Sociological Theory [Hardcover]

George Ritzer (Author), Douglas J. Goodman (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0072817186 | ISBN-13: 978-0072817188 | Publication Date: July 31, 2003 | Edition: 6

With one of the foremost authorities on sociological theory as lead author, this best-selling text gives readers a comprehensive overview of the major classical theorists and contemporary schools of sociological thought. Spanning the history of sociological theory from its inception to the latest theoretical developments, it integrates key theories with biographical sketches of theorists, placing readings in context and helping students understand the original works of classical authors as well as compare and contrast the newest substantive theories.

The thoroughly updated sixth edition reflects current debates in sociology and includes new sections on Actor-Network theory, neo-Marxian theories of space, and more!

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

George Ritzer is Distinguished University Professor at the University of Maryland, where he has been a Distinguished Scholar-Teacher and won a Teaching Excellence award by the American Sociological Association, and in 2004, he was awarded an honorary doctorate by LaTrobe University, Melborune, Australia. He has served as Chair of the American Sociological Association's Sections on Theoretical Sociology and organizations and Occupations. He held the UNESCO Chair in Social Theory at the Russian Academy of Sciences, a Fulbright-Hay Chair at York University in Canada, and a Fulbright-Hays award to the Netherlands. He has been Scholar-in-Residence at the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study and the Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study in the Social Sciences. Dr. Ritzer's main theoretical interests lie in metatheory as well as applied social theory. In metatheory, his contributions include Metatheorizing in Sociology(Lexington Books, 1991), Sociology: A Multiple Paradigm Science (Allyn and Bacon, 1975, 1980), and Toward an Integrated Sociological Paradigm (Allyn and Bacon). Professor Ritzer is perhaps best known for the McDonaldization of Society (4/e, 2004); translated into more than a dozen languages) and several related books (also with a number of translations, including Expressing America: A Critique of the Global Credit Card Society (1995), Enchanting a Disenchanted World: Revolutionizing the Means of Consumption (2/e, 2005),The Globalization of Nothing (2/e, 2007), and (with Craig Lair) Outsourcing: Globalization and Beyond. He edited the Encyclopedia of Social Theory (2005), and is the founding editor of the Journal of Consumer Culture. He just completed editing the eleven-volume Encyclopedia of Sociology (2007) and The Blackwell Companion to Globalization (2007). In 2006, McGraw-Hill published the second edition of Professor Ritzer's Contemporary Sociological Theory and Its Classic Roots: The Basics. In 2007, McGraw-Hill will publish the seventh edition of Modern Sociological Theory, and the fifth edition of Classical Sociological Theory. The latter texts, as well as this one, have been translated into a number of languages.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 784 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages; 6 edition (July 31, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0072817186
• ISBN-13: 978-0072817188
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #490,865 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Textbook, May 23, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Sociological Theory (Hardcover)

It is never an easy task to condense theory into a single, comprehensive textbook. Nevertheless, George Ritzer offers one of the best, if not THE best, options available. To say that this book is for "dabblers" only is misleading to those looking for an overview of sociological theory.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent introductory text, April 18, 2004

By 

Bill R. Moore (New York, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sociological Theory (Hardcover)

Ritzer and Goodman's simply-titled Sociological Theory is an excellent introductory text for that field. At nearly 800 pages, it offers a very good overview of both European and American sociological theory, without being overlong and cumbersome. The authors give a broad overview of the origins of sociological theory in the early classical theorists -- Marx, Weber, Durkheim, and Simmel -- all of whom have an entire chapter devoted to them. They also devote chapters that give a broad overview of the rise of sociological theory in both Europe and America. After that, they devote a chapter to each of the major schools of sociological theory. They also address various other issues important to the field, such as macro-micro integration, agency-structure issues, and modernism vs. postmodernism. The book is very well-written and even manages to be entertaining as well as informative. It is also quite comprehensive, covering all of the subjects mentioned above, among others, quite well: a nice, broad overview is given of almost all of the things important to sociological theory. Concise biographical portraits of major theorists are also offered, which often serve to add a distinct and charming personal touch to the sometimes abstract narratives. Of course, the book is not comprehensive: that is beyond the scope of the book. Within it, the authors continually stress the importance of reading the original sources as well as other overviews in order to get a balanced and complete view of each theorist, theory, and idea. Anyone looking for a great general overview of sociological theory, however, need look no further than this.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent as a standard book for theory, January 17, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Sociological Theory (Hardcover)

I used this book in its 4th edition as an undergraduate and I am very glad I kept it, because I used it extensively in my graduate theory class last semester. Ritzer makes it easy to understand and appreciate the classical theorists and I would highly recommend it as a good general book for students.