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Theoretical Sociology
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Theoretical Sociology
1830 to the Present


Other Titles in:
Social Theory

November 2012 | 936 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc
Written by award-winning scholar, Jonathan Turner, Theoretical Sociology: 1830 to the Present is a monumental book that offers like no other book in sociology both in-depth and comprehensive coverage of the classical and modern traditions in sociological theorizing. This is not a shallow review of theory, but a serious effort to understand theoretical sociology from its beginnings in the 1830s to its present profile today.

Part 1 is composed of detailed analyses of the theories of the classical tradition, including the works of August Comte, Herbert Spencer, Karl Marx, Max Weber, Georg Simmel, Emile Durkheim, and George Herbert Mead. Their theories are examined in detail and depth. As a result, the reader gets much more than a surface primer on the classical tradition; rather, analysis of each theorist in the classical tradition is comprehensive and deep, giving a reader a true understanding of the power of the ideas developed by theorists of the classical era. Part 1 closes with a long chapter summarizing how each of the key figures in sociology's early pantheon influenced the development of contemporary theory, examined in Part 2.

Part 2 of the book examines all of the principle theoretical traditions in sociology during the modern era. Each chapter is long because both the diversity and depth of work in each theoretical approach is examined, including the functional, general systems, ecological, evolutionary, conflict, exchange, symbolic interactionist, role and status, dramaturgical, phenomenological, structuralist, cultural, postmodern, European-critical, and American-style critical theories.

Part 3 reviews the state of sociological theory today. First, the elements that make theory scientific are outlined. And then, Turner explores how to overcome roadblocks that have prevented sociological theories from realizing their full explanatory power. Coverage spans both classical and contemporary theoretical sociology, with an eye to giving readers complete coverage of theoretical sociology.

This one book is resource for both the classical and contemporary courses, thus providing a unified book for readers in a wide variety of theory courses.

 
Theoretical Sociology
 
The Classical Period, 1830-1935
 
August Comte and The Emergence of Sociology
 
Herbert Spencer
 
Karl Marx
 
The Max Weber
 
Georg Simmel
 
Emile Durkheim
 
George Herbert Mead
 
The Classical Roots of Contemporary Theorizing
 
The Modern Era
 
Functional Theorizing
 
General Systems Theorizing
 
Ecological Theorizing
 
Evolutionary Theorizing
 
Conflict Theorizing
 
Exchange Theorizing
 
Symbolic Interactionist Theorizing
 
Role and Status Theorizing
 
Dramaturgical Theorizing
 
Phenomenological and Ethnomethodological Theorizing
 
Structuralist Theorizing (include structuration theory, network theory)
 
Cultural Theorizing
 
Postmodern Theorizing
 
European Critical Theorizing
 
American-style Critical Theorizing
 
The State of Sociological Theory
 
Elements of Scientific Theorizing
 
Overcoming Roadblocks to Cumulative
Explanatory Theory in Sociology

 

A great book that explains theory clearly.

Mrs Karen James
Care, Coleg Sir Gar
December 5, 2012

A great tool for the explanations of theory to upper-level students.

Ms Khalilah Hanan
Sociology Anthropology Dept, Indiana University Purdue - Fort Wayne
November 29, 2012
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ISBN: 9781452203430
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