Society and Its Metaphors: Language, Social Theory and Social Structure

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A&C Black, 2003 M02 1 - 194 pages
Both classical and contemporary social theorists have created a range of frameworks to formulate and develop concepts of social structure. Focusing on the work of the key theorists, Emile Durkheim, Karl Marx, Max Weber, Talcott Parsons and Louis Althusser, Society and its Metaphors maps the linguistic basis of different theories of social structure.
 

Contents

Social Theorizing as a Languageborne Practice
1
Durkheims Structures Writing the Emergence of the Social
20
Marx Labouring for Structure
43
Webers Structures Deferral Rationality and the Heroes of History
67
Parsons Structures Writing Order
90
Althussers Structure The Epistemological Obstacle of Complexity
115
Reading Texts Writing Theory Against the Illusion of Transparency
138
Notes
153
References
172
Index
184
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About the author (2003)

José López is Lecturer in Sociology and Social Policy at the University of Nottingham.

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