The Giddens phenomenon has been one of the most obvious and talked about features of world sociology since the late 1960's. This book, first published in 1992, provides a prudent and essential critical introduction to one of the leading sociologists of our time.

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,...

The revised edition of this widely acclaimed textbook provides a clear, accessible and comprehensive introduction to modern social theory.As with the first edition, the book is based around the themes of structure and action. After the introductory chapters which examine the nature of theory and its role in the social world, the book then turns to theories of action and the inability of those theories to comprehend social structures in a coherent way.Part 1 covers: Parson's structural-functionalism and the development of conlict theory and neofunctionalism; rational choice theory; symbolic...

The revised edition of this widely acclaimed textbook provides a clear, accessible and comprehensive introduction to modern social theory.As with the first edition, the book is based around the themes of structure and action. After the introductory chapters which examine the nature of theory and its role in the social world, the book then turns to theories of action and the inability of those theories to comprehend social structures in a coherent way.Part 1 covers: Parson's structural-functionalism and the development of conlict theory and neofunctionalism; rational choice theory; symbolic...