ABSTRACT

Professor John Rex was one of Britain’s most eminent sociologists, and a teacher of a whole generation of sociology students. In this book he presents a stimulating introduction to the major issues of sociological theory and gives an account of the perspective which has informed his thinking and writing. He deals with the objectives of sociological investigation, the methods it uses and how in these respects it resembles or differs from natural science and history. He goes on to discuss the work of Weber, Durkheim, Marx, Engels, Mills and other important theorists, and concludes with a convincing demonstration of the continuing relevance of the Weberian tradition to the study of sociology.

part I|88 pages

Sociology and the layman

chapter 1|8 pages

Towards a significant sociology

chapter 2|18 pages

The uses of social statistics

chapter 3|7 pages

The need for theory

chapter 4|8 pages

Understanding and sociological theory

chapter 5|12 pages

Types of sociological theory in Britain

chapter 6|17 pages

The main types of sociological theory

chapter 7|8 pages

Institutions and men

chapter 8|8 pages

The likely future of British sociology

part II|96 pages

The grand masters of sociology

chapter 10|8 pages

Max Weber

chapter 11|7 pages

Emile Durkheim

chapter 12|23 pages

Karl Marx, speaking for himself

chapter 13|9 pages

Marx and Malinowski

chapter 14|7 pages

Friedrich Engels

chapter 15|7 pages

C. Wright Mills

part III|78 pages

Theoretical themes and contemporary sociology