While sociological modernists were outrageously presumptious in their claims for sociological knowledge, postmodernists have gone to another extreme in claiming that it has no more truth status than fiction. Critical of both positions, Sociological Reasoning develops an original typology of approaches to social scientific theory and research which is distinguished by its openness and reflexive awareness of rhetorical and methodological aspects of knowledge claims. Laced with graphic illustrative examples, this is a strikingly well-written text that will appeal to students at undergraduate level and beyond.
While sociological modernists were outrageously presumptious in their claims for sociological knowledge, postmodernists have gone to another extreme in claiming that it has no more truth status than fiction. Critical of both positions, Sociological Reasoning develops an original typology of approaches to social scientific theory and research which is distinguished by its openness and reflexive awareness of rhetorical and methodological aspects of knowledge claims. Laced with graphic illustrative examples, this is a strikingly well-written text that will appeal to students at undergraduate level and beyond.
Sociological Reasoning is a classic study in sociology and philosophy by a leading French intellectual (and the co-author of several influential works with Pierre Bourdieu from 1964 to 1970). Jean-Claude Passeron's book was first published in 1991 and in a second revised and extended edition in 2006 (from which this book is translated).Passeron argues that to recognise sociology to be scientific involves situating it as an in-between science, neither reduced to the perceptions contained in the narratives of individuals nor generating a-historical truths of human behaviour in society.
From its first edition in 1979, Perspectives in Sociology has provided generations of undergraduates with a clear, reassuring introduction to the complications of sociological theory. This revised and updated edition features: a concise introduction to the major debates of the twentieth century, placing them in historical and philosophical context information on thinkers of the nineteenth and early twentieth century whose relevance to modern social thought is only now being recognized, e.g. Nietszche, Saussure, Simmel connections drawn between post-structuralist thinkers like Foucault and Derrida and the founding figures of sociology: Marx, Weber and Durkheim a completely rewritten chapter on the ‘Synthesisers’ - Bourdieu, Habermas and Giddens - and their attempts to generate a consensus from the apparently conflicting theories of their predecessors a new chapter reviewing the rise of British sociology, with particular reference to the political context and the changing role of ‘class’ in sociological thinking a new chapter describing the attempts of sociological theorists to explain current concerns, problems, and issues in the areas of gender, (homo)sexuality, and ethnicity in the context of the postcolonial world. While retaining its emphasis and wealth of information on the founding figures of sociology, this fifth edition now features a new easy-to-read format, (with particular attention paid to the linking and cross-referencing of chapters), and includes much new material on contemporary social theory with particular reference to its attempts to tackle current problems and issues in the areas of gender, sexuality, and ethnicity in the postcolonial context.
The relations between Conversation Analysis (CA), sociology, and social theory are complex, often ambiguous, and have sometimes been rather fraught. While there might be some relatively high level of agreement amongst their practitioners on what CA is, what it does, and what it is meant to achieve, that is not so much the case for the more open and broad terrains of sociology and social theory. Moreover, each of the domains in question has changed in orientation, composition, and academic location since CA first came into existence in the late 1960s. While initially a child of sociology, as CA has matured and extended its substantive and methodological reach, it has become a large intellectual domain in its own right, with inputs from, and relevance for, a host of other disciplines, notably linguistics, anthropology, and psychology. It is now no longer at all clear how CA relates to sociology and social theory, what each side currently does, or what it could bring to the other in the future.
This book draws on the insights of critical & creative thinking to guide students to a mastery of the necessary cognitive habits and skills. The objective is to increase students' appreciation of, and enthusiasm for the field of sociology.
Introduces both classical and contemporary sociological theory in a single comprehensive volume Introduction to Sociological Theory helps undergraduate and graduate students appreciate the diverse perspectives found in sociological analysis, apply theoretical concepts to contemporary issues, and think analytically about everyday occurrences beyond the classroom. Covering a diverse range of theorists and conceptual frameworks, this easily accessible textbook integrates carefully selected primary quotations, extensive discussion of key topics, and a wealth of illustrative empirical examples from around the world. The updated fourth edition of Introduction to Sociological Theory provides new contemporary examples, new discussion of current events, and new material demonstrating the relevance and practical application of sociological concepts in daily life. An entirely new section on posthumanism is accompanied by timely coverage of climate change, COVID-19, social media, post-truth society, the gig economy, ChatGPT, intersectionality, economic and racial inequality, and more. Written in a lively and engaging style, Introduction to Sociological Theory: Illustrates the relevance and real-world application of various sociological concepts and analytical ideas Offers detailed discussion of concepts and ideas found in excerpts from original theoretical writings Helps students apply theoretical concepts to sociological topics such as globalization, inequality, crime, race and gender, political sociology, sexuality, culture, and religion Contains timelines of significant events, analytical photos, chapter glossaries, end-of-chapter review questions, full references, and mini-biographies of important figures Includes access to a companion website with multiple-choice and essay questions, PowerPoint slides, complementary primary readings, a quotation bank, and other background materials Introduction to Sociological Theory: Theorists, Concepts, and their Applicability to the Twenty-First Century, Fourth Edition, remains an ideal textbook for undergraduate and graduate courses on contemporary and classical sociological theory, as well as an excellent supplement for related courses across the social sciences.
