Social Theory

Social Theory
Author: Carsten Bagge Laustsen
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 402
Release: 2017-03-27
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1317329716

This textbook offers a new approach to understanding social theory. Framed around paired theoretical perspectives on a series of sociological problems, the book shows how distinctive viewpoints shed light on different facets of social phenomena. The book includes sociology’s "founding fathers", major 20th-century thinkers and recent voices such as Butler and Zizek. Philosophically grounded and focused on interpretation and analysis, the book provides a clear understanding of theory’s scope while developing students’ skills in evaluating, applying and comparing theories.

Social Theory, Social Policy And Ageing: A Critical Introduction

Social Theory, Social Policy And Ageing: A Critical Introduction
Author: Biggs, Simon
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Education (UK)
Total Pages: 200
Release: 2003-11-01
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0335209068

This work covers theoretical developments and issues influencing the study of adult ageing. It explores contemporary trends in social policy drawing on the experience of ageing in the USA, Europe and an increasingly global environment. Feminist perspectives on ageing are also covered.

Social Policy

Social Policy
Author: Spicker, Paul
Publisher: Policy Press
Total Pages: 411
Release: 2014-03-20
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1447316126

Social Policy: Theory and practice is a fully revised, updated and extended edition of a bestselling social policy textbook, extensively reworked and adapted to meet the needs of its international readership. The book lays out the architecture of social policy as a field of study, binding the discussion of theory to the understanding of social policy in practice. It aims to provide students and practitioners with a sense of the scope, range and purpose of the subject while developing critical awareness of problems, issues and common fallacies. Written in an accessible and engaging style, it explains what social policy is and why it matters; looks at social policy in its social context; considers policy, the role of the state and the social services; explores issues in social administration and service delivery; and focuses on the methods and approaches of the subject. For practitioners, there are discussions of the techniques and approaches used to apply social policy in practice. For students, there are boxes raising issues and reviewing case studies, questions for discussion and a detailed glossary. The book’s distinctive, path–breaking approach makes it invaluable for students studying social policy at a range levels, professionals and practitioners in the field of social policy.

Social Theory and Political Practice (RLE Social Theory)

Social Theory and Political Practice (RLE Social Theory)
Author: Brian Fay
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 107
Release: 2014-08-27
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1317652282

This book examines the question of how our knowledge of social life affects, and ought to affect, our way of living it. In so doing, it critically discusses two epistemological models of social science – the positivist and the interpretive – from the viewpoint of the political theories which, it is argued, are implicit in these models; moreover, it proposes a third model – the critical – which is organised around an explicit account of the relation between social theory and practical life. The book has the special merit of being a good overview of the principal current ideas about the relation between social theory and political practice, as well as an attempt at providing a new and more satisfactory account of this relationship. To accomplish this task, it synthesises work from the analytic philosophy of social science with that of the neo-Marxism of the Frankfurt school.

Social Theory of International Politics

Social Theory of International Politics
Author: Alexander Wendt
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 264
Release: 1999-10-07
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1107268435

Drawing upon philosophy and social theory, Social Theory of International Politics develops a theory of the international system as a social construction. Alexander Wendt clarifies the central claims of the constructivist approach, presenting a structural and idealist worldview which contrasts with the individualism and materialism which underpins much mainstream international relations theory. He builds a cultural theory of international politics, which takes whether states view each other as enemies, rivals or friends as a fundamental determinant. Wendt characterises these roles as 'cultures of anarchy', described as Hobbesian, Lockean and Kantian respectively. These cultures are shared ideas which help shape state interests and capabilities, and generate tendencies in the international system. The book describes four factors which can drive structural change from one culture to another - interdependence, common fate, homogenization, and self-restraint - and examines the effects of capitalism and democracy in the emergence of a Kantian culture in the West.

Social Theory and Social Practice

Social Theory and Social Practice
Author: Hans Zetterberg
Publisher:
Total Pages: 200
Release: 2018-03-29
Genre:
ISBN: 9781138533059

Social Theory and Social Practice is a unique effort at applied social theory. Hans L. Zetterberg believes that social research has now advanced so far that social scientists can give advice without being restricted to new research projects. They can use previously proven theories as the basis for sound practical recommendations. This approach has profound implications in the application of social science to problems in business management, labor strife, government decision-making, in such areas as education, health and human welfare. It remains a pioneering discourse for practitioners of social research and social policy. Zetterberg gives a searching review of the various ways in which social practitioners attempt to use the accumulated knowledge of social science. He proceeds with a compact summary of the knowledge of the academicians of social science, noting that practitioners are often unaware of much useful academic knowledge. The process by which this knowledge is transformed into practical advice is spelled out in detail, and is illustrated with examples from an actual consultation about problems faced by an art museum that wanted to increase its audience. Chapter 1 identifies the problem; chapter 2, "The Knowledge of Social Practitioners," outlines practitioners' reliance on scientific knowledge; chapter 3, "The Knowledge of Social Theorists," discusses sociological terms and sociological law; chapter 4, "The Practical Use of Social Theory through Scholarly Consultants," explores the actual specificity of social theory and its uses, while the concluding chapter examines the uses of consultants, covering some prerequisites for the successful use of applied science. The book rejects the widespread view that in order to put social science to use, we have to popularize its content. Zetterberg's approach is rather to translate a client's problem into a powerful theoretical statement, the solution to which is calculated and then presented to the client as down-to-earth advice. This volume will be of immediate interest to scholars in the field of social theory; to consultants and practitioners who give advice on social problems and policy decisions; and to executives who use advice from social scientists.

Social Work and Social Theory

Social Work and Social Theory
Author: Paul Michael Garrett
Publisher: Policy Press
Total Pages: 264
Release: 2013
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 1847429602

In order to work effectively, social workers need to understand theoretical concepts and develop critical theory. In Social Work and Social Theory, Paul Michael Garrett seeks to bring the profession into dialogue with the anticapitalist movement and encourages a new engagement with theorists such as Antonio Gramsci, Pierre Bourdieu, and Nancy Fraser. It provides an accessible and exhilarating introduction for practitioners, students, and social work academics interested in social theory and critical social policy. It will be a vital resource aiding anyone intent on creating a more radical social work and a useful teaching tool to spark lively classroom discussion.

Social Theory and the Urban Question

Social Theory and the Urban Question
Author: Peter Saunders
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 301
Release: 2003-09-02
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1134875118

First published in 1986. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Social Theory and Social Policy

Social Theory and Social Policy
Author: James S. Coleman
Publisher: Praeger
Total Pages: 286
Release: 1993-07-30
Genre: Education
ISBN:

Social Theory and Social Practice is a collection of essays theory and research developments that were advanced by a figure at the forefront of contemporary American and international sociology--James S. Coleman. Themes that run through Coleman's diverse body of work are the subject of this volume. Essays focus on his contributions to social theory (emphasizing formulations which have policy implications) and applications of sociology in public affairs. Coleman's contributions have profoundly influenced and, in several cases, defined the agenda for important sub-fields of sociology: sociological theory and methods, sociology of education, sociology of the family, political sociology, mathematical sociology, communications research, and social stratification. Following an introductory section, Part Two, Policy-Relevant Social Theory, includes essays by some of our most eminent social scientists, including James Buchanan, Arthur Stinchcombe, Raymond Boudon, Gordon Tullock, Benjamin Zablocki, and Gudmund Hernes. Part Three, Sociology of Education contains essays by Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Diane Ravitch, and Sarane Boocock on Coleman's pioneering work in the field. Part Four, Social Structure and Social Policy, discusses the profound influence of Coleman's oeuvre on public affairs. Chapter authors include Seymour Sspilerman, Noah Levin-Epstein and Moshe Semyenov of Tel Aviv University, Michael Hechter and Satoshi Kanazawa, Seymour Martin Lipset, Erik Van Hove, and Henrik Kreutz. Recommended for scholars in the fields of sociology, education, economics, and political science.

Social Quality Theory

Social Quality Theory
Author: Ka Lin
Publisher: Berghahn Books
Total Pages: 214
Release: 2015-07-01
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1782388982

Social quality thinking emerged from a critique of one-sided policies by breaking through the limitations previously set by purely economistic paradigms. By tracing its expansion and presenting different aspects of social quality theory, this volume provides an overview of a more nuanced approach, which assesses societal progress and introduces proposals that are relevant for policy making. Crucially, important components emerge with research by scholars from Asia, particularly China, eastern Europe, and other regions beyond western Europe, the theory’s place of origin. As this volume shows, this rich diversity of approaches and their cross-national comparisons reveal the increasingly important role of social quality theory for informing political debates on development and sustainability.