Sociocultural Systems: Principles of Structure and Change

by Frank W. Elwell

Overview

Macrosociology – the study of large-scale social structures and the fundamental principles of social organization – was the style of sociology practiced by the founders of the discipline. Today, the social theories of Karl Marx, Max Weber, Émile Durkheim, and Herbert Spencer (among others) are commonly studied as part of the history of the field, but the macrosociological approach no longer dominates the discipline. Sociocultural Systems aims to reinstate macrosciology as the heart of the discipline by demonstrating that both classical and contemporary macrosociologists stand upon common ground. Sociocultural Systems provides a critical understanding of social institutions and issues while also furnishing a framework for possible solutions to the perennial social crises that are part and parcel of the development of human societies.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781927356203
Publisher:	University of British Columbia Press
Publication date:	05/15/2013
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	260
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.10(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Frank W. Elwell is professor of sociology at Rogers State University in Oklahoma. He is the author of Sociocultural Systems: Principles of Structure and Change, among several other works.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements xi

Preface xiii

Introduction 3

1 Principles of Macrosociology 7

2 Materialism in Macrosociology 37

3 Evolutionism in the Work of the Founders 67

4 Contemporary Social Evolution 91

5 Bureaucratization 125

6 Capital 155

7 The State 193

8 Rationalization 221

9 The System 239

A Glossary of Sociology 265

Notes 343

References 365

Index 371