First published in 1980, this book presents a study of knowledge and the patterns of social and scientific thought. Keith Dixon argues that traditional and contemporary formulations of the sociology of knowledge involve a series of fallacies, and the claim to reduce knowledge to ideology devalues the role of reasoned inquiry. Chapters discuss such areas as the theories of Marx and Mannheim, the sociology of science and of religious belief. With a detailed conclusion analysing the foundations and limits of the sociology of knowledge, this reissue will provide an interesting and useful analysis...

First published in 1973, this book is concerned with the question of whether Sociology is, or ought to be, a theoretical science. Keith Dixon argues that the pretence to the theoretical is a hindrance to the development of the field of Sociology, which devalues significant empirical work by giving status to research findings only in so far as they relate to often arbitrary theoretical concerns. Dixon addresses the historical dimension in the explanation of human nature and rational action. This reissue will be of particular value to students and academics with an interest in the empirical and...

When Albert Hunt joined the staff of the Regional College of Art, Bradford, in 1965, he found himself working mostly with 'non-academic' students on a fascinating range of games, projects and theatre events outside the main stream of exam-oriented education. In this title, first published in 1976, Albert Hunt describes this experience, and explains how he himself evolved from a conventional grammar school teacher to a radical and experimental educator. In particular, Hunt describes the evolution of new working relationships between teachers and students, which in turn highlight an alternative...

First published in 1988, this book analyses the changes that took place in the economic organisation of the British construction industry throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, in particular considering its social and economic structure and examining the causes of its poor industrial record. Michael Ball describes how the major firms survived the economic slump between 1973 and 1982 - when construction workloads collapsed - by substantially restructuring their operations, relationships with clients, workforces and subcontractors. Detailed attention is paid to construction firms, the workers...

The Middle East is, and has always been, of major global economic and political importance. First published in 1981, this edited collection analyses many of the crucial issues that have had international repercussions during the second half of the twentieth century, with each paper considering the particular regional problems within the widest possible political framework. Internationally renowned authors consider such areas as the relationship between Israel and the Middle East, the influence of oil on global decision-making, Afghanistan and its neighbours, and the economic issues that the...

The main objective of politicians is to maximise economic growth, which heavily drives political policy and decision-making. Critics of the maximisation of growth as the central aim of economic policy have argued that growth in itself is not necessarily a good thing, particularly for the environment; however, what would replace the system and how it would be measured are questions that have been rarely answered satisfactorily. First published in 1991, this book was the first to lay out an entirely new set of practical proposals for developing new economic measurement tools, with the aim of...

Lord Roberthall was economic adviser to a succession of Labour and Conservative governments from 1947 to 1961. During that time, he served under eight Chancellors and exercised more influence on economic policy than perhaps any other official. Fortunately - though it was contrary to Civil Service rules - he kept a diary in which he documented and reflected on day-to-day events. This first volume, published in 1989, deals with the years between 1947 and 1953, in which Robert Hall acted as Director of the Economic Section and was faced with a variety of lingering uncertainties. This is a highly...

Lord Roberthall was economic adviser to a succession of Labour and Conservative governments from 1947 to 1961. During that time, he served under eight Chancellors and exercised more influence on economic policy than perhaps any other official. Fortunately - though it was contrary to Civil Service rules - he kept a diary in which he documented and reflected on day-to-day events. This second volume, published in 1991, covers the years between 1954 and 1961, after Robert Hall's appointment as Economic Adviser to HM Government. The book includes details of conferences and negotiations in...

Presents a study of Marxist and non-Marxist theories of Capitalism, its development, and the prospects of a transition to socialism. This title examines and compares four major theories of capitalism, in the works of Marx, Weber, Schumpeter and Hayek. It offers an analysis of a phase of capitalism that has been conceptualized by Marxists thinkers.