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"Robert K. Merton (1910-2003) was one of the most influential sociologists of the twentieth century, producing clear theories and innovative research that continue to shape multiple disciplines. Merton's reach can be felt in the study of social structure, social psychology, deviance, professions, organizations, culture, and science. Yet for all his fame, Merton is only partially understood. He is treated by scholars as a functional analyst, when in truth his contributions transcend paradigm

Teacher, scholar, and leader, Neil Smelser stands as an iconic figure in sociology in the second half of the twentieth century. The essays in this volume, written by prominent scholars from all walks of the social sciences, reveal the range and depth of Smelser's influence-and his substantial contributions to diverse fields such as British history, social change, collective behavior, higher education, the economy, and psychoanalysis. Contributors: Jeffrey C. Alexander, Nancy J. Chodorow, Burton R. Clark, Yiannis Gabriel, Arlie Russell Hochschild, James M. Jasper, Christian Joppke, Alberto Martinelli, Gary T. Marx, Lyn Spillman, Piotr Sztompka, R. Stephen Warner, Christine L. Williams, Robert Wuthnow, Viviana A. Zelizer

Acknowledgements -- Introduction: in search of sociology -- Problems in search of solutions : science, religion, and education in the -- Progressive era -- Neighborhood settlements : residence, research and reform -- Hull house : feminist pragmatism and the chicago women's school of sociology -- Back of the yards : the university of chicago settlement -- Chicago commons : settlement and social gospel in action -- Boston's south end house : a sociological laboratory -- The college settlements association : breaching gender and class in cities -- Henry street : where health became a public issue -- G greenwich house : the house that mary built -- Recovering a paradigm lost : public sociology then and now -- Appendix a: selected works of the chicago women's school of settlement sociology -- Appendix b: a comparison of some aspects of the urban sociology of south end house and University of Chicago sociologists -- References -- Archival collections -- Other internet resources used -- Index.

This book proposes a reconstruction of contemporary social theory, focusing on thematic issues rather than on authors or schools of thought. In so doing, it endeavours to bridge epistemological approaches and locate critical claims shared by the main trajectories and notions of sociological theoretical debate. The book explores the current forms of social science theorization through the key themes of Agency, Anthropocene, Coloniality, Intersectionality, Othering, Singularization, Technoscience and Uncertainty. Focusing on these key themes, it highlights their usefulness for discussions of inequality, neoliberalism, eurocentrism, androcentrism or anthropocentrism – in order to examine these issues in a new light and look beyond the classic divides of social theory. Intended for an academic audience interested in social theory, scholars and post-graduate students in sociology, social sciences, anthropology, social geography, social psychology and globalization studies will find this book useful.

Throughout their careers, social scientists must come up with compelling research topics, decide when and where to publish, and revise their manuscripts for publication. Despite the importance of these skills, they are seldom if ever addressed in the course of graduate training. Heavy emphasis is placed on conducting research, and other core activities such as teaching also receive attention, yet fundamental academic practices are left almost entirely in the shadows.Practicing Sociology brings together a range of leading sociologists to reflect on their work and demystify this tacit knowledge. In conversational and engaging essays, they provide practical guidance and hard-won wisdom for readers at any stage of their scholarly careers. The book's three sections explore the art of finding new research questions, best practices in publishing, and how to make the most out of the peer review process. Contributors' distinctive voices come through as they recount their frustrations and failures as well as the joys of the sociological craft. They provide a range of perspectives, underscoring that there is no one "right" way to practice sociology but a constellation of different approaches that together give the field its vitality.Practicing Sociology features a team of skilled scholars including Peter Bearman, Paul J. DiMaggio, Wendy Espeland, Marion Fourcade, Shamus Rahman Khan, Eric Klinenberg, Michèle Lamont, Jennifer Lee, Mignon Moore, Mario Small, Duncan Watts, and many more

"This book explores the current forms of social science theorization starting from some federative themes: Agency, Anthropocene, Coloniality, Intersectionality, Othering, Singularization, Technoscience and Uncertainty. The book proposes a reconstruction of contemporary social theory starting from some thematic issues rather than starting from authors or schools of thought. It emphasizes the usefulness of a rhizomatic way of thinking that recognizes the importance of interconnections, heterogeneity and multiplicity in understanding the complexity of global societies. Focusing on federative themes, it highlights some heuristic and conceptual tools that intersect and intertwine in different themes, returning a complex toolbox for the social sciences, adaptable to different contexts and situations, enriched by voices and theoretical perspectives deriving from reflections on the social that the modern and Eurocentric perspective has tended to marginalize. The book is intended for an academic audience interested in social theory. It is also intended for students from a wide range of disciplines undertaking social science studies"--

"Professing Sociology was originally published at a time when sociology commanded widespread interest and public funding. Written by one of the leaders of "the new sociology" of the late sixties, this volume captures the nature and intensity of the field's intellectual foundations and scope. It reveals the field's post-World War II development as a scientific discipline and as a profession, and includes the author's most significant writings on critical trends shaping the field. Irving Louis Horowitz divides the life cycle of sociology into three main sections. The first deals with the inner life of sociology, covering basic theoretical issues uniting and dividing the profession. In a second section, Horowitz shows the institutions and sources from which the struggle of ideas is nourished. A third section shows how political life shapes the inner life of American sociology. Horowitz gives a great deal of attention to international social science, to the relationship of social science to public policy, and to federal projects and grant agencies and their effects on research. Irving Louis Horowitz was undoubtedly influential in shaping his field, and Professing Sociology offers valuable insights into how ideas become part of the fabric of professional life. As the new introduction by Howard G. Schneiderman shows, Professing Sociology provides a clear picture of sociology at the height of its importance."--Provided by publisher.

Social science is a social activity as well as a method of discovery. The researchers' values and politics colour their work and so do their choices of scientific method. This book is about both - the technical effects of values and the political effects of technique. The author reports what social scientists and historians actually do. He sorts out the scientific from the political content in a wide range of old and new work in history, sociology, political science and economics. The overall work is a detailed political and technical criticism of the 'scientistic' programme which would hav.

"Realism and Complexity in Social Science is an argument for a new approach to investigating the social world, that of complex realism. Complex realism brings together a number of strands of thought, in scientific realism, complexity science, probability theory and social research methodology. It proposes that the reality of the social world is that it is probabilistic, yet there exists enough invariance to make the discovery and explanation of social objects and causal mechanisms possible. This forms the basis for the development of a complex realist foundation for social research, that utilises a number of new and novel approaches to investigation, alongside the more traditional corpus of quantitative and qualitative methods. Research examples are drawn from research in sociology, epidemiology, criminology, social policy and human geography. The book assumes no prior knowledge of realism, probability or complexity and in the early chapters, the reader is introduced to these concepts and the arguments against them. Although the book is grounded in philosophical reasoning, this is in a direct and accessible style that will appeal both to social researchers with a methodological interest and philosophers with an interest in social investigation"--

The Routledge Social Science Handbook of AI is a landmark volume providing students and teachers with a comprehensive and accessible guide to the major topics and trends of research in the social sciences of artificial intelligence (AI), as well as surveying how the digital revolution - from supercomputers and social media to advanced automation and robotics - is transforming society, culture, politics and economy. The Handbook provides representative coverage of the full range of social science engagements with the AI revolution, from employment and jobs to education and new digital skills to automated technologies of military warfare and the future of ethics. The reference work is introduced by editor Anthony Elliott, who addresses the question of relationship of social sciences to artificial intelligence, and who surveys various convergences and divergences between contemporary social theory and the digital revolution. The Handbook is exceptionally wide-ranging in span, covering topics all the way from AI technologies in everyday life to single-purpose robots throughout home and work life, and from the mainstreaming of human-machine interfaces to the latest advances in AI, such as the ability to mimic (and improve on) many aspects of human brain function. A unique integration of social science on the one hand and new technologies of artificial intelligence on the other, this Handbook offers readers new ways of understanding the rise of AI and its associated global transformations. Written in a clear and direct style, the Handbook will appeal to a wide undergraduate audience.

Frontmatter -- Contents -- Preface and Acknowledgments -- 1. Some Problems of and Futures for Urban Sociology: Toward a Sociology of Settlements -- 2. The Sociology of Space: A Use-Centered View -- 3. Involuntary Segregation and the Ghetto: Disconnecting Process and Place -- 4. Concentrated Poverty: A Critical Analysis -- 5. Studying the Bottom of American Society -- 6. The Challenge of Multigenerational Poverty -- 7. The Benefits of Poverty -- 8. Superfluous Workers: The Labor Market's Invisible Discards -- 9. Work-Time Reduction: Possibilities and Problems -- 10. Basic Income: A Remedy for a Sick Labor Market? -- 11. Seeking a Political Solution to the Economy's Problems -- 12. High School Economics Texts and the American Economy -- 13. Race as Class -- 14. "Whitening" and the Changing American Racial Hierarchy -- 15. The Moynihan Report and Its Aftermaths: A Critical Analysis -- 16. The Coming Darkness of Late-Generation European-American Ethnicity -- 17. The End of Late-Generation European Ethnicity in America? -- Appendix: Working in Six Research Areas-A Multi-Field Sociological Career