Description
Book SynopsisThis important Manifesto argues that we still need a concept of society in order to make sense of the forces which structure our lives.
Trade Review"Written with the author’s customary elegance and economy, this book invites us to take the concept of society seriously and to think about its future. This is a splendid and spirited work which will provoke a necessary debate."
Krishan Kumar, University of Virginia
“An original, challenging, and timely defense of the concept of society, this is an excellent introduction to contemporary sources and debates.” David Frisby, London School of Economics
“A subtle defense of the concept of ‘society’ in the third millennium. Outhwaite convincingly undermines zero-sum thinking about the emergence of global society.” Margaret S. Archer, University of Warwick
Table of ContentsPreface.
1. The Origins of ‘Society’.
Part I: Critiques of Society.
2. Society and the Individual: Neoliberalism, Social Constructionism and Communitarianism.
3. Postmodernism.
4. Globalisation.
Part II: Reconstructing Society.
5. Modernity and Society.
6. Towards a Synthesis? Theory and Metatheory.
Part III: Implications.
7. Society Lite? Theories of Civil Society.
8. Is There a European Society?.
Postscript: A Defensible Concept of ‘Society’.
Notes.
Bibliography.
Index
