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This paper reviews general aspects of the theory and practice of the sociology of culture. It considers the contributions of mainline sociology, in the analysis of effects, institutions and formations, and relates the emphasis on effects, the selectively smaller emphasis on institutions and the relative neglect of formations to theoretical and methodological assumptions in orthodox sociology. It then considers contributions to the sociology of culture from other disciplines, in the study of traditions and of forms, and in attempts (Lukacs, Goldman, the Frankfurt School) to relate forms to formations. In this connection it reviews selections between orthodox cultural sociology and the theories and practices of formalism and structuralism. Finally, the paper proposes an approach based on recognition of `the materiality of signs' and the consequent recognition of cultural technologies—'sign-systems'—as forms of historical and social relationship and practice.

During the 1995 annual meeting of the American Sociological Association, I presided over a panel discussion on new perspectives in the sociology of culture. Most of the papers are being published in this volume. The contributions by Annie Ruth Leslie and myself are additional papers.

A textbook on the sociology of culture is seen as a way of systematization of knowledge in this branch of sociology and as a didactic mechanism for student learning. The role of such a textbook is analyzed at three levels: 1) the existence of the concept of the textbook that meets the characteristics of the scientific status of sociology of culture; 2) the severity of the problem approach, correlated with the capabilities of the sociology of culture compared to other disciplines and scientific fields studying culture and its various types and forms; 3) the priority of the theoretical or applied aspects of the sociological study of culture. A chronological perspective on the main subject of the article allows to judge about the specifics of the development of sociology of culture as a branch of science, which is reflected in textbooks and teaching materials. On the other hand, this vector points to the potential of each individual tutorial to develop sociological knowledge about the culture. Taken together, these circumstances point to the problematic aspects of conceptualising how the field of sociology and the possibility of teaching this discipline at the University.The article focuses on the understanding of the role of the textbook in the didactic plan, but in the sociology of culture the textbook is considered not only as a way to teach the student, but also as a factor of enriching the field of sociology with new approaches and new knowledge in general. Thus, a textbook on the sociology of culture can be given the status of a scientific publication. Often the textbook at the same time performs a heuristic function, which allows you to realize a rather controversial potential of sectoral sociology more productively among students.

This paper examines recent work in the sociology of culture devoted to providing endogenous explanations of cultural phenomena. The focus is on works that provide cultural explanations of cultural processes, as opposed to the social structural and "production of culture" explanations otherwise predominant in the literature. I examine three distinct approaches: a "post-hermeneutic" approach devoted not to the question of cultural interpretation but to the issue of subjects' manipulation of culture in the quest for meaning; a semiotic approach focused on the mechanics of symbol systems; and an ecological approach that emphasizes the role of competition and niche density in explaining both cultural stasis and change. The three approaches have in common a general lack of interest in traditional conceptions of meaning (verstehen), choosing instead to focus on issues related to the internal structure and dynamics of cultural expression. This marks a new opportunity for synthesis and exploration in a field traditionally devoted to extra-cultural explanation of cultural phenomena. Both endogenous and exogenous explanations are offered for the rise of this new trend in the sociology of culture.

This book explores sociological debates in relation to culture, taste and value. It examines the tensions between formal and substantive rationality; between courses of action which are instrumentally rational and those which are formulated with particular cultural values in mind; between impersonal forces and creative impulses; between the logic of profit and the ambiguity of aesthetics; between a tendency to like what we are trained to like and affective or contrarian impulses. Simon Stewart argues that sociology can contribute to debates about aesthetic value and to an understanding of how people evaluate and seeks to contribute to alternative approaches that draw attention to other values and to other ways of valuing.