam Thalos argues that the theory of human freedom should be a broadly social and political theory, rather than a theory that places itself in opposition to the issue of determinism. Thalos rejects the premise that a theory of freedom is fundamentally a theory of the metaphysics of constraint and, instead, lays out a political conception of freedom that is closely aligned with questions of social identity, self-development in contexts of intimate relationships, and social solidarity. Thalos argues that whether a person is free (in any context) depends upon a certain relationship of fit between that agent’s conception of themselves (both present and future), on the one hand, and the facts of their circumstances, on the other. Since relationships of fit are broadly logical, freedom is a logic—it is the logic of fit between one’s aspirations and one’s circumstances, what Thalos calls the logic of agency. The logic of agency, once fleshed out, becomes a broadly social and political theory that encompasses one’s self-conceptions as well as how these self-conceptions are generated, together with how they fit with the circumstances of one’s life. The theory of freedom proposed in this volume is fundamentally a political one.
