Modern sociological theory

This innovative textbook presents a comprehensive and up-to-date synthesis of the central debates in contemporary social thought. It enables the reader with a basic grasp of sociology to develop an advanced understanding of the vast and complex body of sociological theory. Malcolm Waters offers a different and illuminating framework for the study of social theory. By focusing on the core concepts and issues - rather than on schools of thought or individual theorists - he relates past and present theory to the key concerns of sociology today. Modern Sociological Theory gives a lucid overview of the core concepts that sociological theory must address and attempt to reconcile agency, rationality, structure and system; and the main phenomena that sociological theory seeks to explain - culture, power, gender, differentiation and stratification. It not only explains the major contributions to the analysis of each concept or phenomenon by both classical and contemporary theorists, but also links these ideas to current sociological issues, such as change and globalization, feminism and social theory and the return to cultural analysis. Covering a wide range of material in an accessible and engaging way, this is an invaluable textbook for all students of sociology, as well as for those in cultural studies, women's studies, organization studies, urban studies and geography who are interested in social theory.