Social Theory A guide to central thinkers

'An alluvial goldfield of social theorists - nuggets lying around all over the place.'

Bob Connell

Who's who in the social theory zoo? This book introduces some of the leading social theorists in short, lively entries by leading Australian scholars. Social Theory covers thinkers from Althusser to Williams, by locals from Alexander to Yeatman.

For beginner and enthusiast alike, it gives a sense of the state of the art in classical and modern social theory.

Social Theory is an indispensable reference for undergraduates, postgraduates, academics and anyone else interested in the ideas behind social and political theory and cultural studies today.

Preface

Introduction

1 Louis Althusser

2 American and British feminisms

3 Hannah Arendt

4 Pierre Bourdieu

5 Cornelius Castoriadis

6 Jacques Derrida

7 Louis Dumont

8 Emile Durkheim

9 Norbert Elias

10 Michel Foucault

11 The Frankfurt School

12 French feminisms

13 Sigmund Freud

14 Anthony Giddens

15 Antonio Gramsci

16 Jurgen Habermas

17 Agnes Heller

18 Julia Kristeva

19 Jacques Lacan

20 Claude Levi-Strauss

21 Karl Marx

22 Friedrich Nietzsche

23 Talcott Parsons

24 Carole Pateman

25 Jeremy Seabrook

26 Georg Simmel

27 Alain Touraine

28 Immanuel Wallerstein

29 Max Weber

30 Raymond Williams

Peter Beilharz is a lecturer in the Department of Sociology at La Trobe University, Melbourne, co-founder and co-editor of the political and social theory journal Thesis Eleven and co-author of Arguing about the Welfare State.