Description
Macmillan Dimensions of Sociological Theory 2005 Edition by David Cheal
There are many differences of opinion between sociologists about how best to investigate social issues and about the quality of the answers that different questions produce. This book looks at a range of sociological theories from the last two hundred years, taking a thematic approach that helps students to better integrate the material and to understand the significance of the individual theorists. With illustrations from the work of John Stuart Mill, Emile Durkheim, Talcott Parsons, Karl Marx, Karl Mannheim, Michel Foucault, Anthony Giddens and Erving Goffman, this book provides an accessible and comprehensive guide for introductory students of sociology and social theory. Table of contents : - Preface.- Introduction.- Dimension One: Units of Analysis.- The Individual vs Social Facts.- Interaction and the Return of Reductionism.- Dimension Two: Modes of Explanation.- Explaining Social Life.- Dimension Three: Key Factors.- Key Factors of Social Evolution.- Dimension Four: Sociological Knowledge.- Sociology and Ideology.- Dimension Five: Structure and Agency.- Social Structure and Its Alternatives.- New Ideas on Structure and Agency.- Conclusion.- References.