Details

<p>Preface vii</p> <p>Acknowledgments x</p> <p>Introduction 1</p> <p><b>Part I The Rise of the Classical Tradition 7</b></p> <p>Introduction to Part I 9</p> <p>1 The Idea of a Science of Society: The Enlightenment and Auguste Comte 11</p> <p>2 The Revolutionary Theory of Karl Marx 22</p> <p>3 The Promise of Sociology: Emile Durkheim 36</p> <p>4 The Ironic Social Theory of Max Weber 48</p> <p>Afterword to Part I 61</p> <p><b>Part II Rethinking the Classical Tradition: American Sociology 65</b></p> <p>Introduction to Part II 67</p> <p>5 The Grand Theory of Talcott Parsons, Peter Berger, and Thomas Luckmann 70</p> <p>6 The Scientific Theory of Randall Collins and Peter Blau 86</p> <p>7 The Moral Sociology of C. Wright Mills and Robert Bellah 97</p> <p>Afterword to Part II 113</p> <p><b>Part III Rethinking the Classical Tradition: European Theory 115</b></p> <p>Introduction to Part III 117</p> <p>8 The Critical Theory of Jürgen Habermas 119</p> <p>9 Stuart Hall and British Cultural Studies 132</p> <p>10 The Critical Sociology of Anthony Giddens and Pierre Bourdieu 140</p> <p>Afterword to Part III 152</p> <p><b>Part IV Revisions and Revolts: The Postmodern Turn 155</b></p> <p>Introduction to Part IV 157</p> <p>11 The Postmodern World of Jacques Derrida, Jean-François Lyotard, and Jean Baudrillard 159</p> <p>12 Michel Foucault’s Disciplinary Society 175</p> <p>13 Zygmunt Bauman’s Sociology of Postmodernity 188</p> <p>Afterword to Part IV 197</p> <p><b>Part V Revisions and Revolts: Identity Politics and Theory 201</b></p> <p>Introduction to Part V 203</p> <p>14 Feminist Theory/Masculinity Studies 205</p> <p>15 Critical Race Theory/White Studies 226</p> <p>16 Lesbian, Gay, and Queer Theory/Heterosexual Studies 239</p> <p>17 Colonial Discourse Studies 254</p> <p>Afterword to Part V 263</p> <p><b>Part VI Revisions and Revolts: Theories of World Order 267</b></p> <p>Introduction to Part VI 269</p> <p>18 From Nation to Globe: David Held and Mary Kaldor 271</p> <p>19 Global Capitalism: Immanuel Wallerstein and Manuel Castells 281</p> <p>20 The Return of Empire? Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri, David Harvey and Michael Mann 290</p> <p>Afterword to Part VI 300</p> <p><b>Part VII The Rise of Postdisciplinary Theory 303</b></p> <p>Introduction to Part VII 305</p> <p>21 Theorizing Postcolonial Nationalism: A Case of “Domain” Theorizing 308</p> <p>22 Jeffrey Alexander: Reconstructing Democratic Theory in an Age of Disillusionment 320</p> <p>23 Nancy Fraser: The Case for Radical Democracy 331</p> <p>Afterword to Part VII 341</p> <p>Index 344</p>

<p><b>STEVEN SEIDMAN</b> is Professor of Sociology at the State University of New York at Albany. He is the author and editor of a number of books including <i>Liberalism and the Origins of European Social Theory, The Postmodern Turn, Queer Theory/Sociology, The New Social Theory Reader</i> (with Jeffrey Alexander), and <i>Intimacies</i>.

<p><b>CONTESTED KNOWLEDGE</b></br> SOCIAL THEORY TODAY <p>SIXTH EDITION <p><b>Praise for previous edition</b> <p>"In this tour de force, Steven Seidman surveys social theory from Auguste Comte to Zygmunt Bauman via feminism, world systems theory, queer theory, post-colonialism and much more. It is not just a survey, but rather a plea for a public sociology that is relevant, committed and morally challenging. In a style of writing that is at once direct, personal and engaging, Seidman provides a penetrating overview of the state of sociology that is critical but optimistic. Contested Knowledge now in its fifth edition gets better with age."</br> <b>Bryan S. Turner, <i>The City University of New York</i></b> <p>"In his spirited defense of theory as a moral enterprise, Steven Seidman offers insightful, penetrating, critical, but always fair assessments of the theoretical contributions of a wide range of theorists past and present.... Written with an enviable clarity, in a style that is at once lucid and engaging."</br> <b>Peter Kivisto, <i>Augustana College and University of Turku</i></b> <p>In the new 6th Edition of Contested Knowledge, renowned social theorist Steven Seidman addresses the current shift of the great 'universalist theorists' represented by Habermas, Foucault, Baudrillard, and Bourdieu, to networks of clustered debates responding to issues such as citizenship, performativity, nationalism, globalization, cosmopolitanism, and queer life. Seidman focuses on discussions of three distinct clustered debates in social theory—intimacy, postcolonial nationalism, and the concept of 'the other'—and offers insights into new frontiers precipitated by the emergence of a globalized world. Amongst further revisions, this edition provides an updated case study on the rise of Postdisciplinary theory by examining the theories of Jeffrey Alexander and Nancy Fraser.

<p><b>Praise for previous edition:</b></p> <p>“In this tour de force, Steven Seidman surveys social theory from Auguste Comte to Zygmunt Bauman via feminism, world systems theory, queer theory, post-colonialism and much more. It is not just a survey, but rather a plea for a public sociology that is relevant, committed and morally challenging. In a style of writing that is at once direct, personal and engaging, Seidman provides a penetrating overview of the state of sociology that is critical but optimistic. Contested Knowledge now in its fifth edition gets better with age.”</p> <p><b>Bryan S. Turner, <i>The City University of New York</i></b> </p> <p>“In his spirited defense of theory as a moral enterprise, Steven Seidman offers insightful, penetrating, critical, but always fair assessments of the theoretical contributions of a wide range of theorists past and present.... Written with an enviable clarity, in a style that is at once lucid and engaging."</p> <p><b>Peter Kivisto, <i>Augustana College and University of Turku</i></b></p>

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