Comparative Sociology And Social Theory

Recent developments have made obsolete the division of the globe into three worlds of capitalist, state socialist and underdeveloped countries. This book traces the interconnectedness of the 'disorganisation' of capitalism in the industrialised west, the transformation of former state socialist societies, and the divergent fortunes of third world countries. It argues that comparative sociology continues to have relevance in the age of globalisation and provides a framework within which these developments can be placed in their proper perspective.

Contested Knowledge is a well-established text offering up-to-date perspectives on social theory by one of the most important thinkers of our time. This fourth edition includes an exploration of globalization and a new section on the theories of global and world order. It provides a thoughtful and rigorous, yet highly accessible and reader-friendly account of social theory. Responds to current issues, debates, and new social movements Reviews sociological theory from a truly contemporary perspective Examines both classical and contemporary theories Combines social analysis and moral advocacy to demonstrate how social theory contributes to the making of a better world Challenges social scientists to renew their commitment to the important moral and political role social knowledge plays in public life A thoughtful and rigorous, yet highly accessible and reader-friendly account of social theory An accompanying website containing additional support for lecturers and students is available at www.blackwellpublishing.com/seidman

This book is a collection of essays intended to communicate effectively the current state of knowledge in comparative sociology, the major aim of which is to identify similarities and differences between and among societies. Forty significant biographies are included.

This collection of selected essays by Werner J. Cahnman brings together out of scattered dispersion his writings about Max Weber, Ferdinand Toennies, and historical sociology. The great theoretical range and depth of his intellect and mastery of sociological thinking is apparent as he discusses the impact of romanticism on modern thought, and how Weber and Toennies both analyzed and reacted to modernity. Cahnman places Weber (1864-1920), the dominant figure in twentieth-century sociology, in the midst of the methodological controversies so characteristic of contemporary social science, and he fully discusses the overarching importance of Weberian ideal-type theory. Although less well-known than Weber, Toennies (1855-1936) was also a sociologist of the first rank. He is best remembered for his enormously influential twin concepts, Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft, which contributed to our understanding of the historical and sociological basis for the change from premodern to modern societies. The essays in this volume establish Toennies' intellectual connections to Karl Marx, Max Weber, Emile Durkheim, and Herbert Spencer, and clarify his influence upon American sociology. Cahnman stood against strict separations between history and sociology, and his essays are all informed by a wonderful admixture of the theoretical and the concrete. They demonstrate how a genuine historical sociology, not unlike that of Weber and Toennies, can find and explain linkages between seemingly disparate events spanning time and place. This volume will be of interest to sociologists, political scientists, and intellectual historians.

This is Volume of VII twenty-two on a series on Social Theory and Methodology. Originally published in 1961, this book was written because of the author’s sense of the inadequacies of a sociological tradition dominated by empiricism and positivism. The tradition of empiricism leads to attempts to settle public issues by reference to crude ad hoc generalisations. So “right-wing” facts are refuted by “left-wing” facts and vice versa, and in the argument which ensues nothing becomes clear except the value-biasses which the authors seek desperately to conceal. The tradition of positivism on the other hand fails in refusing to interpret observed correlations of fact except in terms of the natural sciences. So the sociologist often appears to have derived little more insight through his precise methods than the untutored layman is able to do through trusting to intuition and common-sense.