Social theory for alternative societies / Matt Dawson.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Dawson, Matt, 1983- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Cooperative societies.

Collective settlements.

Sociology.

Physical Description:

ix, 232 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

London ; New York, NY : Palgrave, 2016.

Summary:

"This book traces a unique story of social theory: one which focuses on its role in offering ideas for alternative societies. In charting this story, Matt Dawson argues that the differences in alternatives offered by social theorists not only demonstrate the diversity in, and value of, sociological perspectives, but also emphasize competing ideas of the role of intellectuals in social change. The text discusses a collection of social theorists -from key figures such as Marx, Durkheim and Du Bois to less well known or now commonly overlooked writers such as Levitas, Lefebvre and Mannheim. It explains their use of the tools of sociology to critique society and provide visions for alternatives, highlighting elements of the intellectual backgrounds of movements such as socialism, anti-racism, feminism and cosmopolitanism. Social Theory for Alternative Societies not only explores in detail a variety of thinkers, but also reflects on the relevance of sociology today and on the connection between social theory and the 'real world.' Thus it will be of interest to students of sociology and those interested in ideas for a better society"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

1 Should Sociologists Offer Alternatives? Value-Free and Critical Sociologies 7

Normativity and sociology 7

Max Weber: the value dispute 8

The Becker/Gouldner debate 14

Further writings on value-freedom 18

Critical sociology 20

Conclusion 22

2 Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels: 'Recipes for the Cook-Shops of the Future' 24

Marx and Engels' critique 25

The wastefulness of capitalism 28

The revolution 29

Marx and Engels' alternative: communism 30

Conclusion: would Marxist communism solve the problems of capitalism? 42

3 Émile Durkheim: Curing the Malaise 44

Durkheim's Rules of Sociological Method and critique 45

Durkheim's critique: the 'malaise' 47

Durkheim's alternatives 53

Conclusion 60

4 W.E.B. Du Bois: A Black Radical Alternative 62

Du Bois' early life and key concepts 62

Du Bois' early critique: The Philadelphia Negro 64

Du Bois' first alternative: the Talented Tenth and education 67

Du Bois' turn to activism 68

Du Bois' second critique: the legacy of the civil war 70

Du Bois' second alternative: black economic cooperation 72

Du Bois' later years and his socialism 76

Conclusion: Du Bois' alternatives 77

5 George Herbert Mead and Karl Mannheim: Sociology and Democracy 79

George Herbert Mead 80

Mead's critique: narrow 'personality' democracy 82

Mead's alternative: rational democracy through scientific reform 84

Assessing Mead's activities as alternatives 88

Karl Mannheim 89

Mannheim's critique: laissez-faire mass society 91

Mannheim's alternative: The Third Way 93

Sociology in a militant democracy 96

Conclusion: Mead and Mannheim on democracy 97

6 Henri Lefebvre and Herbert Marcuse: Neo-Marxist Alternatives 100

Henri Lefebvre 101

Lefebvre's critique: everyday life as alienation 103

Lefebvre's alternative: autogestion 106

Would Lefebvre's alternative solve the problems? 108

Herbert Marcuse 109

Marcuse's critique: the repressive totalitarian-technological stage of capitalism 110

Marcuse's potential liberation: the Utopian potentials of capitalism 112

Marcuse's transition: the Great Refusal 113

The new sensibility 115

Marcuse's alternative: a society based upon the new sensibility 116

Conclusion: comparing Lefebvre and Marcuse 118

7 Selma James, Andrea Dworkin and Their Interlocutors: Feminist Alternatives 121

Feminist alternatives 122

Wages for housework 124

Would wages for housework lessen patriarchy? 127

Banning pornography 130

The feminist critique of pornography 130

Contemporary anti-pornography feminism 132

The alternative: "MacDworkin' and the campaign to ban pornography 134

Feminist critics of banning pornography 136

Conclusion 139

8 Anthony Giddens and Ulrich Beck: Cosmopolitan Alternatives 141

Anthony Giddens 143

Giddens' late modern world 143

Giddens' critique: the emergence of life politics 145

Giddens' alternative: generative politics in The Third Way 147

Giddens' solution and being a public intellectual 149

Ulrich Beck 151

Beck's second modern risk society 152

Beck's critique: methodological nationalist sociology and society 155

Beck's alternative: a cosmopolitan world 156

Conclusion: the alternatives of Giddens and Beck 160

9 Sociology and Utopia 162

The history of sociology and utopianism 163

Ruth Levitas: Utopia as the imaginary reconstruction of society 164

Sociology as Utopia and utopia as sociology 166

Levitas' Utopian reading of government discourse under neoiiberalism 168

Erik Olin Wright: Marxist utopianism 170

Real utopias 171

The basic income 173

Criticisms of the basic income 175

Conclusion: the relationship between sociology and Utopia 178

10 Public Sociology 180

Burawoy's case for public sociology 181

Doing public sociology 183

Public sociology in sociological alternatives 186

Criticisms of public sociology 189

Conclusion: the case of Pierre Bourdieu 194.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781137337337

1137337338

9781137337320

113733732X

OCLC:

919479512