Classical Sociological Theory

Bert N. Adams, R A Sydie

• Publisher: SAGE Publications, Inc
• Year: 2002
• Print ISBN: 9780761987802
• eBook ISBN: 9781452264486
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Sociology
• Index: Social Sciences

"This is an eminently lucid, readable, and comprehensive survey of classical sociological theory. Adams and Sydie provide thoughtful summaries and assessments of the works of dozens of social thinkers….By significantly broadening the cannon and devoting special attention to call, gender, and race, they bring theory up to date even as they take seriously the rich legacy of the past. I have never read a more exciting introduction to the theories of our discipline."
--Mustafa Emirbayer, University of Wisconsin, Madison

A concise, yet surprisingly comprehensive theory text, given the range of ideas, historical context, and theorists discussed. Unlike other books of the type, Classical Sociological Theory focuses on how the pivotal theories contributed not only to the development of the field, but also to the evolution of ideas concerning social life.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Detailed Contents
• Preface
• A Note to Students
• Section I: The European Roots of Sociological Theory
• Chapter 1 - The Origins of Sociological Theory
• The Contours of Sociological Theory
• Deductive and Inductive Reasoning
• Ideology and Objectivity
• Sociological Subjects
• Research Traditions
• The Philosophical Precursors of Sociology
• Tradition and Modernity
• The Philosophes and the Enlightenment
• Political Revolutions
• Subjects and Citizens
• Capitalism and Industrial Revolution
• Order and Change
• Science and Ethics
• Final Thoughts on the Philosophical Precursors
• References
• Chapter 2 - Theorizing After the Revolution: Saint-Simon, Comte, and Martineau
• Claude-Henri, Comte de Saint-Simon (1760–1825)
• Saint-Simon's Central Theories and Methods
• Nature of Society, Humans, and Change
• Class, Gender, and Race
• Other Theories and Theorists
• Critique and Conclusions
• Auguste Comte (1798–1857)
• Comte's Central Theories and Methods
• Nature of Society, Humans, and Change
• Class, Gender, and Race
• Other Theories and Theorists
• Critique and Conclusions
• Harriet Martineau (1802–1876)
• Martineau's Central Theories and Methods
• Nature of Society, Humans, and Change
• Class, Gender, and Race
• Other Theories and Theorists
• Critique and Conclusions
• Final Thoughts
• References
• Section II: Conservative Theories
• Chapter 3 - Evolutionism and Functionalism: Spencer and Sumner
• Herbert Spencer (1820–1903)
• Spencer's Central Theories and Methods
• Nature of Society, Humans, and Change
• Class, Gender, and Race
• Other Theories and Theorists
• Critique and Conclusions
• William Graham Sumner (1840–1910)
• Sumner's Central Theories and Methods
• Nature of Society, Humans, and Change
• Class, Gender, and Race
• Other Theories and Theorists
• Critique and Conclusions
• Final Thoughts
• References
• Chapter 4 - Society as Sui Generis: Durkheim
• Emile Durkheim (1858–1917)
• Durkheim's Central Theories and Methods
• Nature of Society, Humans, and Change
• Class, Gender, and Race
• Other Theories and Theorists
• Critique and Conclusions
• Final Thoughts
• References
• Section III: Radical Theory
• Chapter 5 - Radical Anticapitalism: Marx and Engels
• Karl Marx (1818–1883) and Friedrich Engels (1820–1895)
• Marx's and Engels's Central Theories and Methods
• Nature of Humans, Society, and Change
• Class, Gender, and Race
• Other Theories and Theorists
• Critique and Conclusions
• Final Thoughts
• References
• Chapter 6 - Marxism Extended: Lenin and Luxemburg
• V. I. Lenin (1870–1924)
• Lenin's Central Theories and Methods
• Nature of Humans, Society, and Change
• Class, Gender, and Race
• Other Theories and Theorists
• Critique and Conclusions
• Rosa Luxemburg (1871–1919)
• Luxemburg's Central Theories and Methods
• Nature of Humans, Society, and Change
• Class, Gender, and Race
• Other Theories and Theorists
• Critique and Conclusions
• Final Thoughts
• References
• Section IV: Sociological Theories of Complexity and Form
• Chapter 7 - Social Action and Social Complexity: Max Weber and Marianne Weber
• Max Weber (1864–1920) and Marianne Weber (1870–1954)
• Weber's Central Theories and Methods
• Nature of Society, Humans, and Change
• Class, Gender, and Race
• Other Theories and Theorists
• Critique and Conclusions
• Final Thoughts
• References
• Chapter 8 - The Sociology of Form and Content: Simmel
• Georg Simmel (18580–1918)
• Simmel's Central Theories and Methods
• Nature of Society, Humans, and Change
• Class, Gender, and Race
• Other Theories and Theorists
• Critique and Conclusions
• Final Thoughts
• References
• Section V: Sociological Theories of Politics and Economics
• Chapter 9 - Political Sociological Theories: Paretoand Michels
• Vilfredo Pareto (1848–1923)
• Pareto's Central Theories and Methods
• Nature of Society, Humans, and Change
• Class, Gender, and Race
• Other Theories and Theorists
• Critique and Conclusions
• Robert Michels (1876–1936)
• Michels's Central Theory and Methods
• Nature of Humans, Society, and Change
• Class, Gender, and Race
• Other Theories and Theorists
• Critique and Conclusions
• Final Thoughts
• References
• Chapter 10 - Economic Sociological Theories: Veblen and Schumpeter
• Thorstein Veblen, 1857–1929
• Veblen's Central Theories and Methods
• Nature of Society, Humans, and Change
• Class, Gender, and Race
• Other Theories and Theorists
• Critique and Conclusions
• Joseph Schumpeter, 1883–1950
• Schumpeter's Central Theories and Methods
• Nature of Society, Humans, and Change
• Class, Gender, and Race
• Other Theories and Theorists
• Critique and Conclusions
• Final Thoughts
• References
• Section VI: Other Voices in Sociological Theorizing
• Chapter 11 - Society and Gender: Gilman and Webb
• Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1860–1935)
• Gilman's Central Theories and Methods
• Nature of Society, Humans, and Change
• Class, Gender, and Race
• Other Theories and Theorists
• Critique and Conclusions
• Beatrice Potter Webb (1858–1943)
• Webb's Central Theories and Methods
• Nature of Society, Humans, and Change
• Class, Gender, and Race
• Other Theories and Theorists
• Critique and Conclusions
• Final Thoughts
• References
• Chapter 12 - Sociological Theory and Race: W.E.B.Du Bois
• W.E.B.Du Bois (1868–1963)
• Du Bois's Central Theories and Methods
• Nature of Society, Humans, and Change
• Class, Gender, and Race
• Other Theories and Theorists
• Critique and Conclusions
• Final Thoughts
• References
• Chapter 13 - Society, Self, and Mind: Cooley, Mead, and Freud
• Charles Horton Cooley (1864–1929)
• Cooky's Central Theories and Methods
• Nature of Society, Humans, and Change
• Class, Gender, and Race
• Other Theories and Theorists
• Critique and Conclusions
• George Herbert Mead (1863–1931)
• Mead's Central Theories and Methods
• Nature of Society, Humans, and Change
• Class, Gender, and Race
• Other Theorists and Theories
• Critique and Conclusions
• Sigmund Freud (1856–1939)
• Freud's Central Theories and Methods
• Nature of Society, Humans, and Change
• Class, Gender, and Race
• Other Theories and Theorists
• Critique and Conclusions
• Final Thoughts
• References
• Chapter 14 - Final Thoughts on Classical Sociological Theory
• Nineteenth-Century Sociological Theory
• Dominant Theories and Ideologies
• Radical Theory and Ideology
• Early Twentieth-Century Sociological Theory
• Gender and Race
• Inequality, Progress, and Revolution
• Views of Change
• Ideology, Society, and Human Nature
• Other Theoretical Issues
• Power
• The Self
• Sociological Theory by the 1930s
• References
• Credits
• Index