Classical Social Theory in Use: Interpretation and Application for Educators and Other Non-Specialists (Hc)

This book provides an introduction to classical social theory through
discussion, application, and synthesis of the work of Karl Marx, Emile
Durkheim, and George Herbert Mead. Rather than merely summarizing and
evaluating their continuing influence, their ideas and ways of reasoning are
applied in thoroughly developed fashion to contemporary issues and
historical events of enduring importance. In the process, contributions of
these three very different authors are used to complement each other and are
eventually synthesized, making clear that they can be melded into one multilevel, even if tentative and
rudimentary, theoretical perspective. The book is intended to systematically and compactly introduce the most
useful concepts of the three classical theorists. However, new concepts are typically introduced as part of the
narrative, rather than in box-text definitional fashion. This is consistent with the books primary purpose: to
enable the reader to begin to think like Marx, Durkheim, and Mead, especially insofar as their work can be
synthesized into one point of view, dealing with inter-related macro-level, middle range, and micro-level social
phenomena. The section on Marx will be longer than the sections on Durkheim and Mead. In part, the length of
the discussion of Marx's work is due to use of this section to begin introducing pertinent ideas of Durkheim and
Mead.