Foundations of Social Theory

Foundations of Social Theory: A Critical Introduction accessibly introduces students to classical and contemporary social theory, exploring the foundational theories which shape the discipline while also engaging critically with their contribution and presenting the more progressive and contemporary theorists in dialogue with canonical figures. Social theory is introduced as the construction and connection of concepts which make social inquiry possible while appreciating that the study of society is never truly objective. The relationship between positionality, politics, research, and knowledge production is discussed and ideas from critical theorists, feminist theorists, and decolonial, and critical race theorists are foregrounded. Travelling chronologically and thematically from the birth of the discipline and the work of Marx, Weber, and Durkheim through to intersectionality, queer theory, and decolonial and postcolonial theory, this book gives students a strong foundation in the broad field of social theory while also encouraging them to think critically about the theories and theorists presented. Equipped with end-of-chapter questions and further reading, this book will be essential reading for any student studying social theory for the first time.

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