The diversity of social theories / edited by Harry F. Dahms.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Dahms, Harry F.

Series:

Current perspectives in social theory ; v. 29.

Current perspectives in social theory, 0278-1204 ; v. 29

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Social sciences--Philosophy.

Social sciences.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (254 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Bingley [England] : Emerald Group Pub., 2011.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Since the time when Talcott Parsons pursued the project of one overarching 'general theory of society', the landscape of social theory has vastly changed, and the pluralism and multidimensionality increased tremendously. Today, with so many different approaches in and to social theory, and multiple ways of defining and describing their relationship to and relevance for the social sciences, there has been a growing danger of diversity and pluralism tipping into fragmentation, making the prospect of social scientists and sociologists being able to communicate with the expectation of reaching some kind of understanding, ever less likely. This volume presents alternative trajectories for how to take steps toward achieving a theoretically informed understanding of the present analytical and practical challenges (in terms of social, sociological, and critical theory), and looks beyond pluralism and fragmentation to the kind of roles social theorists may be playing in the future. These essays revisit the issue of common agenda (or lack thereof) in social theory and provide critical overviews by specialists working in social theory, sociological theory, and critical theory.

Contents:

Introduction / Harry F. Dahms

The epistemological fate of the authoritarian character studies of the Frankfurt School : a legacy for the study of racism, antisemitism, and fascism? / Helgard Kramer

Charisma and critique : critical theory, authority, and the critique of political theology / David Norman Smith

Trauma and the limits of redemptive critique : interrogating the haunting voices of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution / Karl P. Benziger, Richard R. Weiner

The direction of contemporary critical theory : a response to Amy Allen's The politics of our selves / Colin Koopman

Who are we and who do we want to be? : Amy Allen's The politics of our selves / Johanna Meehan

Explaining the power of gendered subjectivity / Christopher F. Zurn

Power, autonomy, and gender : reply to critics / Amy Allen

Stranger to you and stranger to myself? : theorizing self-estrangement / Natalia Ruiz-Junco

For pragmatic public sociology : theory and practice after the pragmatic turn / Eric Royal Lybeck

Empire, global capitalism, and theory : reconsidering Hardt and Negri / Jeb Sprague

Zizek's negative (positive) project or, negativity as positive possibility / Geoff Pfeifer.

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references.

Print version record

ISBN:

9786613354686

9781283354684

1283354683

9780857248220

0857248227

OCLC:

762190869