Social Theory Today

Social Theory Today PDF Author: Anthony Giddens
Publisher: Stanford University Press
ISBN: 9780804715140
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 438

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Book Description
Social theory has undergone dramatic changes over the past fifteen years. The aim of this book is to provide a comprehensive survey of those changes, and an authoritative statement on current trends of development in social thought. The contents of the book range in a systematic way across the major traditions of social theory prominent today. Among the topics covered are the relationships between modern social theory and the 'classics' of the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries; the connections between social theory and mathematical social science; and the logical status of generalizations in the social sciences. Traditions of thought discussed include: behaviourism; symbolic interactionism; Parsonian theory; analytical theory; structuralism and post-structuralism; ethnomethodology; structuration theory; world systems theory; Marxism and critical theory.

Social Theory Today

Social Theory Today PDF Author: Anthony Giddens
Publisher: Stanford University Press
ISBN: 9780804715140
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 438

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Book Description
Social theory has undergone dramatic changes over the past fifteen years. The aim of this book is to provide a comprehensive survey of those changes, and an authoritative statement on current trends of development in social thought. The contents of the book range in a systematic way across the major traditions of social theory prominent today. Among the topics covered are the relationships between modern social theory and the 'classics' of the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries; the connections between social theory and mathematical social science; and the logical status of generalizations in the social sciences. Traditions of thought discussed include: behaviourism; symbolic interactionism; Parsonian theory; analytical theory; structuralism and post-structuralism; ethnomethodology; structuration theory; world systems theory; Marxism and critical theory.

Social Theory for Today

Social Theory for Today PDF Author: Alex Law
Publisher: SAGE
ISBN: 1473911141
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 659

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Book Description
This book is distinctive for extending the usual sociological reach, reopening territory that has lain fallow, set aside from the well-ploughed fields of orthodox social theory. In doing so, Law not only produces fresh insight into familiar theorists but guards against collective forgetting of the sociological canon. - Professor Bridget Fowler, University of Glasgow "An excellent book, it will be welcomed and read widely by advanced undergraduates, postgraduates and scholars in sociology, cultural studies, social theory and beyond." - Professor Chris Shilling, University of Kent Social Theory for Today guides students through the ‘turns’ of past and present social theory as it attempts to wrestle with a recurring sense of crisis in social relations and social theory. Drawing on both classical and contemporary sources, Alex Law provides readers with a firm grasp of competing perspectives. Too often social theories attempt to dominate the field by casting rival theorists, past and present, as deluded fools, while the more familiar ‘big names’ in social theory are subject to ever-increasing commentary that runs in ever-decreasing circles. This survey of social theory and crisis lessens the temptation to engage in internal theoretical polemics and esoteric wordplay. Social theory must become practical and specific if it is to become a means of orientation for uncertain times. This is a must-read for upper level undergraduate and postgraduate students looking for a vibrant and extended understanding of social theory.

Social Theory Now

Social Theory Now PDF Author: Claudio E. Benzecry
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 022647531X
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 416

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Book Description
The landscape of social theory has changed significantly over the three decades since the publication of Anthony Giddens and Jonathan Turner’s seminal Social Theory Today. Sociologists in the twenty-first century desperately need a new agenda centered around central questions of social theory. In Social Theory Now, Claudio E. Benzecry, Monika Krause, and Isaac Ariail Reed set a new course for sociologists, bringing together contributions from the most distinctive?sociological?traditions?in an ambitious survey of where social theory is today and where it might be going. The book?provides a strategic window onto social theory based on current research, examining trends in classical traditions and the cutting edge of more recent approaches. From distinctive theoretical positions, contributors address questions about?how social order is accomplished; the role of materiality, practice, and meaning; as well as the conditions for the knowledge of the social world. The theoretical traditions presented include cultural sociology, microsociologies, world-system theory and post-colonial theory, gender and feminism, actor network and network theory, systems theory, field theory, rational choice, poststructuralism, pragmatism, and the sociology of conventions. Each chapter introduces a tradition and presents an agenda for further theoretical development. Social Theory Now is an essential tool for sociologists. It will be central to the discussion and teaching of contemporary social theory?for years to come.

Contested Knowledge

Contested Knowledge PDF Author: Steven Seidman
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1119167590
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 368

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Book Description
In the sixth edition of Contested Knowledge, social theorist Steven Seidman presents the latest topics in social theory and addresses the current shift of 'universalist theorists' to networks of clustered debates. Responds to current issues, debates, and new social movements Reviews sociological theory from a contemporary perspective Reveals how the universal theorist and the era of rival schools has been replaced by networks of clustered debates that are relatively 'autonomous' and interdisciplinary Features updates and in-depth discussions of the newest clustered debates in social theory—intimacy, postcolonial nationalism, and the concept of 'the other' Challenges social scientists to renew their commitment to the important moral and political role social knowledge plays in public life

Central Problems in Social Theory

Central Problems in Social Theory PDF Author: Anthony Giddens
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 9780520039759
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 308

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Book Description
"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

Readings in Social Theory

Readings in Social Theory PDF Author: James Farganis
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Humanities, Social Sciences & World Languages
ISBN:
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 474

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Book Description
Presenting an anthology of primary readings in sociological theory, this book covers the theorists and schools from classic to contemporary, modernist, and postmodernist, in a chronological organization. It is useful for professors who want to encourage students to read and interpret original sources.

Contested Knowledge

Contested Knowledge PDF Author: Steven Seidman
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1444358820
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 421

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Book Description
Contested Knowledge is a well-established text offering up-to-date perspectives on social theory by one of the most important thinkers of our time. This fourth edition includes an exploration of globalization and a new section on the theories of global and world order. It provides a thoughtful and rigorous, yet highly accessible and reader-friendly account of social theory. Responds to current issues, debates, and new social movements Reviews sociological theory from a truly contemporary perspective Examines both classical and contemporary theories Combines social analysis and moral advocacy to demonstrate how social theory contributes to the making of a better world Challenges social scientists to renew their commitment to the important moral and political role social knowledge plays in public life A thoughtful and rigorous, yet highly accessible and reader-friendly account of social theory An accompanying website containing additional support for lecturers and students is available at www.blackwellpublishing.com/seidman

Social Theory for Today

Social Theory for Today PDF Author: Alex Law
Publisher: SAGE
ISBN: 1473911133
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 345

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Book Description
This book is distinctive for extending the usual sociological reach, reopening territory that has lain fallow, set aside from the well-ploughed fields of orthodox social theory. In doing so, Law not only produces fresh insight into familiar theorists but guards against collective forgetting of the sociological canon. - Professor Bridget Fowler, University of Glasgow "An excellent book, it will be welcomed and read widely by advanced undergraduates, postgraduates and scholars in sociology, cultural studies, social theory and beyond." - Professor Chris Shilling, University of Kent Social Theory for Today guides students through the ‘turns’ of past and present social theory as it attempts to wrestle with a recurring sense of crisis in social relations and social theory. Drawing on both classical and contemporary sources, Alex Law provides readers with a firm grasp of competing perspectives. Too often social theories attempt to dominate the field by casting rival theorists, past and present, as deluded fools, while the more familiar ‘big names’ in social theory are subject to ever-increasing commentary that runs in ever-decreasing circles. This survey of social theory and crisis lessens the temptation to engage in internal theoretical polemics and esoteric wordplay. Social theory must become practical and specific if it is to become a means of orientation for uncertain times. This is a must-read for upper level undergraduate and postgraduate students looking for a vibrant and extended understanding of social theory.

Ernest Gellner’s Legacy and Social Theory Today

Ernest Gellner’s Legacy and Social Theory Today PDF Author: Petr Skalník
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 303106805X
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 604

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Book Description
This edited volume examines the critical issues of the 21st century through the prism of Ernest Gellner’s work. The contributors look critically at Gellner ́s legacy, questioning whether he remains an inspiration for today’s social theorists. Chapters proactively probe Gellner’s thoughts on a variety of pressing topics—modernity, postcolonialsm, nationalism, and more—without losing sight of current debates on these issues. This volume further brings these debates to life by having each chapter followed by a comment by an academic peer of the chapter author, thus transforming the text into a lively and dynamic conversation.

Back for the Future: Sociological Theory and Today's Big Issues

Back for the Future: Sociological Theory and Today's Big Issues PDF Author: James Simpson
Publisher: Lulu.com
ISBN: 1326450425
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 106

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Book Description
What would the great founders of modern sociology have to say about happiness, modern capitalism, generation rent or pop music? What were their ideas about? Back For the Future introduces the concept of sociological investigation and describes the theoretical approaches of Emile Durkheim, Karl Marx and Max Weber in the context of their times and through the big challenges in society today. The book discusses world happiness research, the internet and 'glocalisation', sexual freedom and gender, 'collective effervescence', modern capitalism, the ever-present bureaucratic model of management in society, social behaviour and cognitive bias amongst many other topics in today's world. You even get fine art samples, a fun puzzle and a great You Tube link to illustrate the ideas! In reader testing Back for the Future was highly rated as an introductory reader, a teaching and learning aid and as a student text that cuts across disciplinary boundaries.