Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings (Paperback)

~ Charles Lemert (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

This first truly multicultural anthology collects important, readable texts representative of the full range of social theory as it has developed from the nineteenth century to the present. Now that social theory is practiced in many disciplines, it is time to reflect on the variety of theories being read today and the earlier sources that are customarily neglected. If today we read Donna Haraway, Henry Louis Gates, and Michel Foucault, we should also read and understand Charlotte Perkins Gilman and W.E.B. Du Bois, alongside Weber, Simmel, William James, and others of their contemporaries from the end of the nineteenth century.This book, therefore, sets a wider gauge for the understanding of the history of social thought than could have been possible before. It brings texts together in unexpected and exciting ways: those of Parsons and Dorothy Smith, Merton and Lacan, Wallerstein and Frantz Fanon, James Coleman and Molefi Asante. Extensive introductory essays by the editor situate the writings in their times, identifying the currents of social change that shaped fundamental questions of modern and postmodern life. This third edition has been thoroughly revised and updated.

About the Author

Charles Lemert is professor of sociology at Wesleyan University and the author of several books including Sociology After the Crisis (Westview Press 1995) and Social THeory, The Multicultural and Classic Readings, Third Edition (Westview PRess 2004).

Product Details

• Paperback: 685 pages
• Publisher: Westview Press; Third Edition edition (August 5, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813342171
• ISBN-13: 978-0813342177
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #354,998 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Extremely Comprehensive, November 24, 2008

By	Sicsent - See all my reviews

This collection is unmatched in its comprehension, particularly in regards to its inclusion of a wide variety of contemporary perspectives.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Covers an enormously broad range., June 4, 2009

By	not a natural "Bob Bickel" (huntington, west virginia United States) - See all my reviews

Lemert's book, Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classical Readings, is worth reading, but it covers an enormously broad range of theoretical perspectives. In some instances, coverage of any one theorist and concepts crucial to understanding his or her work is startlingly brief. George Herbert Mead, for example, is given only five pages to explain the structure of the self and the key role it plays in his social behaviorism. Furthermore, while Lemert's own comments are learned and valuable, this is not the sort of book that provides well-developed concrete examples. Beyond that, little attention in given to synthesizing the complementary efforts of disparate theorists.

While a useful book, this is the kind of text which invites misunderstanding and abuse. Readers are unimpressed by the apparent shallowness of great thinkers who are given too little attention. Ill-tutored instructors are inclined to present material in a disconnected list-like fashion, without developing the ideas listed by Lemert. Perhaps the character of the book was determined by the nature of a specific market at which it was aimed. Sad.

5.0 out of 5 stars Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classical Reading, August 31, 2009

By	Tunde A. Akindele "Tunde" (Usa) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The book was in good condition as advertised and has no torn pages. It is excellent and cheap. Thanks to Amazon.

Tunde Akindele