Books by "David Paul Smelser"
2 books found
First Published in 1983. Designed for first-year graduates, this book provides an introduction to key themes and research in sociology. Written by two lecturers and based on the long experience of teaching the subject, 'The Problem of Sociology' serves as an antidote to the conventional 'institutional' approach to sociology and avoids he artificial fragmentation of major theories and concepts in common to so many introductory texts. From this text, the student is able to develop a clear understanding of what makes sociology a distinct and rigorous discipline; a discipline which has evolved historically through the analysis of certain fundamental issues, many of which continue to have a contemporary relevance. And while introducing the student to classical theory, the authors also show how these theories illuminate present social problems.
There are many differences of opinion between sociologists about how best to investigate social issues and about the quality of the answers that different questions produce. This book looks at a range of sociological theories from the last 200 years, taking a thematic approach that helps students to better integrate the material and to understand the significance of the individual theorists. With illustrations from the work of John Stuart Mill, Emile Durkheim, Talcott Parsons, Karl Marx, Karl Mannheim, Michel Foucault, Anthony Giddens and Erving Goffman, this book provides an accessible and comprehensive guide for introductory students of sociology and social theory.