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Contemporary Social Theory: An introduction 2nd Edition
Author(s): Anthony Elliott (Author)
- Publisher: Routledge
- Publication Date: 30 Jan. 2014
- Edition: 2nd
- Language: English
- Print length: 416 pages
- ISBN-10: 0415521378
- ISBN-13: 9780415521376
Book Description
In this comprehensive, stylish and accessible introduction to contemporary social theory, Anthony Elliott examines the major social theoretical traditions. The first edition set new standards for introductory textbooks, such was the far-reaching sweep of social theorists discussed – including Theodor Adorno, Herbert Marcuse, Michel Foucault, Jacques Lacan, Jacques Derrida, Anthony Giddens, Pierre Bourdieu, Julia Kristeva, Jurgen Habermas, Judith Butler, Slavoj Zizek, Manuel Castells, Ulrich Beck, Zygmunt Bauman, Giorgio Agamben and Manuel De Landa.
From the Frankfurt School to globalization, from feminism to the network society, this new edition has been fully revised and updated, taking into account the most recent developments in social theory. The second edition also contains a completely new chapter on classical social theory, allowing students to contextualise the modern debates.
Like its predecessor, the second edition of Contemporary Social Theory combines stylish exposition with reflective social critique and original insights. This new edition will prove a superb textbook with which to navigate the twists and turns of contemporary social theory as taught in the disciplines of sociology, politics, history, cultural studies and many more.
Editorial Reviews
Review
“This is the best contemporary social theory text currently on the market. It is highly accessible, explaining ideas in the clearest possible language without compromising depth and complexity. Accordingly, it is a book that would work well for students at all levels. Undergraduates with no background in social theory will be able to easily engage with this text, and this is something that can not be said of any other contemporary social theory textbook that considers the range of theorists and complexity of ideas that this book does. More advanced students, including professional social theorists, will find that Elliott provides great clarity on some of the most difficult, yet most influential, ideas in contemporary social thought.” Ann Branaman, Associate Professor of Sociology Florida Atlantic University, USA
“It is very hard to write an outstanding introduction to any subject and particularly hard to do so for a subject as demanding as contemporary social theory. Anthony Elliott succeeds superbly. His book offers a reliable guide to the big debates in social theory while never glossing over the difficult questions.” Professor David Held, Co-Director, Centre for the Study of Global Governance, LSE, UK
“Magnificent. Elliot visits a vast range of theorists and shows how they reveal the beautiful complexity of everyday social life. He makes social theory relevant and meaningful, simple, sexy and exciting.” Tom Inglis, Professor of Sociology, University College Dublin, Ireland
“No one I know is better able than Anthony Elliott to get to the heart of complex theories, then to write of them clearly yet critically.” Charles Lemert, Andrus Professor of Sociology at Wesleyan University and author of Thinking the Unthinkable, USA
“This is an amazingly fluent analysis of contemporary social theory. It should be widely read for its careful and insightful dissection of the main theories and of their particular strengths and weaknesses. It will b
About the Author
Anthony Elliott is Director of the Hawke Research Institute, where he is Research Professor of Sociology at the University of South Australia. His recent books include Reinvention (2012), The Routledge Companion to Social Theory (ed., 2010) and The Routledge Handbook of Identity Studies (ed., 2011).
