Jeffrey Alexander is an American sociologist and one of the world's leading social theorists. He is the founding figure in the school of cultural sociology he refers to as the "strong program." His work delves into fundamental aspects of social theory.
Cultural Investigation in the Social Sciences
Focusing on Clifford Geertz as a theorist, this volume explores his significant influence across various disciplines beyond Anthropology. It offers a comprehensive and impartial examination of his contributions, filling the gap for an authoritative work on this pivotal intellectual figure.
In this thought-provoking book, Jeffrey Alexander explores the complexities of modernity, highlighting its dual nature as both a hopeful ideal and a source of suffering. He examines the struggles of twentieth-century theorists to understand modernity's contradictions, advocating for a nuanced acceptance of its inherent dangers while suggesting paths for social improvement.
Talcott Parsons's final significant work offers an in-depth examination of American society, showcasing his expertise as a renowned sociologist. The book presents a comprehensive analysis of social structures, cultural norms, and the dynamics that shape the American experience, making it a pivotal study for understanding contemporary social issues. Through his masterful insights, Parsons provides readers with a nuanced perspective on the complexities of American life.
Contemporary Debates
This volume brings together the major statements by the leading contemporary scholars of cultural analysis on the relation between culture and society. Part One surveys the range of current analytical debate over culture, focusing on the relationship of culture to social structure and power. While individual contributions differ in defining the nature of culture and its relation to society, they are in agreement in assessing the relative autonomy of culture and the centrality of symbolic analysis. Part Two turns to substantive debates, including those over the role of religion, secular ideology, and mass culture and brings to light disputes about the meaning of modernity. The book testifies to the remarkable development in the past two decades of a cultural paradigm for social and political analysis.
In recent social and political theory the term civil society' has achieved renewed currency. Traditionally used in a normative or ideal-type' sense, the term describes a form of social organization - that is simply neither economic nor political - where democracy, liberty and widespread solidarity are essential regulatory concepts. Written from an empirical social-science perspective by some of the world's most important social theorists, this volume is a critical examination of the normative sense of civil society'. It includes analyses of civil society and democracy, citizenship, race and ethnicity, and post-communism.
The book explores the foundational contributions of Max Weber to sociological theory, highlighting his departure from one-dimensional approaches and his engagement with the idealist tradition, particularly as represented by Durkheim. It delves into Weber's complexities and ambiguities, analyzing his attempts at revising paradigms and addressing the limitations inherent in his theories. Through this examination, the author reveals the evolution of sociological thought and the challenges faced by its key figures.
Marx and Durkheim (Theoretical Logic in Sociology)
The book offers a critical examination of Marx and Durkheim, illustrating how each contributed to the foundations of sociological materialism and idealism. Through a detailed analysis, the author reveals the evolution of their thoughts and frameworks, challenging conventional interpretations of their work. This exploration provides a deeper understanding of their influence on sociological theory and highlights the complexities in their approaches to society.
The author argues for a synthesis of Durkheim's and Marx's insights within sociology, grounded in Weber's presuppositions. This work emphasizes the need to transform idealist and materialist traditions into a multidimensional analytic framework. Focusing on Talcott Parsons, the book explores his complex efforts to achieve this transformation, positioning him as a significant contemporary thinker alongside the classical founders of sociology.
Talcott Parsons: Talcott Parsons
The book explores the necessity for sociology to integrate the insights of Durkheim and Marx, grounded in Weber's foundational ideas. It argues for a transformation of idealist and materialist traditions into a multidimensional analytic framework. Central to this discussion is Talcott Parsons, whose complex efforts to achieve this analytic transformation position him as a significant contemporary thinker alongside the classical founders of sociology. The volume delves into Parsons' work, highlighting his ambivalence in reconciling these theoretical dimensions.
The book critically examines the recent trend of applying scientific methods to sociology and questions the validity of contemporary theoretical claims. It offers a reinterpretation of key classical and modern sociological theories, aiming to distill a more comprehensive and inclusive framework from ongoing debates. Through this analysis, the author seeks to enhance the understanding of sociological discourse and its foundational principles.