Social Theory and Modern Sociology

The author addresses a range of issues concerning current developments in social theory, relating them to the prospects for sociology in the closing decades of the twentieth century. Composed of closely integrated papers, all written over the past four years, the book includes seven essays not previously published, plus two that have not before appeared in English. Those looking for an accessible introduction to Giddens's writings should find in this book a set of clear expositions of his basic ideas. By situating these ideas in relation to the critical assessment of the views of others, however, the author provides new sources of insight into the distinctiveness of his own claims.