The Scope of Understanding in Sociology (RLE Social Theory)

Download The Scope of Understanding in Sociology (RLE Social Theory) PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1317648447
Total Pages : 294 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (176 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Scope of Understanding in Sociology (RLE Social Theory) by : Werner Pelz

Download or read book The Scope of Understanding in Sociology (RLE Social Theory) written by Werner Pelz and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-08-13 with total page 294 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In their efforts to emulate the methodology which had proved so successful in the natural sciences, the social sciences – including sociology – have not yet faced the question as to what constitutes understanding in their area with sufficient seriousness. This book asks again: what does understanding denote in an area where man tries to understand man, where self-understanding is involved, where new understanding immediately becomes part of that which is to be understood? What can we know and what is the use and limitation of knowledge in sociology? When are we conscious that we know and understand? Werner Pelz argues for a thorough reorientation in our approach to sociological thinking, and suggests that scientistic preconceptions have often precluded possibly fruitful approaches to humane understanding. He investigates the relations between various kinds of knowing, and examines the new possibilities of understanding made available, for example, by psychoanalytical and phenomenological insights, as well as by those of poets, artists, mystics. He shows that in the social and humanistic sciences, creative or constitutive contributions illuminate rather than demonstrate, and that, for this reason, sociology has not yet found an appropriate method for conveying them without serious distortions.

The Scope of Understanding in Sociology

Download The Scope of Understanding in Sociology PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9780415727310
Total Pages : pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (273 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Scope of Understanding in Sociology by : Werner Pelz

Download or read book The Scope of Understanding in Sociology written by Werner Pelz and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In their efforts to emulate the methodology which had proved so successful in the natural sciences, the social sciences {́OCLCbr#80}? including sociology {́OCLCbr#80}? have not yet faced the question as to what constitutes understanding in their area with sufficient seriousness. This book asks again: what does understanding denote in an area where man tries to understand man, where self-understanding is involved, where new understanding immediately becomes part of that which is to be understood? What can we know and what is the use and limitation of knowledge in sociology? When are we conscious that we know and understand? Werner Pelz argues for a thorough reorientation in our approach to sociological thinking, and suggests that scientistic preconceptions have often precluded possibly fruitful approaches to humane understanding. He investigates the relations between various kinds of knowing, and examines the new possibilities of understanding made available, for example, by psychoanalytical and phenomenological insights, as well as by those of poets, artists, mystics. He shows that in the social and humanistic sciences, creative or constitutive contributions illuminate rather than demonstrate, and that, for this reason, sociology has not yet found an appropriate method for conveying them without serious distortions.

The Scope of Understanding in Sociology

Download The Scope of Understanding in Sociology PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : London ; Boston : Routledge & Kegan Paul
ISBN 13 : 9780710078544
Total Pages : 283 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (785 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Scope of Understanding in Sociology by : Werner Pelz

Download or read book The Scope of Understanding in Sociology written by Werner Pelz and published by London ; Boston : Routledge & Kegan Paul. This book was released on 1974-01-01 with total page 283 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Science and the Sociology of Knowledge (RLE Social Theory)

Download Science and the Sociology of Knowledge (RLE Social Theory) PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1317651189
Total Pages : 142 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (176 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Science and the Sociology of Knowledge (RLE Social Theory) by : Michael Mulkay

Download or read book Science and the Sociology of Knowledge (RLE Social Theory) written by Michael Mulkay and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-08-07 with total page 142 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How far is scientific knowledge a product of social life? In addressing this question, the major contributors to the sociology of knowledge have agreed that the conclusions of science are dependent on social action only in a very special and limited sense. In Science and the Sociology of Knowledge Michael Mulkay's first aim is to identify the philosophical assumptions which have led to this view of science as special; and to present a systematic critique of the standard philosophical account of science, showing that there are no valid epistemological grounds for excluding scientific knowledge from the scope of sociological analysis. The rest of the book is devoted to developing a preliminary interpretation of the social creation of scientific knowledge. The processes of knowledge-creation are delineated through a close examination of recent case studies of scientific developments. Dr Mulkay argues that knowledge is produced by means of negotiation, the outcome of which depends on the participants' use of social as well as technical resources. The analysis also shows how cultural resources are taken over from the broader social milieu and incorporated into the body of certified knowledge; and how, in the political context of society at large, scientists' technical as well as social claims are conditioned and affected by their social position.

Sociological Theory in Transition (RLE Social Theory)

Download Sociological Theory in Transition (RLE Social Theory) PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1317651006
Total Pages : 192 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (176 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Sociological Theory in Transition (RLE Social Theory) by : Mark L. Wardell

Download or read book Sociological Theory in Transition (RLE Social Theory) written by Mark L. Wardell and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-08-07 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Current sociological theories appear to have lost their general persuasiveness in part because, unlike the theories of the ‘classical era’, they fail to maintain an integrated stance toward society, and the practical role that sociology plays in society. The authors explore various facets of this failure and possibilities for reconstructing sociological theories as integrated wholes capable of conveying a moral and political immediacy. They discuss the evolution of several concepts (for example, the social, structure, and self) and address the significant disputes (for example, structuralism versus humanism, and individual versus society) that have dominated twentieth-century sociological thought. Their ideas and analyses are directed towards an audience of students and theorists who are coming to terms with the project of sociological theory, and its relationship with moral discourses and political practice. The authors of these essays are sociological theorists from the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada. They are all established, but not ‘establishment’ authors. The book contains no orthodoxies, and no answers. However, the essays do contribute to identifying the range of issues that will constitute the agenda for the next generation of sociological theorists.

Sociological Theory in Use (RLE Social Theory)

Download Sociological Theory in Use (RLE Social Theory) PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1317657187
Total Pages : 255 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (176 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Sociological Theory in Use (RLE Social Theory) by : Kenneth Menzies

Download or read book Sociological Theory in Use (RLE Social Theory) written by Kenneth Menzies and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-08-21 with total page 255 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Central to most sociologists’ self-image is the claim that their theories are based on research. However, using a random sample of 680 articles appearing in major American, British and Canadian journals, Dr Menzies shows that in some areas of sociology the wide gap between theory and research means that much of sociological theory is virtually untested. He explains how theory is embodied in eight particular types of research, critically examines these research theories, and contrasts them with the positions of modern theorists. The sample of journal articles also permits a comparison of British, American and Canadian sociology. By contrasting on how researchers us theories, Dr Menzies is able to reassess several theories. For instance, symbolic interactionist research uses embedded causal claims and stands in a dialectical relationship to other sociological research, while the research version of conflict theory depends on external causes to explain social change. The implications of using statistical techniques like factor analysis and regression are also considered in relation to the form of explanation.

Discovering Sociology (RLE Social Theory)

Download Discovering Sociology (RLE Social Theory) PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781138786097
Total Pages : 294 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (86 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Discovering Sociology (RLE Social Theory) by : John Rex

Download or read book Discovering Sociology (RLE Social Theory) written by John Rex and published by . This book was released on 2014-08-04 with total page 294 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Professor John Rex was one of Britain's most eminent sociologists, and a teacher of a whole generation of sociology students. In this book he presents a stimulating introduction to the major issues of sociological theory and gives an account of the perspective which has informed his thinking and writing. He deals with the objectives of sociological investigation, the methods it uses and how in these respects it resembles or differs from natural science and history. He goes on to discuss the work of Weber, Durkheim, Marx, Engels, Mills and other important theorists, and concludes with a convincing demonstration of the continuing relevance of the Weberian tradition to the study of sociology.

The Hermeneutic Imagination (RLE Social Theory)

Download The Hermeneutic Imagination (RLE Social Theory) PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1317651812
Total Pages : 185 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (176 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Hermeneutic Imagination (RLE Social Theory) by : Josef Bleicher

Download or read book The Hermeneutic Imagination (RLE Social Theory) written by Josef Bleicher and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-08-13 with total page 185 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In his previous book, Contemporary Hermeneutics, Josef Bleicher offered an introduction to the subject, locating it mainly within the philosophy of social science, and looking at the profound impact it is having on a wide range of intellectual pursuits. This book follows on from this and expounds the author's view that the development of the hermeneutic imagination is an indispensable condition for reflexive sociological work and emancipatory social practice. Dr Bleicher examines the various approaches to sociology – empiricist, functionalist, structuralist, interpretive, critical – by reference to a hermeneutic paradigm, and shows how the hermeneutic imagination leads to a redirection in sociology, away from scientistic presuppositions and towards an awareness of the dialogue which links the subject and object in the study of social phenomena. He argues that by allowing the hermeneutic imagination to develop, it is possible to counter the steering of social processes on the basis of technocratic imperatives, and to provide a rational anticipation of a better future.

Approaches to Sociology (RLE Social Theory)

Download Approaches to Sociology (RLE Social Theory) PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1317652525
Total Pages : 306 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (176 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Approaches to Sociology (RLE Social Theory) by : John Rex

Download or read book Approaches to Sociology (RLE Social Theory) written by John Rex and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-08-21 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: These essays, commissioned by John Rex, reflect the state of sociology in Britain today. Leading representatives of the diverse ‘schools’ provide lucid accounts of their own particular approaches to this complex discipline and in doing so demonstrate the techniques described. Topics covered include the empirical study of stratification, social evolution, survey techniques, mathematical sociology, systems theory, phenomenological approaches, Weberian sociology, structuralism, contemporary Marxism, and the development of theory after Talcott Parsons.

Sociology and the Demystification of the Modern World (RLE Social Theory)

Download Sociology and the Demystification of the Modern World (RLE Social Theory) PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 131765076X
Total Pages : 286 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (176 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Sociology and the Demystification of the Modern World (RLE Social Theory) by : John Rex

Download or read book Sociology and the Demystification of the Modern World (RLE Social Theory) written by John Rex and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-08-21 with total page 286 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Professor Rex’s controversial book concerns not only those who are professional sociologists but all thinking people who live in the modern world. One of the objects of sociology is to give ‘power to the people’, to make a contribution to the understanding of political problems. Rex writes from a deep conviction that sociology is a subject whose insights should be made available to the great mass of the people, so that they may liberate themselves from the mystification of social reality that is continually and routinely presented to them through the media, by those who exercise power and by those who have influence. The book is dedicated to St Augustine and Franz Fanon, both of whom, Rex points out, were conscious of living in an age which was embarking on a new barbarism, but had the courage to use their intellects to help understand the possibility of a better future. Rex continues in this tradition, and his main preoccupations are reflected in the present book. It includes a discussion of the problem of social knowledge, an analysis of the basic problems of theory building, and, with the aid of concepts derived from Max Weber, an attempt to understand the major problems of the first, second and third worlds. The author also looks at social structures and moral perspectives, and discusses the vocation of a sociologist in a collapsing civilisation. The book is certain to stimulate debate, both in sociological and political fields and more generally, and is also a serious contribution to the discussion of the methodology and purposes of sociology.

The Normative Structure of Sociology (RLE Social Theory)

Download The Normative Structure of Sociology (RLE Social Theory) PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1317652320
Total Pages : 284 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (176 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Normative Structure of Sociology (RLE Social Theory) by : Hermann Strasser

Download or read book The Normative Structure of Sociology (RLE Social Theory) written by Hermann Strasser and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-08-13 with total page 284 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this provocative analysis of the central issues and developments in modern social theory, Dr Strasser contends that enquiry into the function, tasks and mission of sociology as a discipline can be understood only in relation to the subject's historical development. He believes that a discussion of the origin and intention of sociology, particularly in relation to the established social order, enables us to grasp fully the nature of sociological theory, both past and present. He maintains that a sociologist's own position in society, and consequently his views on its development and his way of expressing those views, will affect the theoretical position he takes up.

Introduction to the Social Sciences (RLE Social Theory)

Download Introduction to the Social Sciences (RLE Social Theory) PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1000155897
Total Pages : 337 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (1 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Introduction to the Social Sciences (RLE Social Theory) by : Maurice Duverger

Download or read book Introduction to the Social Sciences (RLE Social Theory) written by Maurice Duverger and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2020-09-10 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Professor Duverger at last provides the student with an overall view of the methodology of the social sciences. He briefly traces the origin of the notion of a social science, showing how it emerged from social philosophy. Its essential elements and pre-conditions are described; the splintering of social science into specialist disciplines is explained, and the need for a general sociology confirmed. The techniques of observation used by social scientists are dealt with in some detail and the unity of the social sciences is illustrated by examples of the universal application of these techniques. Documentary evidence in its various forms are described along with the basic analytical techniques, including quantitative methods and content analysis. Other methods of gathering information through polls, interviews, attitude scales and participant observation are all described. Professor Duverger brings together the different kinds of analysis used to assess the information thus gathered. Arguing that observing and theorizing are not two different stages or levels of research, he examines the practical value and difficulties of general sociological theories, partial theories and models and working hypotheses. He both describes and assesses the limitations of experiment and the scope of comparative methods in the social sciences. He then gives elementary instructions for using and assessing the value of mathematical techniques. The possibilities of presenting social phenomena through graphs and charts are also explored. There are useful book lists and diagrams.

R.D. Laing: His Work and its Relevance for Sociology (RLE Social Theory)

Download R.D. Laing: His Work and its Relevance for Sociology (RLE Social Theory) PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1317651235
Total Pages : 263 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (176 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis R.D. Laing: His Work and its Relevance for Sociology (RLE Social Theory) by : Martin Howarth-Williams

Download or read book R.D. Laing: His Work and its Relevance for Sociology (RLE Social Theory) written by Martin Howarth-Williams and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-08-07 with total page 263 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This study, by a sociologist, provides the most rigorous and comprehensive review to appear so far of R. D. Laing's work and theoretical development. Martin Howarth-Williams considers that Laing's insights into such controversial issues as the divided self and the politics of the family are of an importance that transcends their basis in clinical psychiatry and that they have a special significance for sociology. Using the Progressive/Regressive Method of Jean-Paul Sartre, the author illuminates the internal coherence of Laing's aims through the various stages of his work and shows how his ideas are shaped by consistent philosophic presuppositions and influences underlying his work. To give as complete an account as possible of Laing's interests and to relate them to the broad stream of his thought, the author explores Laing's involvement in other non-psychiatric realms – especially politics, religion and eastern mysticism. Material has been secured from a wide variety of recent sources which include interviews, films, TV appearances and the author's own personal recollections of informal talks given by Laing. In the final section of the book Martin Howarth-Williams isolates the concept of 'Intelligibility', which he demonstrates to be the unifying theme central to Laing's theory and shows how this can be used as the basis for a critique of recent developments in sociological theory as well as a starting point towards a genuinely dialectical sociology.

Philosophical Foundations of the Three Sociologies (RLE Social Theory)

Download Philosophical Foundations of the Three Sociologies (RLE Social Theory) PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1317651421
Total Pages : 240 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (176 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Philosophical Foundations of the Three Sociologies (RLE Social Theory) by : Ted Benton

Download or read book Philosophical Foundations of the Three Sociologies (RLE Social Theory) written by Ted Benton and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-09-19 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An extended historical and philosophical argument, this book will be a valuable text for all students of the philosophy of the social sciences. It discusses the serious alternatives to positivist and empiricist accounts of the physical sciences, and poses the debate between naturalism and anti-naturalism in the social sciences in new terms. Recent materialist and realist philosophies of science make possible a defence of naturalism which does not make concessions to positivism and which recognizes the force of several of the anti-positivist arguments from the main anti-naturalist (neo-Kantian) tradition. The author presents a critical evaluation of empiricist and positivist theories of knowledge, and investigates some classic attempts at using them to provide the philosophical foundation for a scientific sociology. He takes the Kantian critique of empiricism as the starting point for the main anti-positivist and anti-naturalist philosophical approaches to the social studies. He goes on to investigate the inadequacy of post-Kantian arguments from Rickert, Weber, Winch and others, both against non-positivist forms of naturalism and as the possible source of a distinctive philosophical foundation for the social studies. The book concludes with a critical investigation of the Marxian tradition and an attempt to establish the possibility of a materialist and realist defence of the project of a natural science of history, which escapes the fundamental flaws of both positivist and neo-Kantian attempts at philosophical foundation.

Towards the Sociology of Knowledge (RLE Social Theory)

Download Towards the Sociology of Knowledge (RLE Social Theory) PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 100015579X
Total Pages : 472 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (1 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Towards the Sociology of Knowledge (RLE Social Theory) by : Gunter Werner Remmling

Download or read book Towards the Sociology of Knowledge (RLE Social Theory) written by Gunter Werner Remmling and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2022-03-23 with total page 472 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The sociology of knowledge is an area of social scientific investigation with major emphasis on the relations between social life and intellectual activity. It is now an area central to most graduate and undergraduate courses in sociology. The present collection of readings explains the origins, systematic development, present state and possible future direction of the discipline. The major statements in the field were developed early in the twentieth century by Durkheim, Scheler and Mannheim, but the sociology of knowledge continues to engage the theoretical and empirical interests of contemporary sociologists who desire to penetrate the surface level of social existence. This book, with its carefully selected contributions and an introduction which relates the selections to the developmental pattern of the discipline, provides guidance and insight for the reader concerned with the topical issues raised by sociologists of knowledge.

Sociology and the Demystification of the Modern World (RLE Social Theory)

Download Sociology and the Demystification of the Modern World (RLE Social Theory) PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781315763262
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (632 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Sociology and the Demystification of the Modern World (RLE Social Theory) by : John Rex

Download or read book Sociology and the Demystification of the Modern World (RLE Social Theory) written by John Rex and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Professor Rex's controversial book concerns not only those who are professional sociologists but all thinking people who live in the modern world. One of the objects of sociology is to give 'power to the people', to make a contribution to the understanding of political problems. Rex writes from a deep conviction that sociology is a subject whose insights should be made available to the great mass of the people, so that they may liberate themselves from the mystification of social reality that is continually and routinely presented to them through the media, by those who exercise power and by those who have influence. The book is dedicated to St Augustine and Franz Fanon, both of whom, Rex points out, were conscious of living in an age which was embarking on a new barbarism, but had the courage to use their intellects to help understand the possibility of a better future. Rex continues in this tradition, and his main preoccupations are reflected in the present book. It includes a discussion of the problem of social knowledge, an analysis of the basic problems of theory building, and, with the aid of concepts derived from Max Weber, an attempt to understand the major problems of the first, second and third worlds. The author also looks at social structures and moral perspectives, and discusses the vocation of a sociologist in a collapsing civilisation. The book is certain to stimulate debate, both in sociological and political fields and more generally, and is also a serious contribution to the discussion of the methodology and purposes of sociology.

The Science of Society

Download The Science of Society PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Routledge Library Editions: So
ISBN 13 : 9781138784048
Total Pages : 310 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (84 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Science of Society by : Stephen Frederick Cotgrove

Download or read book The Science of Society written by Stephen Frederick Cotgrove and published by Routledge Library Editions: So. This book was released on 2014-08-04 with total page 310 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Two main criteria have guided the selection and presentation of the material for this text-book. Firstly, there is the claim that sociology is a science. Throughout, the emphasis has been on presenting sociological perspectives rather than conveying a mass of factual information. Science is essentially analytical. And sociology, if it is to justify its claim to be a science, must be more than simply 'political arithmetic', counting heads and providing demographic data for governments. Secondly, science, like other intellectual activities, can be exciting. The emphasis throughout is on the sociological study of industrial society, with particular reference to modern England. After an introductory discussion of sociological perspectives, there are chapters on each of the major sub-systems of society; the family, the educational system, the economy, the political system and belief systems. The book ends with three chapters on major social processes: social differentiation and stratification, organization, and finally, social change, including a discussion of deviancy and disorganization.