Social Theory

First published in 1986, this book provides a critical introduction to the work of three of the most original German thinkers of the early twentieth century. In each case they focus on those fragments of social experience that could best capture the sense of modernity...

In circumstances where shared definitions and understandings of a situation cannot be taken for granted, social actors need to make sense of the situation by ’reading’ the situation and making interactional moves in the hope that the moves of other agents will reveal its social order - a process tha..

Mark Davis offers a critical enquiry into the sociology of Zygmunt Bauman, focusing on his English-language writings from the 1960s onwards. The book contributes to sociological debates about modern society by offering an interpretation of Bauman's work based on the concept of freedom, in terms of h..

Mark Davis offers a critical enquiry into the sociology of Zygmunt Bauman, focusing on his English-language writings from the 1960s onwards. The book contributes to sociological debates about modern society by offering an interpretation of Bauman's work based on the concept of freedom, in terms of h..

Unashamedly polemical, this reissue of Freedom & Equality, first published in 1986, presents a strong and persuasively argued case for democratic socialism. In contrast to many recent books justifying conservatism and varieties of Marxism, Keith Dixon defends the two great principles underpinning de..

Since the 1970s, various approaches have tried to conceptualize "the global," yet few have addressed the full spectrum of social relationships. Exponents of the global approach have instead focused on particular domains such as politics or the economy. Under the label of "world society," some have s..

M.J. Mulkay traces the development of certain recent versions of functionalism and exchange theory in sociology, with special attention to 'theoretical strategy'. He uses this term to refer to the policies which theorists adopt to ensure that their work contributes to their long range theoretical ob..

This book traces changes in emotional regimes from medieval society to late modernity, in particular exploring the role of intimacy as a driver of emotions. It conducts a systematic study of key conceptual frameworks developed by theorists in understanding the relationship between emotional styles a..

Generations: The Time Machine in Theory and Practice challenges the fragmented and diverse use of the concept of generation commonly found in the social sciences. Its innovative and exciting view of the field of generations stretches the sociological imagination away from its orientation towards the..

This volume brings together contributions exploring the mutual relationships between genetics, markets, societies, and identities in genetics and genomics. It draws upon the recent transdisciplinary debate on how socio-cultural factors influence understandings of ’genetics2.0' and shows how individu..

This volume brings together contributions exploring the mutual relationships between genetics, markets, societies, and identities in genetics and genomics. It draws upon the recent transdisciplinary debate on how socio-cultural factors influence understandings of ’genetics2.0' and shows how individu..

With contemporary worldwide culture increasingly characterized by such themes as astronomy, cosmology, space travel and exploration, there is an increasing disjuncture between academic concern with connectivity, on the one hand, and culture and consciousness of the place of planet earth in the cosmo..