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.

Treating social theory as an exciting intellectual journey in its own right, this new introductory-level textbook presents the key ideas and concepts in social theory together with an account of the intellectual background from which they emerged. Aimed at first-year undergraduates studying sociology and all related disciplines in the social sciences and humanities, it provides an introduction to the major questions and debates facing social theorists and sociologists. Clearly designed presentation and layout features help readers navigate their way around the material thus giving them the best chance of finding what they need quickly and easily. The book is supported by a companion website, containing additional materials for both students and lecturers using the book, which is available from the link above

Provides an introduction to the core issues in social theory. This book will be useful reading for students in sociology, social psychology, social theory, political theory and organization studies.

Sociology and social theory has always been a major source of new perspectives for organization studies. Access to a series of authoritative accounts of theorists and research themes in sociology and social theory which have influenced developments in organization studies is essential for those wishing to deepen and extend their knowledge of the intersection of sociology and organization studies. This goal is achieved by drawing on a group of internationally renowned scholars committed in their own work to strengthening these links and asking them to provide critical accounts of particular theorists and research themes which have straddled this divide. This volume aims to strengthen ties between organization studies and contemporary sociological work at a time when there are increasing institutional barriers to such cooperation, potentially generating a myopia that constricts new developments. Used in conjunction with its companion volume, The Oxford Handbook of Sociology and Organization Studies: Classical Foundations, the reader is provided with a comprehensive account of the productive and critical interaction between sociology and organization studies over many decades. Highly international in scope, theorists and themes are drawn from both the USA and Europe in equal measure. Similarly the authors of the chapters are drawn from both sides of the Atlantic. The result is a series of chapters on individuals and key research themes and debates which will provide faculty and post graduate researchers with appreciative, authoritative and critical accounts that can be drawn on to design courses or provided guided reading to the field.

The Encyclopedia of Social Theory contains over 500 entries varying from concise definitions of key terms and short biographies of key theorists to comprehensive surveys of leading concepts, debates, themes and schools. The object of the Encyclopedia has been to give thorough coverage of the central topics in theoretical sociology as well as terms

In this fundamental contribution to the study and application of sociological theory, Wallace examines a wide range of theories within a framework that clarifies their interrelationships and illustrates their implications for empirical research. Wallace is able to point out the symbiotic relationships among these theories which, at first, may appear to be in direct opposition--or at least discord. Sociological Theory begins with an original essay by the editor that introduces the reader to eleven general theoretical viewpoints. He calls these ecologism, demographism, materialism, psychologism, technologism, functional structuralism, exchange structuralism, conflict structuralism, symbolic interactionism, social actionism, and functional imperativism. To do this, Wallace assembles selected readings by major theorists that provide detailed examples of each of the theoretical viewpoints discussed. The selections are keyed to the framework developed in the Introduction, so as to enable the reader to work back and forth between the general and the particular statements. Offering far more than a mere survey or an abstract critical analysis, In this way, Sociological Theory provides a learning matrix that facilitates comprehension and enables the reader systematically to expand his knowledge of sociological theory. In developing his analytical framework, Wallace points out how these different types of theory complement rather than conflict with one another. Through this approach, he is able to show the distinctive level and scope of analysis of each theory to demonstrate why the sociologist must draw upon and integrate several viewpoints for interpreting research results and formulating hypotheses. A useful guide and reference work for researchers and teachers, the book is an excellent basic or supplementary text for all theory courses. As Robert K. Merton noted at the time of the original publication, "Sociological Theory is a bea

Daniel Chernilo offers an original reconstruction of the history of universalism in modern social thought from Hobbes to Habermas.

For nearly a quarter-century, Charles Lemert has shared his love of social theory, and the questions it explores, in this collection of readings. With 140 selections that begin in the nineteenth century and end in 2015, Social Theory charts the long arc of the development of the field. This edition retains classic texts by Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim, Max Weber, and W.E.B. Du Bois and writings of major contemporary figures like Audre Lorde and Patricia Hill Collins, while adding pieces from Harriet Martineau, Friedrich Nietzsche, Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw, Thomas Piketty, and Ta-Nehisi Coates, among others. Revised and updated with a new section exploring social theory at the limits of the social, Lemert's Social Theory remains essential reading.