Introduction to Sociological Theory: Theorists, Concepts, and their Applicability to the Twenty-First Century

The revised third edition of the text that combines classical and contemporary theories of sociological theory Thoroughly revised and updated, the third edition of an Introduction to Sociological Theory offers an in-depth introduction to classical and contemporary theories, and demonstrates their relevance to offer a clear understanding of a broad range of contemporary issues and topics. As with the previous editions, the text continues to combine carefully selected primary quotations from a broad range of theorists with extensive discussion and illustrative examples from a diverse range of countries, helpful timelines of important and thematically relevant events, biographical notes, contemporary topic boxes, analytical photos, and chapter glossaries.  The text addresses topics such as the persistence of economic and social inequality, Brexit, post-truth society, same-sex marriage, digital surveillance and the on-demand gig economy. Written in an engaging style, Introduction to Sociological Theory offers a comprehensive introduction to the pluralistic breadth and wide-ranging applicability of sociological theory. This updated edition of the authoritative text: Contains both classical and contemporary theories in a single text Builds on excerpts from original theoretical writings with detailed discussion of the concepts and ideas under review Includes new examples of current empirical topics such as Brexit, Donald Trump’s presidency, China’s growing economic power, global warming, intersectionality, social media, and much more Offers additional resources including a website that contains multiple choice and essay questions, a thoroughly refreshed set of PowerPoint slides for each chapter with multimedia links to content illustrative of sociological processes, a list of complementary primary readings, a quotation bank, and other background materials Written for undergraduate courses in contemporary and classical sociological theory, the third edition of an Introduction to Sociological Theory continues to provide a comprehensive, in-depth, and empirically engaging, introduction to sociological theory.

Table of Contents:
List of Boxed Features xi List of Analytical Photos xv Acknowledgments xvii How to Use This Book xix About the Website xxi Introduction – Sociological Theory: A Vibrant Living Tradition 1 Analyzing Everyday Social Life 4 Societal Transformation and the Origins of Sociology 10 The Establishment of Sociology as Science: Auguste Comte and Harriet Martineau 14 Social Inequality and Contextual Standpoints: Du Bois, De Tocqueville, and Martineau 20 Summary 25 Points to Remember 26 Glossary 26 Questions for Review 27 Note 28 References 28 1 Karl Marx (1818–1883) 31 Expansion of Capitalism 34 Marx’s Theory of History 36 Human Nature 40 Capitalism as a Distinctive Social Form 42 The Division of Labor and Alienation 52 Economic Inequality 58 Ideology and Power 61 Summary 68 Points to Remember 68 Glossary 69 Questions for Review 71 Notes 71 References 72 2 Emile Durkheim (1858–1917) 75 Durkheim’s Methodological Rules 78 The Nature of Society 83 Societal Transformation and Social Cohesion 87 Traditional Society 87 Modern Society 89 Social Conditions of Suicide 95 Religion and the Sacred 102 Summary 108 Points to Remember 108 Glossary 109 Questions for Review 110 Notes 110 References 111 3 Max Weber (1864–1920) 113 Sociology: Understanding Social Action 116 Culture and Economic Activity 117 Ideal Types 123 Social Action 124 Power, Authority, and Domination 130 Social Stratification 139 Modernity and Competing Values 142 Summary 144 Points to Remember 144 Glossary 145 Questions for Review 146 Notes 146 References 147 4 American Classics: The Chicago School, Talcott Parsons, and Robert Merton 149 The Chicago School of Sociology 150 Talcott Parsons 153 The Social System 154 Socialization and Societal Integration 157 Social Change and the Secularization of Protestantism 158 Pattern Variables 159 Modernization Theory 162 Stratification and Inequality 165 Robert Merton 167 Neofunctionalism 171 Summary 173 Points to Remember 174 Glossary 174 Questions for Review 177 Note 177 References 177 5 Critical Theory: Technology, Culture, and Politics 179 The Societal Critique of Horkheimer, Adorno, and Marcuse 183 Dialectic of Enlightenment 187 Mass Culture and Consumption 192 Politics: Uniformity and Control 199 Jurgen Habermas: the State and the Public Sphere 201 Summary 206 Points to Remember 206 Glossary 207 Questions for Review 209 References 209 6 Conflict, Power, and Dependency in Macro‐Societal Processes 211 Ralf Dahrendorf ’s Theory of Group Conflict 212 C. Wright Mills: Class and Power 217 Dependency Theory: Gunder Frank’s and Cardoso’s Neo‐Marxist Critiques of Economic Development 222 Summary 228 Points to Remember 228 Glossary 229 Questions for Review 229 References 230 7 Exchange, Exchange Network, and Rational Choice Theories 231 Exchange Theory: George Homans and Peter Blau 232 Exchange Network Theory: Richard Emerson, Karen Cook, Mark Granovetter 237 Actor–Network Theory (ANT): Bruno Latour 242 Rational Choice Theory and Its Critique: James Coleman, Gary Becker, Paula England 244 Analytical Marxism 248 Summary 250 Points to Remember 250 Glossary 251 Questions for Review 253 Note 253 References 253 8 Symbolic Interactionism 255 Development of the Self Through Social Interaction: G. H. Mead and C. H. Cooley 256 The Premises of Symbolic Interactionism: Herbert Blumer 261 Erving Goffman: Society as Ritualized Social Interaction 263 Symbolic Interactionism and Ethnographic Research 275 Summary 275 Points to Remember 275 Glossary 276 Questions for Review 278 Note 278 References 278 9 Phenomenology and Ethnomethodology 281 Phenomenology: Alfred Schutz, Peter Berger, and Thomas Luckmann 282 Ethnomethodology: Harold Garfinkel 292 Gender as an Accomplished Reality: Candace West and Don Zimmerman 296 Summary 299 Points to Remember 300 Glossary 300 Questions for Review 301 References 302 10 Feminist Theories 305 Consciousness of Women’s Inequality: Charlotte Perkins Gilman 309 Standpoint Theory: Dorothy Smith and the Relations of Ruling 311 Masculinities: R. W. Connell 321 Patricia Hill Collins: Black Women’s Standpoint 323 Sociology of Emotion 330 Arlie Hochschild: Emotional Labor 331 Summary 337 Points to Remember 337 Glossary 338 Questions for Review 340 Notes 340 References 340 11 Sex, Bodies, Truth, and Power: Michel Foucault, Steven Seidman, and Queer Theory 343 Disciplining the Body 344 Sex and Queer Theory 353 Summary 360 Points to Remember 361 Glossary 361 Questions for Review 362 References 362 12 Postcolonial Theories and Race 365 Racial Otherness: Edward Said, Frantz Fanon 367 New Directions in the Sociology of Colonialism: R. W. Connell 373 Race and Racism 374 Cultural Histories and Postcolonial Identities: Stuart Hall 377 Race and Class: William J. Wilson, Cornell West 379 Scarring of Black America 381 Culture and the New Racism: Paul Gilroy 385 Summary 388 Points to Remember 388 Glossary 389 Questions for Review 390 References 390 13 Pierre Bourdieu: Class, Culture, and the Social Reproduction of Inequality 393 Social Stratification 395 Family and School in the Production of Cultural Capital 399 Taste and Everyday Practices 402 Summary 410 Points to Remember 411 Glossary 411 Questions for Review 412 References 412 14 Economic and Political Globalization: Wallerstein, Sklair, Giddens, Sassen, Bauman, Castells 415 What is Globalization? 420 Economic Globalization 421 Immanuel Wallerstein: The Modern World‐System 422 Contemporary Globalizing Economic Processes 427 Globalizing Political Processes: The Changing Authority of the Nation‐State 434 Migration and Political Mobilization in a Transnational World 440 Summary 445 Points to Remember 446 Glossary 447 Questions for Review 448 Notes 448 References 449 15 Modernities, Risk, Cosmopolitanism, and Global Consumer Culture 451 Jurgen Habermas: Contrite Modernity 452 S.N. Eisenstadt: Multiple Modernities 454 Ulrich Beck: Global Risk Society 458 Cosmopolitan Modernity 460 The Global Expansion of Human Rights 462 Global Consumer Culture 465 Jean Baudrillard: The Aestheticization of Reality 469 Anthony Giddens: Disembeddedness and Dilemmas of the Self 471 Summary 473 Points to Remember 473 Glossary 474 Questions for Review 475 References 475 Glossary 477 Sociological Theorists and Select Key Writings 495 Index 499

About the Author :
MICHELE DILLON, PhD, is Professor of Sociology at the University of New Hampshire, USA and has many years of experience teaching sociological theory to undergraduate and graduate students. She has authored five books on religion and social change, many articles and book chapters and is the editor of a handbook.