Foundations of Social Theory

This textbook accessibly introduces students to classical and contemporary social theory, exploring the foundational theories which shape the discipline whilst also engaging critically with their contribution and presenting the more progressive and contemporary theorists in dialogue with canonical figures.

Neal Harris is a Senior Lecturer in Sociology at Oxford Brookes University, UK. His most recent books include Critical Theory and Social Pathology: The Frankfurt School Beyond Recognition (Manchester University Press, 2022) and Capitalism and its Critics: Capitalism in Social and Political Theory (co-authored with Gerard Delanty, Routledge, 2022). He has taught social and political theory at the University of Sussex, University of Brighton, and Oxford Brookes University.

1. Introduction 2. Karl Marx: Critique, Class Struggle, and Revolution 3. Émile Durkheim: Society Functions! 4. Max Weber: Meaningful Social Action 5. The Early Frankfurt School: What happened to the revolution? 6. Pierre Bourdieu: Class meets Culture 7. The Frankfurt School Today: Modernity, Communication, and Recognition 8. Gender: Theorising Patriarchy 9. Post-Structuralism and Post-Modernism: 'It's all so much more complicated than that!' 10. Decolonial Social Theory: Confronting Coloniality 11. Conclusion: Key Questions