The Social Lens

Kenneth Allan received his PhD in sociology from the University of California, Riverside (1995), and is currently professor of Sociology at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG). Before moving to UNCG, he directed the Teaching Assistant Development Program at the University of California, Riverside, and coedited Training Teaching Assistants, 2nd Edition (1997), published by the American Sociological Association. In addition to teaching classical and contemporary theory at UNCG, Allan also supervised UNCG’s sociology iSchool program, which offered online introduction to sociology classes to high school students across North Carolina, has designed several online courses for both the college and department, and has regularly taught graduate pedagogy courses. Allan’s research areas include theory, culture, and the self. He has authored several works in the area of theory, including multiple textbooks covering classical and contemporary theory, as well as The Meaning of Culture: Moving the Postmodern Critique Forward, and A Primer in Social and Sociological Theory: Toward a Sociology of Citizenship. His current projects include a social history of American individualism, a sociological analysis of consciousness and self, as well as a novel based in early 20th century American life.

• Part I: Modernity and the Sociological ResponseChapter 1. On TheoryA Lesson From HistoryCritical Thinking and TheoryTheory in BriefBuilding Your Theory ToolboxChapter 2. The Evolution of Society: Herbert Spencer (1820-1903)Theorist′s DigestThe Life and Times of Herbert SpencerConcepts and Theory: Social EvolutionConcepts and Theory: Social InstitutionsSummaryBuilding Your Theory ToolboxChapter 3. Contradictions in Capitalism: Karl Marx (1818-1883)Theorist′s DigestThe Life and Times of Karl MarxConcepts and Theory: Human Nature and HistoryConcepts and Theory: Contradictions in CapitalismConcepts and Theory: The Problem of ConsciousnessSummaryBuilding Your Theory ToolboxChapter 4. The Irrationality of Rationality: Max Weber (1864-1920)Theorist′s DigestThe Life and Times of Max WeberConcepts and Theory: The Rationalization of Society--ReligionConcepts and Theory: The Rationalization of Society--CapitalismConcepts and Theory: The Rationalization of Society--BureaucracyConcepts and Theory: Class, Authority, and Social ChangeSummaryBuilding Your Theory ToolboxChapter 5. The Problem With Diversity: Emile Durkheim (1858-1917)Theorist′s DigestThe Life and Times of Emile DurkheimConcepts and Theory: Religious Roots of SocietyConcepts and Theory: Social Diversity and MoralityConcepts and Theory: Individualism in Modern SocietySummaryBuilding Your Theory ToolboxChapter 6. The Modern Person: George Herbert Mead and Georg SimmelGeorge Herbert Mead (1863-1931)Theorist′s DigestConcepts and Theory: Truth, Meaning, and ActionConcepts and Theory: Meaning and InteractionConcepts and Theory: Making YourselfSummaryGeorg Simmel (1858-1918)Theorist′s DigestConcepts and Theory: The Individual in SocietyConcepts and Theory: The Self in the CitySummaryBuilding Your Theory ToolboxChapter 7. The Challenges of Gender and Race: Charlotte Perkins Gilman and W. E. B. Du BoisCharlotte Perkins Gilman (1860-1935)Theorist′s DigestConcepts and Theory: The Social Evolution of GenderSummaryW. E. B. Du Bois (1868-1963)Theorist′s DigestConcepts and Theory: Cultural OppressionConcepts and Theory: The Dark Nations and World CapitalismSummaryBuilding Your Theory ToolboxPart II: Contemporary Sociological TheoryChapter 8. Structural Functionalism: Talcott Parsons, Robert K. Merton, and Jeffrey C. AlexanderSocial Systems: Talcott ParsonsTheorist′s DigestConcepts and Theory: Making the Social SystemConcepts and Theory: System Functions and ControlSummaryUnanticipated Consequences and Ambivalence: Robert K. MertonTheorist′s DigestConcepts and Theory: Critiquing Parsons′ FunctionalismConcepts and Theory: Dynamic FunctionalismSummaryDemocracy and Civil Society: Jeffrey C. AlexanderTheorist′s DigestConcepts and Theory: The New Civil SphereConcepts and Theory: Civil InstitutionsConcepts and Theory: Civil Society OutcomesSummaryBuilding Your Theory ToolboxChapter 9. Conflict Theory: Lewis Coser, Ralf Dahrendorf, and Randall CollinsThe Functional Consequences of Conflict: Lewis CoserTheorist′s DigestConcepts and Theory: Variation in ConflictConcepts and Theory: The Integrating Forces of ConflictSummaryPower and Dialectical Change: Ralf DahrendorfTheorist′s DigestConcepts and Theory: Power and Group InterestsConcepts and Theory: Conditions of Conflict and Social ChangeSummaryEmotion and the World in Conflict: Randall CollinsTheorist′s DigestConcepts and Theory: Four Main Points in Conflict SociologyConcepts and Theory: GeopoliticsSummaryBuilding Your Theory ToolboxChapter 10: What Happened to Class? Erik Olin Wright, Daniel Bell, and Pierre BourdieuMaking Class Count: Erik Olin WrightTheorist′s DigestConcepts and Theory: Analytical MarxismConcepts and Theory: Specifying ClassSummaryPostindustrial Society: Daniel BellTheorist′s DigestConcepts and Theory: Rethinking SocietyConcepts and Theory: The Decline of ClassConcepts and Theory: Polity and CultureSummaryEmbodying Class: Pierre BourdieuTheorist′s DigestConcepts and Theory: Structuring ClassConcepts and Theory: Replicating ClassSummaryBuilding Your Theory ToolboxChapter 11. Structures of Racial and Gender Inequality: William Julius Wilson and Janet Saltzman ChafetzThe Declining Significance of Race: William Julius WilsonTheorist′s DigestConcepts and Theory: American Racial HistoryConcepts and Theory: Policy ImplicationsSummaryStructures of Gender Inequality: Janet Saltzman ChafetzTheorist′s DigestConcepts and Theory: Coercive Structures of Gender InequalityConcepts and Theory: Changing Gender InequalitySummaryBuilding Your Theory ToolboxChapter 12. Exchange Theory: George Homans, Peter Blau, and Randall CollinsElementary Forms of Social Behavior: George HomansTheorist′s DigestConcepts and Theory: Basic Principles of Behavioral PsychologySummarySocial Exchanges and Power: Peter BlauTheorist′s DigestConcepts and Theory: Social ExchangesConcepts and Theory: Creating Power and Social StructuresSummaryRitualized Exchanges: Randall CollinsTheorist′s DigestConcepts and Theory: Emotion--The Generalized Media of ExchangeConcepts and Theory: Interaction Ritual Chains (IRCs)Concepts and Theory: The Ritualized Production of StratificationSummaryBuilding Your Theory ToolboxChapter 13. Self and Situation: Erving Goffman, R. S. Perinbanayagam, and Harold GarfinkelManaging Your Self-Image: Erving GoffmanTheorist′s DigestConcepts and Theory: Impression ManagementConcepts and Theory: Frames and KeysSummaryThe Language of the Self: R. S. PerinbanayagamTheorist′s DigestConcepts and Theory: Dialogic Acts and AgencyConcepts and Theory: Language of IdentitySummaryOrganizing Ordinary Life: Harold GarfinkelTheorist′s DigestConcepts and Theory: Everyday Social Order as an AccomplishmentConcepts and Theory: Doing Society--ReflexivelySummaryBuilding Your Theory ToolboxPart III: Contemporary New Visions and CritiquesChapter 14. Problems in Modernity: Jurgen Habermas and Anthony GiddensDemocracy in Danger: Jurgen HabermasTheorist′s DigestConcepts and Theory: Capitalism and LegitimationConcepts and Theory: The Colonization of DemocracyConcepts and Theory: Communicative Action and Civil SocietySummaryRunaway Modernity: Anthony GiddensTheorist′s DigestConcepts and Theory: The Dynamics of ModernityConcepts and Theory: The Experience of ModernitySummaryBuilding Your Theory ToolboxChapter 15. Globalizing Systems: Immanuel Wallerstein and Manuel CastellsGlobal Capitalism: Immanuel WallersteinTheorist′s DigestConcepts and Theory: The Dialectics of CapitalismConcepts and Theory: The End of the World as We Know ItSummaryThe Network Society: Manuel CastellsTheorist′s DigestConcepts and Theory: Information TechnologyConcepts and Theory: Networks, Identities, and DemocracySummaryBuilding Your Theory ToolboxChapter 16. Upsetting Reality: Michel Foucault and Jean BaudrillardDefining the Possible and Impossible: Michel FoucaultTheorist′s DigestConcepts and Theory: The Truth About TruthConcepts and Theory: The Practices of PowerConcepts and Theory: Disciplining the BodySummaryThe End of Everything: Jean BaudrillardTheorist′s DigestConcepts and Theory: Mediating the WorldConcepts and Theory: Losing the WorldConcepts and Theory: The Postmodern PersonSummaryBuilding Your Theory ToolboxChapter 17. Politics of Identity: Dorothy E. Smith, Patricia Hill Collins, and Cornel WestGendered Consciousness: Dorothy E. SmithTheorist′s DigestConcepts and Theory: The Problem With FactsConcepts and Theory: The Standpoint of WomenSummaryRace and Matrices of Domination: Patricia Hill CollinsTheorist′s DigestConcepts and Theory: The Standpoint of Black WomenConcepts and Theory: Intersectionality and Matrices of DominationSummaryRace and Democracy: Cornel WestTheorist′s DigestConcepts and Theory: Black Existence in AmericaConcepts and Theory: The Post-Democratic AgeSummaryBuilding Your Theory ToolboxReferencesIndexAbout the Author