Rethinking Analytical Sociology: (Rethinking Sociology series)

This discerning book outlines the methods, assumptions and achievements of analytical sociology, presenting it as a valuable research approach in the social sciences. Daniel Little argues that analytical sociology provides an ambitious basis for understanding and explaining a range of important social phenomena, while also engaging critically with several key theoretical assumptions of the approach that limit its generality. Chapters highlight analytical sociology’s empirical successes in public health, network analysis and political applications. Little demonstrates that current thinking in the field is limited by narrow conceptions of methodological individualism and the actor, and considers social issues such as racial health disparities in the USA, the rise of far-right authoritarian movements and the organizational causes of technology disasters within a broader theoretical framework. He argues that analytical approaches can be enriched through greater engagement with other areas of contemporary sociology, ultimately emphasizing that analytical sociology is a powerful tool when it acknowledges and moves beyond its preconceived limitations. Rethinking Analytical Sociology is an essential tool for academics and students in sociology, political science, public health, public policy, and other social sciences. Its insights will also greatly benefit researchers seeking to understand new developments in the field.

Table of Contents:
Contents Introduction to Rethinking Analytical Sociology 1 The analytical sociology manifesto 2 Substantive empirical successes 3 Limitations of the generativist paradigm 4 A broadened conception of the actor 5 Dynamic actors and structures 6 Social mechanisms 7 Rejecting ABM fundamentalism 8 Against primacy 9 New topics References

About the Author :
Daniel Little, Professor of Philosophy, Department of Language, Culture, and the Arts, University of Michigan-Dearborn and Professor of Sociology and Public Policy, Department of Sociology and Ford School of Public Policy, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, USA

Review :
‘Daniel Little’s book provides an accurate and up-to-date interpretation of the foundational assumptions of analytical sociology, along with a critical assessment of them. Little demonstrates how relaxing some of these assumptions and engaging more actively with other approaches to explanatory sociology could broaden the scope of analytical sociology. Little has produced an insightful, wide-ranging book that is highly recommended for anyone interested in analytical sociology.’