Table of Contents

Introduction
The Theoretical Self
Functionalist Perspectives
Theorizing Systems and Structures
Marxism
Theorizing Capitalism - Debates and Developments
The Action Perspectives
Theorizing Social Action and Self
Feminist Approaches
Theorizing Patriarchy and Oppression
Anthony Giddens
Theorizing Agency and Structure
Postmodernism
Theorizing Fragmentation and Uncertainty

About the Author

Shaun Best is a Lecturer in the School of Education at the University of Manchester, and author of Understanding Social Divisions, (2005) and A Beginner′s Guide to Social Theory (2003, both SAGE).

Reviews

`This book is accessible, as a beginner′s guide should be, but without an over-simplification of the arguments. It should prove an immensely durable text for generations of students to come′ - John Hughes, Professor of Sociological Analysis, Lancaster University