Readings in Contemporary Sociological Theory: From Modernity to Post-Modernity

Donald McQuarie, Bowling Green State University
Title Readings in Contemporary Sociological Theory: From Modernity to Post-Modernity
Edition 1st
ISBN 9780131042667
ISBN 10 0131042661
Published 18/07/1994
Published by Pearson Higher Ed USA
Pages 440
Format Paperback
Out of stock
 
Total Price $193.95 Add to Cart
Description

This accessible guide to the maze of modern sociological theory features a collection of 39 essays written by prominent American and European theorists — representing the last fifty years of sociological work.

Table of contents

I. FUNCTIONALISM AND NEOFUNCTIONALISM.

 1. A. R. Radcliffe-Brown, On the Concept of Function in Social Science.

 2. Robert K. Merton, Prevailing Postulates in Functional Analysis.

 3. Charles Ackerman and Talcott Parsons, The Concept of “Social System” as a Theoretical Device.

 4. Niklas Luhmann, The World Society as a Social System.

 5. Paul B. Colomy, Recent Developments in the Functionalist Approach to Change.

 6. Jonathan H. Turner and Alexandra R. Maryanski, Is “Neofunctionalism” Really Functional?

II. CONFLICT THEORY.

 7. Anthony Giddens, Time and Space in Social Theory: Critical Remarks upon Functionalism.

 8. Ralf Dahrendorf, Toward a Theory of Social Conflict.

 9. Lewis A. Coser, Social Conflict and the Theory of Social Change.

10. Randall Collins, Three Faces of Cruelty: Towards a Comparative Sociology of Violence.

11. Randall Collins, Maturation of the State-Centered Theory of Revolution and Ideology.

III. MARXISM AND NEO-MARXISM.

12. Herbert Marcuse, Some Social Implications of Modern Technology.

13. Philip Kasinitz, Neo-Marxist Views of the State.

14. Jürgen Habermas, What Does a Crisis Mean Today? Legitimation Problems in Late Capitalism.

15. Immanuel Wallerstein, The Present State of the Debate on World Inequality.

16. Erik Olin Wright, What Is Analytical Marxism?

17. Lise Vogel, Marxism and Socialist-Feminist Theory: A Decade of Debate.

IV. MICROSOCIOLOGY.

18. Leonard S. Cottrell, Jr., George Herbert Mead: The Legacy of Social Behaviorism.

19. Herbert Blumer, Society as Symbolic Interaction.

20. George Psathas, Ethnomethods and Phenomenology.

21. A. Lincoln Ryave and James N. Schenkein, Notes on the Art of Walking.

22. George C. Homans, Social Behavior as Exchange.

23. Elaine Hatfield, Equity Theory and Research: An Overview.

24. Nancy C. M. Hartsock, Exchange Theory: Critique from a Feminist Standpoint.

25. Erving Goffman, The Interaction Order.

V. MICRO VERSUS MACRO APPROACHES.

26. George C. Homans, The Present State of Sociological Theory.

27. Bruce H. Mayhew, Structuralism versus Individualism: Shadowboxing in the Dark.

28. Debra Friedman and Michael Hechter, The Contribution of Rational Choice Theory to Macrosociological Research.

29. Randall Collins, Micro-translation as a Theory-Building Strategy.

30. Peter M. Blau, Microprocess and Macrostructure.

31. Pierre Bourdieu, Social Space and Symbolic Power.

32. Anthony Giddens, Agency, Institution, and Time-Space Analysis.

VI. NEW PERSPECTIVES AND APPROACHES.

33. Edward O. Wilson, What Is Sociobiology?

34. William R. Catton, Jr., and Riley E. Dunlap, Environmental Sociology: A New Paradigm.

35. Judith Stacey and Barrie Thorne, The Missing Feminist Revolution in Sociology.

36. Joanne Finkelstein, Considerations for a Sociology of the Emotions.

37. Charles Tilly, Future History.

38. Norman K. Denzin, Postmodern Social Theory.

39. Steven Seidman, The End of Sociological Theory: The Postmodern Hope.

Features & benefits
  • includes essays that represent both classical statements and cutting-edge work — but that are written in easily-accessible language and that have been edited to 12 pages or less in length.
  • provides short chapter introductions that cover the history, major concepts, and important figures associated with each perspective.
  • considers all important theoretical approaches in contemporary sociology — neo-functionalism, conflict theory, neo-Marxism, microsociology, and major new perspectives.

    • For each major perspective, includes classical statements of the approach as well as important recent work by contemporary theorists.

  • includes essays by prominent American theorists (Turner, Collins, Wright, Homans, Goffman, Hartsock, Blau, and Denzin) and essays by major European theorists (e.g., Luhmann, Habermas, Giddens, and Bourdieu).
  • devotes an entire chapter to one of the leading developments in sociological theory in the 1990s — the attempt to link together or synthesize theories written at the micro and macro levels of analysis. Reflects on the problems of translation and synthesis between the two levels of analysis.
  • highlights the feminist critique of other perspectives by including critical feminist essays by Vogel (18), Hartsock (24), Stacey and Thorne (35), and Finkelstein (36).
  • concludes with two essays on postmodernism.