Sociological Theory

Written by one of the foremost authorities in American sociological theory, this comprehensive text spans the history of sociological theory from its inception to the present. Sociological Theory is divided into four parts. Part 1 opens with a chapter that places the early sociological thinkers in context and then follows with separate chapters on four early sociological thinkers. Part 2 opens with a similar introductory chapter covering the later years and then looks at each major school. Part 3 addresses recent integrative developments (micro-macro and agency-structure). Part 4 covers contemporary theories of modernity, structuralism and post-structuralism, and the emergence of postmodern social theory. The book concludes with an Appendix which provides a metatheoretical schema that informs the text and highlights the latest work in sociological metatheorizing.