Product Description

From its first edition in 1979, this informative book has provided undergraduates with a clear, reassuring introduction to the complications of sociological theory. This fifth edition has been wholly rewritten and restructured.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #268071 in Books
• Published on: 2006-06-30
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 408 pages

From the Back Cover
From its first edition in 1979, Perspectives in Sociology has provided generations of undergraduates with a clear, reassuring introduction to the complications of sociological theory. This fourth edition has been wholly rewritten and restructured. While retaining its wealth of information about the founding figures of sociology, it also includes much new material on contemporary social theory and particularly the challenge to sociology posed by the rise of post-structuralism with its questioning of the whole enlightenment project.
Features include:
* a concise introduction to the major debates of the twentieth century
* information on thinkers of the nineteenth and early twentieth century whose relevance to modern social thought is only now being recognised, e.g. Nietszche, Saussure, Simmel
* key debates placed in historical and philosophical context
* connections drawn between post-structuralist thinkers like Foucault and Derrida and the founding figures of sociology: Marx, Weber and Durkheim
* new easy to read format
* four wholly new chapters tracing developments in social theory from structuralism to postmodernism.

About the Author
E.C. Cuff was formerly Head of the Department of Educational Studies at the Didsbury School of Education, Manchester Polytechnic; W.W. Sharrock is Professor of Sociology at Manchester University; D.W. Francis is Senior Lecturer in Sociology at Manchester Metropolitan University.