Sociological theory / created by George Ritzer and Jeffrey Stepnisky

Includes bibliographical references and index

Part 1: Classical sociological theory. A historical sketch of sociological theory: the early years Karl Marx Emile Durkheim Max Weber Georg Simmel Part II: Modern sociological theory: the major schools. A historical sketch of sociological theory: the later years Structural functionalism, systems theory, and conflict theory Varieties of neo-Marxian theory Symbolic interactionism Ethnomethodology Exchange, network, and rational choice theories Contemporary feminist theory / Patricia Madoo Lengermann and Gillian Niebrugge Micro-macro and agency-structure integration Part III: From modern to postmodern social theory (and beyond). Contemporary theories of modernity Structuralism, poststructuralism, and postmodern social theory Theories of race and colonialism Globalization theory Science, technology, and nature

Sociological Theory gives readers a comprehensive overview of the major theorists and schools of sociological thought, from sociology's 19th century origins through the early 21st century. Written by an author team that includes one of the leading contemporary thinkers, the text integrates key theories with with biographical sketches of theorists, placing them in historical and intellectual context