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Sociological Theory in the Classical Era
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Sociological Theory in the Classical Era
Text and Readings

Fourth Edition


July 2020 | 464 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc
Now available for the first time in both print and e-book formats

Sociological Theory in the Classical Era, Fourth Edition
is an innovative text/reader for courses in classical theory. It introduces students to important original works by sociology's key classical theorists while providing a thorough framework for understanding these challenging readings. For each theorist, the editors supply a biographical sketch, discuss intellectual influences and core ideas, and offer contemporary applications of those ideas. In addition to the seven major theorists covered, the book also connects their work to "Significant Others"—writers and thinkers who may have derived much of their own perspectives from Marx, Durkheim, Weber, Gilman, Simmel, Du Bois, and Mead.


Included with this title:

The password-protected Instructor Resource Site (formally known as SAGE Edge)
offers access to all text-specific resources, including a test bank and editable, chapter-specific PowerPoint® slides. Learn more.
 

 
List of Figures and Tables
 
Preface
 
About the Authors
 
Chapter 1. Introduction
Key Concepts

 
What Is Sociological Theory?

 
Why Read Original Works?

 
The European Enlightenment

 
The Ins and Outs of Classical Canons

 
Discussion Questions

 
 
Chapter 2. Karl Marx (1818–1883)
Key Concepts

 
A Biographical Sketch

 
Intellectual Influences and Core Ideas

 
Marx’s Theoretical Orientation

 
Discussion Questions

 
 
Chapter 3. Émile Durkheim (1858–1917)
Key Concepts

 
A Biographical Sketch

 
Intellectual Influences and Core Ideas

 
Durkheim’s Theoretical Orientation

 
Discussion Questions

 
 
Chapter 4. Max Weber (1864–1920)
Key Concepts

 
A Biographical Sketch

 
Intellectual Influences and Core Ideas

 
Weber’s Theoretical Orientation

 
Discussion Questions

 
 
Chapter 5. Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1860–1935)
Key Concepts

 
A Biographical Sketch

 
Intellectual Influences and Core Ideas

 
Gilman’s Theoretical Orientation

 
Discussion Questions

 
 
Chapter 6. Georg Simmel (1858–1918)
Key Concepts

 
A Biographical Sketch

 
Intellectual Influences and Core Ideas

 
Simmel’s Theoretical Orientation

 
Discussion Questions

 
 
Chapter 7. W. E. B. Du Bois (1868–1963)
Key Concepts

 
A Biographical Sketch

 
Intellectual Influences and Core Ideas

 
Du Bois’s Theoretical Orientation

 
Discussion Questions

 
 
Chapter 8. George Herbert Mead (1863–1931)
Key Concepts

 
A Biographical Sketch

 
Intellectual Influences and Core Ideas

 
Mead’s Theoretical Orientation

 
Discussion Questions

 
 
Glossary and Terminology
 
References
 
Index

Supplements

Instructor Resource Site
edge.sagepub.com/edles4e

Online resources included with this text

The online resources for your text are available via the password-protected Instructor Resource Site, which offers access to all text-specific resources, including a test bank and editable, chapter-specific PowerPoint® slides.

“Of all the books I reviewed, it does the best job of explaining to students what the readings are trying to say while also giving them exposure to the original texts. The primary texts we use in teaching classical sociology tend to be dense, archaic, and occasionally arcane, so having solid prefatory material that can guide them is a boon for me and them.”

J. Lotus Seeley
Florida Atlantic University

I love the inclusion of original writings, the sophistication of the book; the visual elements, and the structure.

Gesine K Hearn
Idaho State University
Key features
NEW TO THIS EDITION:
  • The overarching theoretical framework has been expanded to further help students understand, compare, and contrast the readings.

  • Additional discussions of Enlightenment thinkers, including Locke, Rousseau, Hume, Kant, Hobbes, Wollstonecraft, demonstrate how these thinkers shaped the core theoretical questions that guide sociological inquiry to this day.

  • Updated examples, statistics and visuals throughout every chapter bring concepts to life by connecting classical theory to current events.

  • Streamlined primary readings keep students focused on central ideas.

  • An expanded glossary provides students with more definitions of key concepts.

  • Now available for the first time in both print and e-book formats, students have the choice to purchase the format they prefer.

 

KEY FEATURES:

  • The book’s acclaimed text/reader format provides students with the best of both worlds, original readings accompanied by interpretive and analytical guidance necessary to interpret them.

  • A theoretical framework presented in chapter one gives students a visual means to understand the theorists and perspectives that follow.

  • Theoretical Orientation Diagrams and Core Concepts Diagrams show students how to fit the theorist under study into the broader universe of social theory.

  • “Significant Others” boxes highlight writers and thinkers who influenced, and were influenced by, the major theorists featured in each chapter.

  • Each chapter includes photos of theorists and of their historical milieu, along with applications to the contemporary scene.

Sample Materials & Chapters

Chapter 1: Introduction

Chapter 2: Karl Marx


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