ABSTRACT
This chapter identifies and explores the significance of classical social theory, both in terms of its continuing importance in the development of modern social theory as well as to cast light on a range of contemporary social problems and aspects of social work. The chapter explicates and applies the main theoretical concepts of Emile Durkheim, Karl Marx and Max Weber. Durkheim’s emphasis on the constraining role of social structures, Marx’s concept of alienation and Weber’s ideas about the rationalization of modern culture are used to explore a range of issues confronting social workers and service-users in the present day.
