Essays in sociological theory
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| Essays in sociological theory - Talcott Parsons |
this volume of essays appeared in 1949. In the introduction written at that time, it seemed appropriate to say that it brought together work done by the author since the publication of his book. The Structure of Social Action in 1937.
In preparing a new edition, the Free Press and the author thought in terms of work which has between the aforementioned book and three new publications in the field of
the general theory which documents a new phase in the development of the author's theoretical thinking.
the general theory which documents a new phase in the development of the author's theoretical thinking.
These are the monograph. Values, Motives and Systems of Action, written in collaboration with Edward A. Shils and published in the volume Toward a General Theory of Action (Harvard University Press, 1951) of which the two of us were co-editors; The Social System (Free Press, 1951); and the collection entitled Working Papers in the Theory of Action (Free Press, 1953), written in collaboration with Robert F. Bales and Edward A. Shils. When the Free Press was considering the present new edition of the Essays, some of the papers printed in the Working Papers were either written or in process.
The question arose as to whether any of these should be included in a new edition of the Essays, but at the time it seemed advisable to reserve all theoretical work done since the completion of The Social System for the separate publication of Working Papers and thus to confine the new edition of these Essays to work done before the new theoretical phase was underway.
The present edition, therefore, was planned to end with the essay on "The Prospects of Sociological Theory," the author's presidential address before the American Sociological Society at its 1949 meeting, which was written in the midst of the work leading to Toward
A General Theory of Action and points up the transition between these phases of intellectual development. Since the Working Papers went to press, however, two other papers have been written which it has seemed advisable to include in the present collection.
Contents:
I. The Role of Ideas in Social Action (1938) 19
II) The Professions and Social Sti^icture (1939)^ 34
III. The Motivation of Economic Activities (1940) 50
IV. An Analytical Approach to the Theory of Social Stratification (1940) C?^
V. Age and Sex in the Social Structure of the United States (1942) 89
VI. Democracy and Social Structure in Pre-Nazi Germany
(1942) 104
VII. Some Sociological Aspects of the Fascist Movements
(1942) 124
VIII. Propaganda and Social Control (1942) 142
IX. The Kinship System of the Contemporary United States
(1943) 177
X. The Theoretical Development of the Sociology of Religion (1944) 197
XL The Present Position and Prospects of Systematic Theory in Sociology (1945) 212
XII. The Problem of Controlled Institutional Change (1945) 238
XIII. Population and the Social Structure of Japan ( 1946 ) 275
XIV. Certain Primary Sources and Patterns of Aggression in
the Social Structure of the Western World (1947) 298
XV. Social Classes and Class Conflict in the Light of Recent
Sociological Theory (1949) 323
XVI. Psychoanalysis and the Social Structure (1950) 336
XVII. The Prospects of Sociological Theory (1950) 348
XVIII. A Sociologist Looks at the Legal Profession ( 1952 ) 370
XIX. A Revised Analytical Approach to the Theory of Social
Sti-atification (1953) 386
Bibliography of Talcott Parsons 440
Index 446
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