Description
Book SynopsisTalcott Parsons Today offers a reappraisaland extensionof the work of the most significant and influential twentieth-century sociologist. The volume consists of original essays by prominent Parsons scholars from the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Germany. Finally, and most important, it makes a significant contribution to the current controversy surrounding an important sociological figure. The book consists of 10 essays, nine of which are original pieces; all are written by well-known scholars who are intimately acquainted with Parsons'' body of work.
Trade ReviewThe contributors to Talcott Parsons Today include most of the finest Parsons scholars and some of the best sociological theorists in the world. Written well into the second decade of 'the Parsons revival,' the essays—some historical, some systematic, some critical—reflect a new level of maturity in contemporary thinking about Parsons and his continuing legacy. -- Jeffrey Alexander, Yale University
The examplary contribution of this volume to renewed understanding of a neglected scholar merits its inclusion in the core library of anyone interested in the state of sociological theory. Essential for all collections. * CHOICE *
...the really good essays are uniquely good, and I recommend them to all sociologists who have an interest in theory. -- Harold J. Bershady * American Journal of Sociology *
The ten essays that comprise this unique volume not only testify to the emerging Parsonian renaissance, but also, just as importantly, constitute a significant stimulant for sociological theorizing in the new decade. Particularly relevant are those essays that bring out the richness of the later and lesser studied writings of Parsons. -- Edward A. Tiryakian, Duke University
Table of ContentsChapter 1 Foreword Chapter 2 Introduction: the Theory and Legacy of Talcott Parsons Chapter 3 Parsons and Simmel at Harvard: Scientific Paradigms and Organizational Culture Chapter 4 The Place of Max Weber in the Post-Structure Writings of Talcott Parsons Chapter 5 Elias and Parsons: Two Transformations of the Problem-Historical Method Chapter 6 Parson's Second Project: The Social System - Sources, Development and Limitations Chapter 7 Social Systems and Complexity Theory Chapter 8 Can Functionalism Be Saved? Chapter 9 Networks and Systems Chapter 10 Language and the "Family" or Generalized Symbolic Media Chapter 11 Parsons's Analysis of the Societal Community Chapter 12 Empirical Sociological Theory and the Resolution of Normative Dilemmas Chapter 13 Index
