Sociological Theory in the Classical Era: Text and Readings

Trained at UCLA and at NYU respectively, Laura Desfor Edles and Scott Appelrouth were frustrated by their inability to find a sociological theory text that could inspire enthusiasm in undergraduate students while providing them with analytical tools for understanding theory and exposing them to original writings from pivotal theorists. They developed this widely used text/reader to fill that need.

This affordable text/reader hybrid introduces students to original major writings from sociology's key classical theorists as well as from a variety of other voices, and also provides a helpful theoretical and historical framework, written by the editors, with which to understand those often intimidating readings. In addition to presenting a unique format, this book is one of the only theory texts to feature photos and diagrams, making it even more student friendly.

New and Retained Features

• The book’s praised text/reader format provides students with the interpretive and analytical guidance necessary to interpret the included original readings.
• The book is updated throughout, with new readings added to the Weber, Marx, and Durkheim chapters.
• A theoretical framework presented in Chapter 1 gives students a visual means to understand the theorists and perspectives that follow.
• Theoretical Orientation Diagrams and Core Concepts Diagrams, now even more visually appealing, show students how to fit the theorist under study into the broader universe of social theory.
• “Significant Others” boxes, including 5 new ones, provide information on theorists who may have followed and derived much of their own perspective from the major theorists featured in each chapter.
• The ends of chapters include even more discussion questions in this edition.
• Unlike other texts, each chapter includes photos of theorists and of the historical milieu from which the theories arose, along with applications to contemporary scenes. In particular, the Du Bois chapter includes a new photo of President Obama.

Ancillaries

• Password-protected instructor resources, new to this edition, are available at www.pineforge.com/edles2einstr and include test questions and PowerPoint slides for each chapter.

Intended Audience

This text is intended for Classical Sociological Theory or Sociological Theory courses in sociology departments at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Laura Desfor Edles (PhD, University of California, Los Angeles, 1990) is Professor of Sociology at California State University, Northridge. She is the author of Symbol and Ritual in the New Spain: The Transition to Democracy after Franco (1998) and Cultural Sociology in Practice (2002), as well as various articles on culture, theory, race/ethnicity, and social movements.

Scott Appelrouth (PhD, New York University, 2000) is Professor at California State University, Northridge. His interests include sociological theory, cultural sociology, and social movements. He has taught classical and contemporary theory at both the graduate and undergraduate levels, and has published several articles in research- and teaching-oriented journals on social movements, theory, and the controversies over jazz during the
1920s and rap during the 1980s. His current research focuses on political discourse in American party platforms.