Full Description
'In this remarkable collection of essays, Holton and Turner demonstrate that Parsonian sociology addresses the most central problems of our time - issues of sickness and health, power and inequality, the nature of capitalism and its possible alternatives. They develop a mature and original perspective on Parsons as the only classical theorist who avoided crippling nostalgia. Holton and Turner not only talk about Parsonian sociology in a profound and insightful way, they do it, and do it well. As sociology moves away from the rigid dichotomies of earlier debate, this book will help point the way.' - Jeffrey Alexander, Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in Sociology, UCLA
Contents
1. Talcott Parsons and the Theory of Economy and Society 2. Sickness and Social Structure: Parsons' Contribution to Medical Sociology 3. Parsons, Schutz and the Problem of Verstehen 4. Parsons and his Critics: On the Ubiquity of Functionalism 5. Against Nostalgia: Talcott Parsons and a Sociology for the Modern World
