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Classical Social Theory
Ian Craib compellingly shows the value of studying classic thinkers such as Marx, Weber, Durkheim, and Simmel alongside the more popular contemporary questions. Providing an account of the key ideas of classical social theory, Dr Craib establishes their relevance today, their enduring significance, and their contribution to understanding contemporary problems.
Written in a direct, personal style, Classical Social Theory's thematic structure helps the reader compare the theorists systematically, and the book-by-book approach pays close attention to each thinker's key texts, quoting the most important passages and analyzing them in a clear, straightforward way.
Other student-friendly features
* biographical details and an elementary overview of the work of Marx, Weber, Durkheim, and Simmel
* Dramatis Personae with brief details of the life and thought of other relevant thinkers
* Glossary covering important terms and phrases used in the text
Classical Social Theory is an indispensable guide to the key thinkers in Sociology for anyone new to the subject.
Written in a direct, personal style, Classical Social Theory's thematic structure helps the reader compare the theorists systematically, and the book-by-book approach pays close attention to each thinker's key texts, quoting the most important passages and analyzing them in a clear, straightforward way.
Other student-friendly features
* biographical details and an elementary overview of the work of Marx, Weber, Durkheim, and Simmel
* Dramatis Personae with brief details of the life and thought of other relevant thinkers
* Glossary covering important terms and phrases used in the text
Classical Social Theory is an indispensable guide to the key thinkers in Sociology for anyone new to the subject.
324 pages, Paperback
First published July 3, 1997
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 10, 2019
این کتاب نشان می‌دهد که می‌شود کتابی مخصوص دانشجویان (مقطع لیسانس) نوشت؛ بدون این‌که به دام ساده‌سازی‌های عوام‌پسند افتاد، و نیز توضیحاتی قابل‌فهم و به دور از نمایش برتر بودن استاد/نویسنده ارائه داد. بنظرم شاید نقطه‌ی قوت کتاب (در برابر کتاب‌های دیگری که سیر نظریات جامعه‌شناسی هستند) وسواسش به مقایسه‌ی جامعه‌شناسان مختلف (خصوصا دورکیم، مارکس، وبر، زیمل، که کتاب درباره‌ی آن‌هاست) است. نیز نویسنده با حوصله‌ی یک استاد مسلط (تعداد منابع ارجاعی در هر مبحث فوق‌العاده زیاد و متنوع است)، در پایان هر بخش کتاب، منابعی را که بدرد دانشجویان می‌خورد برای مطالعه‌ی بیشتر، معرفی کرده و می‌گوید که این سخت است و آن یکی آسان و این را حتما باید بخوانید و...! از مقدمه و نتیجه‌گیری و جدول استفاده شده که کتاب را به حد بالایی از توانایی برای آموزش (در حدی که ادعایش است، «مقدمه‌ای بر...») می‌رساند.
November 20, 2018
نظریه‌ی اجتماعی دورکیم، مارکس، وبر و زیمل مورد توجه کرایب است. نویسنده برای تحلیل این چهار نفر از دوگانه‌های «کنش-ساختار»، «فرد-جامعه»، «یکپارچگی اجتماع-یکپارچگی نظام» و نهایتا «مدرنیته-سرمایه‌داری/سوسیالیسم» استفاده و سمت‌وسوی هرکدام از متفکران مورد بحث در این تقسیم‌بندی‌ها را روشن می‌کند
ترجمه چندان خوب نیست؛ به خصوص وقتی پای زیمل و و مارکس وسط می‌آید
ترجمه چندان خوب نیست؛ به خصوص وقتی پای زیمل و و مارکس وسط می‌آید
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March 7, 2012Po0o0o0oF :D
November 17, 2015
Great intro to the major players.
March 9, 2017
I suppose this is a 'textbook' that is intended to be read by students - and for that purpose Ian Craib has done an outstanding job. I understand his 'field' is generally psychoanalytic theory but this is an excellent introduction to the three oft-cited 'founding fathers' of sociology as well as the work of Georg Simmel.
If I were to rank the thinkers in order of how much I prefer them I would go thus: Marx, Durkheim, Simmel, Weber. I am of course a Marxist and amazingly I have been consistent in this position since I began studying the social sciences. My estimation of Durkheim however has increased since I learnt the Cambridge caricature of his work - arguably this started through reading the social realists in education, who used a lot of Durkheim - and I think has increased thanks to The Elementary Forms of Religious Life and Craib's exegesis. Durkheim, although portrayed as a dull conservative, was in fact a socialist and believed in the need to shift towards the same kind of stateless, classless society as did Marx.
Simmel I largely objected to once I saw the connections to postmodernism, although I like his essay 'The Metropolis and Mental Life' and genuinely want to read The Philosophy of Money. Weber is forgettable. I have never appreciated the critique that Weber 'extended' Marx's theory of class by adding 'status' and 'party' - this claim is wrong in every respect and seems to come only from uninitiated sociology graduates that never properly appreciated the early texts. How can one claim Marx did not talk about political power? Weber is also opposed to my favouring of 'world-system' approaches over methodological individualism, which I think is discredited. Of course Marx is the most 'worldly' of the four thinkers.
The book groups three sets of questions together in the form of dualisms: the individual and society, the question of structure and action (or 'agency'), and the general movement of history - modernity and the movement to 'socialism'. All three are worthy questions which I have been taking up in my study to 'rediscover' the objectives of sociology, as I contend that because of the new postmodern reductionisms and identity-based particularisms, sociology has lost its object and indeed its ability to answer its big questions. Revisiting the early texts is I think the first step in invigorating the social sciences.
If I were to rank the thinkers in order of how much I prefer them I would go thus: Marx, Durkheim, Simmel, Weber. I am of course a Marxist and amazingly I have been consistent in this position since I began studying the social sciences. My estimation of Durkheim however has increased since I learnt the Cambridge caricature of his work - arguably this started through reading the social realists in education, who used a lot of Durkheim - and I think has increased thanks to The Elementary Forms of Religious Life and Craib's exegesis. Durkheim, although portrayed as a dull conservative, was in fact a socialist and believed in the need to shift towards the same kind of stateless, classless society as did Marx.
Simmel I largely objected to once I saw the connections to postmodernism, although I like his essay 'The Metropolis and Mental Life' and genuinely want to read The Philosophy of Money. Weber is forgettable. I have never appreciated the critique that Weber 'extended' Marx's theory of class by adding 'status' and 'party' - this claim is wrong in every respect and seems to come only from uninitiated sociology graduates that never properly appreciated the early texts. How can one claim Marx did not talk about political power? Weber is also opposed to my favouring of 'world-system' approaches over methodological individualism, which I think is discredited. Of course Marx is the most 'worldly' of the four thinkers.
The book groups three sets of questions together in the form of dualisms: the individual and society, the question of structure and action (or 'agency'), and the general movement of history - modernity and the movement to 'socialism'. All three are worthy questions which I have been taking up in my study to 'rediscover' the objectives of sociology, as I contend that because of the new postmodern reductionisms and identity-based particularisms, sociology has lost its object and indeed its ability to answer its big questions. Revisiting the early texts is I think the first step in invigorating the social sciences.
January 31, 2016
Craib is a humorous and somewhat unconventional writer. However, the book is filled with an immense amount of sociological information from the major pioneers. Sometimes the details can be a little droll, other times dull. The strongest point of this book is the extraordinary references and future reading suggestions. Recommend for those who want to expand their knowledge on Marx, Weber, Durkheim and Simmel.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews