This textbook delivers a new thematic introduction to social theory that explores theoretical issues in their contemporary social contexts. Each chapter is devoted to a specific thematic area, including the state, governance, the economy, civil society, culture, language, knowledge, the self, emotions, the body, and social justice. Each chapter details the key issues for debate and the relevant theories while linking those debates and theories to everyday life. Distributed throughout the chapters are focused sections on key concepts and their research applications, alongside helpful additional detail including a glossary, further suggested readings, chapter summaries, and questions for discussion. The book also provides useful information on key theoretical movements such as feminism, Marxism, and post-structuralism, as well as biographies of key theorists. As such, it reflects the breadth of social theory and its interdisciplinary nature by drawing on thinkers not just from sociology, but also from philosophy, history, literature, geography, cultural and gender studies.
The book’s logical structure and clear pedagogical features make it an appealing and accessible introductory text for students new to social theory. The chapters demonstrate the relevance of social theory to everyday life, such that readers can understand and actively engage with key concepts.
Author(s): Mark Murphy
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Year: 2021
Language: English
Pages: 328
City: Cham
Preface
Acknowledgements
Contents
1: Introduction
What Is Social Theory?
Organisation and Content of the Book
Chapter Content
Reference
Section I: Understanding the State
2: The State
Introduction
Freedom and the State
Elites and the State
The Capitalist State
The Miliband–Poulantzas Debate
Statification
The Welfare State as Crisis Management
From the Dependent to the Postcolonial State
Globalisation and the State
The Rise of the Neoliberal State
In Summary
References
3: Governance
Introduction
Bureaucracy and Its Discontents
The Totally Administered Society
The Colonisation of the Lifeworld
New Public Management and the Governance Turn
Governance and Street Level Bureaucracy
The Social Pathologies of Juridification
Governance, Risk and Blame
In Summary
References
4: The Economy
Introduction
Capital and the Commodification of Labour
The Great Transformation
The Coming of Post-Industrial Society
The Labour Process and the Degradation of Work
Automation: The End of Work?
The Classed Nature of Economic Life
The Gendered Nature of Economic Life
In Summary
References
5: Civil Society
Introduction
State, Economy and Civil Society
Civil Society and Class Struggle
Civil Society and Radical Democracy
Assessing the Politics of Civil Society
Uncivil Society
Social Movements: Old and New
Social Movements in Times of Austerity
On Subaltern Counter Publics
In Summary
References
Section II: Understanding the Social
6: Culture
Introduction
The Significance of Culture in Social Theory
The Culture Industry
Cultural Studies and the Cultural Turn
Education, Culture and Social Class
Culture and Orientalism
Cultural Identity and Diaspora
The Cultural Politics of the Subaltern
In Summary
References
7: Language
Introduction
The Linguistic Turn in Social Theory
From Structuralism to Poststructuralism
Language and the Dialogic Imagination
Discourse and Discursive Practices
Language and Communication
The Symbolic Power of Language
The Hidden Curriculum of Language
In Summary
References
8: Knowledge
Introduction
Knowledge and Objectivity
Adorno Versus Popper: The Positivism Debate
The Social Construction of Knowledge
Power and the Archaeology of Knowledge
Indigenous Knowledge and Postcolonial Theory
The Politics of Academic Knowledge
The Politics of Academic Knowledge: Curriculum
The Politics of Academic Knowledge: Gatekeeping
The Politics of Academic Knowledge: The Public Intellectual
In Summary
References
Section III: Understanding the Self and Selfhood
9: The Self
Introduction
Anomie, Alienation and the Self
Self and the Spirit of Capitalism
Modernity, Postmodernity and Self-Identity
The Self as Relational
Self as Performance
Self as Subjectivation
Self as Performativity
In Summary
References
10: Emotions
Introduction
Psychoanalysis and Social Theory
Dissent and the Fromm-Marcuse Debate
The Politics of Desire and the Capitalist Machine
Emotions and the ‘Shared Third’
Social Theory and Respect
Social Theory and Shame
Social Theory and Trust
In Summary
References
11: The Body
Introduction
The Body as a Cultural Text
Throwing Like a Girl: Gender and the Body
Habitus and Bourdieu
Elias and the Habitus
Bodies and Bio-power
The Body and Performativity
Sexuality and Queer Theory
In Summary
References
12: Social Justice
Introduction
Justice as Fairness
Justice as Capability
The Rawls-Habermas Debate
Theories of Justice: A Critique
Debate: Recognition or Redistribution?
Bringing Solidarity Back In
Solidarity as a Work in Progress
The Politics of Care
In Summary
References
13: Conclusion
Introduction
Further Reflections
Social Theory and Hybridisation
Hybridisation and the Art of Social Theory
References
Glossary
References
Index
