Sociological VisionsKai Erikson Rowman & Littlefield, 1997 - 295 pages While other academic disciplines claim a focus around specific subject matter, sociologists think of their field as an approach to understanding the often invisible forces and social contexts that shape the way people conduct their lives. How these forces and contexts are structured is central to sociology. But how do sociologists analyze these invisible structures? This book contributes to our understanding by bringing together a remarkable set of master essays about modern sociology written by some of the leading figures of the field. Each author describes a vision of sociological inquiry or offers an example of research that illustrates approaches and problems encountered in doing sociological work. The collection is rounded out with a prologue by Kai Erikson, an epilogue by Paul DiMaggio, and an extraordinary autobiographical essay by Robert K. Merton. The book is introduced by its editor as a set of reflections, a gathering of visions. But the range of topics and the variety of authors represented make it a valuable introduction to sociology as a discipline and as a way of thinking. |
Contents
Sociology as a Perspective | 3 |
Sociology as Science Humanism and Art | 17 |
The Two Faces of Social Science | 31 |
Disciplined Artfulness and the Human Sciences | 57 |
History and Sociological Imagining | 67 |
The Many Enchantments of Money | 83 |
Terms of Endearment? | 95 |
An Imperfect Art | 101 |
A Case Study of Overreaching | 169 |
Sociology as a Discipline | 185 |
PART II | 217 |
Introduction | 219 |
The Genesis and Epicene Character of the Word Scientist | 225 |
On Robert Merton Mary Somerville and the Moral Authority of Science | 255 |
Strange Relation | 263 |
A Life of Learning | 275 |
Toward a Broader Vision of InnerCity Poverty | 123 |
Race Localism and Urban Poverty | 153 |
InnerCity as Place | 163 |
About the Contributors | |
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African Americans analysis argue behavior black males called Cambridge century Charles Tilly Chicago Urban Poverty complex context critical culture disciplines distinctive economic employment ence epicene essay field Georg Simmel Gerald Holton human humanistic immigrants individuals inner city inner-city black institutions intellectual interaction Jean Bethke Elshtain joblessness kind knowledge labor market learning lives Mary Somerville Max Weber meaning ment Merton method methodological Mexican models modern Moynihan natural sciences neighborhoods networks noted observed orientation paper patterns Paul Lazarsfeld percent philosophy political problems question reality revolution rhetoric Robert Robert K role scholars scientific sense Smelser soci social science social scientists social structure society sociologists sociology sociology of science sociology's term theoretical theory Tilly tion understand University Press UPFLS variables Whewell's William Julius Wilson William Whewell women word scientist workers York Zelizer