Description
Book SynopsisMacrosociology – the study of large-scale social structures andthe fundamental principles of social organization – was the styleof sociology practiced by the founders of the discipline. Today, thesocial theories of Karl Marx, Max Weber, Émile Durkheim, and HerbertSpencer (among others) are commonly studied as part of the history ofthe field, but the macrosociological approach no longer dominates thediscipline.
Sociocultural Systems aims to reinstatemacrosciology as the heart of the discipline by demonstrating that bothclassical and contemporary macrosociologists stand upon common ground.
Sociocultural Systems provides a critical understanding ofsocial institutions and issues while also furnishing a framework forpossible solutions to the perennial social crises that are part andparcel of the development of human societies.
Table of ContentsAcknowledgements- xi
Preface- xiii
Introduction- 3
1. Principles of Macrosociology- 7
2. Materialism in Macrosociology- 37
3. Evolutionism in the Work of the Founders- 67
4. Contemporary Social Evolution- 91
5. Bureaucratization- 125
6. Capital- 155
7. The State- 193
8. Rationalization- 221
9. The System- 239
A Glossary of Sociology- 265
Notes- 343
References- 365
Index- 371
