Toward a Sociological Imagination: Bridging Specialized Fields

by Bernard Phillips, Harold Kincaid, Thomas Scheff, Chanoch Jacobsen (Contribution by), James C. Kimberly (Contribution by)

Overview

Toward A Sociological Imagination builds on the ideas C. Wright Mills expressed in The Sociological Imagination for an approach to the scientific method broad enough to open up to the full range of knowledge within the sociology discipline. In this book, nine sociologists and one philosopher provide detailed tests of the utility of the approach within diverse substantive sociological areas. These areas include, deviance and anomie, stratification and occupational mobility, the origins of capitalism, combining narrative sociology with modeling, racial and ethnic relations, unacknowledged emotions within the psychiatric interview, the genesis of violence, and the impact of moving from a vernacular to a theoretical approach to language.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780761823421
Publisher:	University Press of America
Publication date:	07/09/2002
Pages:	318
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 8.40(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Bernard Phillips is Founder and informal director of the Sociological Imagination Group.
Harold Kincaid is Chair, Department of Philosophy, University of Alabama, Birmingham.
Thomas Scheff is Adjunct Professor, Gothenburg University, Karlsbad, Sweden.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Preface Chapter 2 Contributors Chapter 3 The Framework: Chapter 4 Reconstructing the Scientific Method Chapter 5 "Toward a Reflexive Sociology:" A Second Look Chapter 6 Building Bridges: Chapter 7 The Process of Secularization: Toward a Theory-Oriented Methodology Chapter 8 Small Group Processes and the Legitimization of Societal Stratification: From Experiments to the Operation of Groups in Natural Situations Chapter 9 Explaining Inequality Chapter 10 A Critique of Pure Structure: The Limits of Rationality and Culture in the Transition from Feudalism to Capitalism Chapter 11 Parallels and Tensions between Models and Narratives Chapter 12 Prejudice: The Levin Experiment Chapter 13 Alienation, Labeling, and Stigma: Integrating Social and Emotional Aspects of Mental Illness Chapter 14 Working Class Emotions and Relationships: Secondary Analysis of Sennett and Cobb, and Willis Chapter 15 The Politics of Presentation: Goffman and Total Institutions

Editorial Reviews

this book offers a refreshing reminder of the need to reflect on our research questions and methods in an era when specialization seems to hold the greatest reward.

Theory and Epistemology - Stephen Sweet

…this book offers a refreshing reminder of the need to reflect on our research questions and methods in an era when specialization seems to hold the greatest reward.
— Stephen Sweet

Theory and Epistemology

Collecting revisions of papers from August of 2000 research conferences associated with the American Sociological Association, this volume is presented in the hopes of building on the ideas of an approach to a scientific sociological method presented in C. Wright Mills' . Introductory chapters review Mills' philosophy of sociology and incorporate his ideas with the theoretical contributions of Alvin Gouldner. The constructed framework is then applied to nine different sociological problems, including economic stratification, the origins of capitalism, the origins of violence, and racial and ethnic relations. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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