Contemporary Sociological Theory (Blackwell Readers in Sociology (Paper)) (Paperback)

by Craig Calhoun (Editor), Joseph Gerteis (Editor), James Moody (Editor), Steven Pfaff (Editor), Kathryn Schmidt (Editor), Indermohan Virk (Editor) "Social life is part of every individual and every interaction, not only of the large-scale affairs of governments, economies, and complex organizations..." (more)
Key Phrases: individual civilizing process, postliberal societies, postmodern habitat, New York, United States, Michel Foucault (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"A first-class overview of contemporary sociological theory, notable for its emphasis on recent Continental theorists." Michael Hechter, University of Washington

Product Description
This thorough collection of contemporary sociological theory is the definitive guide to current perspectives and approaches in the field. Organized by theme, the volume includes the most representative material available on topics such as symbolic interactionism, phenomenology, structuralism, network theory, critical theory, feminist theory, and the current debates over modernity and postmodernity. The theories of Foucault, Giddens, and Bourdieu also appear in longer sections, enabling students and scholars to examine the work in greater depth. Editorial introductions put these readings into theoretical perspective, making this an authoritative and compact survey of contemporary sociological theory. This book, in conjunction with its complement, Classical Sociological Theory, offers readers a complete overview of sociological theory.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 500 pages
• Publisher: Blackwell Publishers (May 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0631213503
• ISBN-13: 978-0631213505
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.6 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #409,541 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Hampered by some questionable selections..., April 18, 2007

By	John H. Teeple "Freelance social critic" (Sunnyvale, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Is this a case of too many cooks in the kitchen? This book has six editors, which, it seems to me, results in this book lacking a clear sense of direction. Many of the selections are questionable. The section on "Exchange and Rationality" suggests that these topics are more important in *contemporary* sociological theory than they really are (we simply skipped over this section on my theory class). The section on "Modernity and Postmodernity", simply put, is inadequate for getting a grasp on this (possible) shift. Many of the particular selections are not well edited. Some of the readings for Bourdieu and Giddens, for example, although they take up only 10 or so pages in the book, are culled from much larger selections in the original texts. (A paragraph from here, a paragraph from there.) This results in more confusion than clarity. I think it would be much better if each selection were complete, or nearly so. Surely most of these thinkers have essays or presentations short enough to be included without severe editing?