Social Theory

Examining the mimetic theory of René Girard, this book investigates the development of society as a result of an original crime (a murder) that shaped the way the earliest humans organized the social structures we live with today - an analysis that reveals the dangerous structure of the most basic s..

The topics covered in this book are directly related to much of the misunderstanding of what sociology is about. It is usual nowadays to label as sociological any discussion concerned, however loosely, with ‘Society’. But a careful reading of Mr Timms’ treatment of the problem areas he has chosen sh..

First published in 1976, this A Theory of Group Structures is a study of the aggregation of individuals into groups, which cuts across many different social sciences. Volume two examines a sequence of twelve experiments and reports empirical tests of the theory presented in volume one. The result is..

This work explores the multiple intersections between addiction and each socio-spatial permutation of what Derrida called "narcotic modernity." It identifies connections between trends in urban planning over the course of the last century and the state of intoxication inherent to individuals’ experi..

After a period in which sociology was torn apart by the polarized claims of micro- and macro-methodology, an increasing number of sociologists are now attempting a fusion of the two approaches. In this volume, some of the most distinguished sociologists set out possible resolutions of the debate. Ea..

Advertising and Cultural Politics in Global Times traces daringly transgressive convergences between cultural politics and global advertising media. By drawing on the work of Baudrillard, Giroux, Foucault, Castells and Latour, this volume illustrates the manner in which advertising continues to revo..

Affectivity and the Social Bond offers a fresh and original perspective on the relationship between affectivity and transcendence in nineteenth and twentieth century French social theory. Engaging in a conceptual analysis of the works of Comte, Durkheim, Bataille and Girard, this book exposes a majo..

Exploring the work of key theorists critical of globalization, including Habermas, Negri, Holloway, Postone and de Benoist, this book examines critical theory approaches to alter-globalization, illustrated with concrete examples of movements within contemporary Europe. In so doing, it invites reader..

Exploring the work of key theorists critical of globalization, including Habermas, Negri, Holloway, Postone and de Benoist, this book examines critical theory approaches to alter-globalization, illustrated with concrete examples of movements within contemporary Europe. In so doing, it invites reader..

This volume addresses this central problem of the linkage between human action and social structure in sociological and social science theory. Contributions cover several different approaches to the agency-structure problematic, and represent the work of a number of leading international sociologist..

A striking feature of the human condition is its dual, contradictory, inherently split character; on the one hand, autonomy and freedom; on the other, constraint and dependence on social structure. This volume addresses this central problem of the linkage between human action and social structure in..

The question of agency is a key issue in social theory and research. The discourse of human agency as an effect of social relations is deeply intertwined with the history of sociological thought. However, in most recent discussions the role of non-humans gains a substantial impact concerning agency...