ABSTRACT
Drawing on the work of Gadamer, the book demonstrates that a sociology which focuses on social relations does not imply a return to idealism, nor a retreat into individualism, nor a rejection of critique. Rather, a hermeneutic sociology which prioritises human social relations is the only coherent paradigm which is available today. The author argues that sociologists studying the dramatic social transformations which are currently occuring should focus on social relations between humans; they should not attempt to understand contemporary changes in terms of structure and agency.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
part |85 pages
Contemporary Social Theory
chapter |17 pages
Structure and Agency
chapter |19 pages
The Relevance of Parsons
chapter |29 pages
Structure, Habitus, Discourse
chapter |18 pages
The Reality of Realism
part |75 pages
Classical Sociology
chapter |18 pages
Hegel and the Concept of Geist
chapter |15 pages
From Praxis to Historical Materialism
chapter |18 pages
Status Groups and the Protestant Ethic
chapter |22 pages
Society and Ritual
part |76 pages
Towards a Hermeneutic Sociology