The past two decades has seen dramatic progress in the growth of theory in the sociological study of group processes. This progress has been manifested by the emergence of major theoretical research programmes in the study of exchange processes and network structures; bargaining and conflict; status characteristics and status organizing processes; justice and equity; affect and control processes; social interaction; and legitimation processes. This book documents, describes and analyzes the structure of these programmes and their growth and includes 10 papers that present major theoretical...

Status, Power, and Legitimacy presents methodological, theoretical, and empirical essays by Joseph Berger and Morris Zelditch, Jr. two of the leading contributors to the Stanford tradition in the study of micropro-cesses. This three-part volume brings together major contributions to the development of this tradition, in addition to a number of newly written essays published here for the first time. Berger and Zelditch integrate the essays and relate them to a larger body of theory and research as they explore the importance of a generalizing orientation in sociology. Their view of theory as...