Key Problems of Sociological Theory. Reprint. (First published 1961).

IX, 194 Seiten. Originalkarton. Einband etwas berieben. - All truly sociological research must employ theory of some sort and it is argued that much contemporary research is either not sociological at all, or that it implicitly employs ill-considered and badly formulated theory. In this book some of the major sorts of theoretical model employed by sociologists are discussed, especially the 'functionalist' models of the social anthropologists and theories of social action. Sociological theories are criticized as being formal and static and an attempt is made to outline an alternative type. The crucial point about this type of theory is that it refers to the ends served by social systems. Once these ends are exposed, there is an adequate basis not merely for a theory of stable social systems but for one of conflict and change. The final chapters are devoted to a discussion of the verifiability of sociological models of this kind and their applicability in various areas of social research.