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Classical and Contemporary Sociological Theory: Text and Readings
Classical and Contemporary Sociological Theory, Third Edition is a text/reader that introduces students to the ideas and writings of key theorists from sociology’s 19th century founders through the present. Authors Scott Appelrouth and Laura Desfor Edles combine original texts, edited for classroom use, with extensive framing discussions that provide crucial biographical, historical, and theoretical context for readings. The book also provides an overarching scaffolding that students can use to examine, compare, and contrast each theorist’s major themes and concepts. This unique format, combined with frequent use of photos, tables, and diagrams, makes Classical and Contemporary Sociological Theory in the Contemporary Era a lively, engaging, and "student-friendly" introduction to the world of theory.
896 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
July 29, 2016
One of my favorite textbooks from college. Don’t judge.
Reading two chapters out of a textbook might not sound all that impressive, but those two chapters were 84 pages. Teeny tiny font, multiple column textbook pages. I was really busy during the semester I took Sociological Theory in college, so I got to read the assigned pages in this book but precious little else. Most people forget or sell back their textbooks as soon as a class is over, but I’m going to get my several hundred dollars worth, thank you very much.
I started again on this one because
a) Sociological Theory takes up about 1/4 of the Masters program I’m considering and I feel that reading this will help me reach a decision.
b) This textbook has tons of awesome primary sources at the end of each chapter. Essays that I would buy and read anyway.
c) I miss school and reading is my favorite part of school anyway. Unless I decide I’m going to use said Master’s degree, I can learn everything on my own for free.
Chapter 1 was the introduction chapter, which made me feel as if I’d learned almost nothing in school, and Chapter 2 focused on Karl Marx, one of the two most important figures in Classic Sociology. Reading about Marx was a breeze, but reading original Marx (10 essays and excerpts) when your brain is mostly taken up with keeping Etsy orders straight and talking to children all day is a giant feat. I read those in the few solitary moments this month when my brain was fully functioning. Yay for brain push ups.
Reading two chapters out of a textbook might not sound all that impressive, but those two chapters were 84 pages. Teeny tiny font, multiple column textbook pages. I was really busy during the semester I took Sociological Theory in college, so I got to read the assigned pages in this book but precious little else. Most people forget or sell back their textbooks as soon as a class is over, but I’m going to get my several hundred dollars worth, thank you very much.
I started again on this one because
a) Sociological Theory takes up about 1/4 of the Masters program I’m considering and I feel that reading this will help me reach a decision.
b) This textbook has tons of awesome primary sources at the end of each chapter. Essays that I would buy and read anyway.
c) I miss school and reading is my favorite part of school anyway. Unless I decide I’m going to use said Master’s degree, I can learn everything on my own for free.
Chapter 1 was the introduction chapter, which made me feel as if I’d learned almost nothing in school, and Chapter 2 focused on Karl Marx, one of the two most important figures in Classic Sociology. Reading about Marx was a breeze, but reading original Marx (10 essays and excerpts) when your brain is mostly taken up with keeping Etsy orders straight and talking to children all day is a giant feat. I read those in the few solitary moments this month when my brain was fully functioning. Yay for brain push ups.
May 2, 2012
This is a really great textbook and the selections are a good overview of theory. I have a copy printed in 2008 but it looks like this edition. Other than leaving out some contemporary theorists, I thought it was great. For example, I'd have liked to see C. Wright Mills. He is mentioned a few times and it even notes that some considered him "the greatest sociologist the United States has ever produced", but no excerpts from his texts are there! What's up with that?
October 5, 2011
For a textbook, I actually think this is a good one. They provide a nice synopsis of the theories and then provide select readings of original works. A great upper level undergraduate text for sociological theory. Though there are some theorists I wish they would have included like DuBois, I do like the selection of theorists they have chosen.
July 23, 2019
I chose this text for my Development of Social Thought (Sociological Theory by a less scary name) course last Fall. Absolutely loved it. Not only does it have a range of selections from important primary texts with tons of citations and further reading suggestions, but the authors provide substantial information about each theory, theorist, and reading. The action/order metatheoretical framework was extremely useful in locating theorists, theories, and concepts in relation to one another. I read every page of it, even re-read pieces I'd read before. I haven't read a lot of theory since grad school, so reading this to develop a theory course was pure bliss.
Students found the book challenging, yet engaging. There are more basic theory books on the market, and this one was dense enough for grad students, so I'm really proud of my undergrads. They especially enjoyed the extra information about theories, theorists, and readings that the authors present, and reported that the metatheoretical framework was useful for them too (though some never quite grasped its abstraction).
The book is huge already, but a couple improvements would be more recent pieces (there is little from the last few decades), and in so doing, more pieces by and about minority writers (women, people of color, indigenous theorists, LGBTQ sociologists, etc.). Like I said, the book is huge already, and what it does it does beautifully. There are other books focusing on other bodies of theory, and I understand that this one has incorporated some of these things over the editions. A+, will use again next time I teach theory. Oh also, another I used for personal reference and pulled a couple extra readings from was Social Theory Re-Wired, which I will review once I finish reading the pieces in there!
Students found the book challenging, yet engaging. There are more basic theory books on the market, and this one was dense enough for grad students, so I'm really proud of my undergrads. They especially enjoyed the extra information about theories, theorists, and readings that the authors present, and reported that the metatheoretical framework was useful for them too (though some never quite grasped its abstraction).
The book is huge already, but a couple improvements would be more recent pieces (there is little from the last few decades), and in so doing, more pieces by and about minority writers (women, people of color, indigenous theorists, LGBTQ sociologists, etc.). Like I said, the book is huge already, and what it does it does beautifully. There are other books focusing on other bodies of theory, and I understand that this one has incorporated some of these things over the editions. A+, will use again next time I teach theory. Oh also, another I used for personal reference and pulled a couple extra readings from was Social Theory Re-Wired, which I will review once I finish reading the pieces in there!
February 6, 2025
Personally, I hated this book at the start. By start, I mean I failed this class four times and I needed to complete this class in order to graduate. It was a required class, which required me to read this book four fucking times. However, I genuinely started to enjoy it and (somehow) loved it. Why did I love it? Sort of a tricky question to answer, but truthfully, it gave a lot of perspective in the nuance of sociology and learning about the different schools of thought in classic and contemporary sociology that create the foundations of what sociology is. I would’ve never been able to get my degree if I had never read this book and fully grasped understanding it.
Without reading this book, I would never have been able to also complete a research study that was required to graduate. In which I had to write on which school of thought and who applied best to the theory that I was working with in my research study.
While the book is long (and somewhat expensive), it definitely has a lot of information that’s important to understanding sociology. I.E, it gives a huge understanding about the different sociologist of the times, their understandings and its future theoretical ideas to apply to other also important sociologists.
Now more than likely, you don’t need four semesters or two years to fully understand this book. However, for me, I apparently did.
In any-case, S tier book for understanding sociology.
Without reading this book, I would never have been able to also complete a research study that was required to graduate. In which I had to write on which school of thought and who applied best to the theory that I was working with in my research study.
While the book is long (and somewhat expensive), it definitely has a lot of information that’s important to understanding sociology. I.E, it gives a huge understanding about the different sociologist of the times, their understandings and its future theoretical ideas to apply to other also important sociologists.
Now more than likely, you don’t need four semesters or two years to fully understand this book. However, for me, I apparently did.
In any-case, S tier book for understanding sociology.
November 29, 2017
Definitely one of the better theory textbooks I have had to read. I wasn't super impressed with some of the original scriptures. However, the introduction pieces from Appelrouth and Edles were well done. It was very clear and used great examples to which most readers should understand the main themes and ideas the original texts presents.
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December 13, 2021Read as part of a Social Theory class.
October 31, 2023
Beast of a book, huge pool of knowledge and metatheories with a huge variation of eminent sociologists!
Read
October 19, 2024En gång aldrig igen
December 29, 2025
I enjoyed the framework this text used. Glad to have the hard copy for my Theory class!
December 20, 2015
I really enjoyed this text. The summaries coupled with some of the original sociological texts provided a helpful format for gaining a better grasp on the subject matter. While some students find this text too grueling, I would highly recommend it.
November 4, 2010
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH Theory
February 2, 2013
Fundamental. I re-read certain passages from time to time.
December 4, 2015
recommended for anyone who wants to get a start in sociology. it helped me a lot during my master as a social theory course was compulsory and i didn't have a background in sociological theory.
December 21, 2016
Very complete, makes it hard to distinguish relations between subjects and authors, though
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews