John Scott 
Social Theory 
Central Issues in Sociology

‘John Scott has provided us with an encyclopaedic tour through the foundations and development of social theory which cautions against the contemporary fragmentation of academic work and demonstrates the continued value of sociology′s heritage. The book will become a key resource for students and scholars alike.’ –
Barry Smart, Portsmouth University

This is a comprehensive, critical review of social theory that places leading contributions in their larger context. Written predominantly for students, the scope and range of the subjects and authors dealt with results in one of the most comprehensive introductions to social theory published to date.

Ranging from the philosophical foundations of sociology and the discovery of ′the social′ to distinctive sociological approaches, to the significance of issues pertaining to gender and patriarchy, to questions of modernity and post-modernity, the book is comprehensive in subject matter. Among the distinctive features of the book are:

• Clarity of exposition from a well-known and respected commentator in the field


• Focus boxes to facilitate comprehension


• Tremendous range of material


• Powerful organization of the material around key organizing principles

The book is a major accomplishment which will quickly establish itself as the key set text in Sociology and Social Theory courses.

Table of Content

Social Theory: Should We Forget the Founders?

Genealogy of the Social

Renaissance and Enlightenment

Britain: Individualism and Romanticism

France: Revolution and Science

Germany: Counter-Enlightenment and Reaction

The Social Established

Social Theory goes Global

Culture, System and Socialisation: Formative Views

Culture and Collective Mentality

Cultural Development and Differentiation

Social Systems as Organisms

Social Systems, Forces, and Engery

Socialisation and Enculturation

Action, Conflict and Nature: Formative Views

Action, Interaction, and the Interpersonal

Conflict and Collective Action

Nature, Environment and Bodies

Culture, System, and Socialisation: Developments

Culture, Social Structure, and Lifeworlds

General Systems, Functions, and Complexity

Socialisation, Self, and Mentality

Action, Conflict, and Nature: Developments

Environment and Space

Body and Embodiment

Action, Strategy, and Performance

Conflict, Change, and History

Modernity and Rationalisation

Modernity as Rationalisation

Rationalisation and Political Structures

Economic Rationalisation

Rationalisation and Societal Communities

The Inevitability of Modernity

Intimations of Post-Modernity

Aesthetic Modernism and Post-Modernism

Late Capitalism, Disorganisation, and the Consumer Society

Knowledge Society and the Post-Modern Sensibility

Reflexivity, Individualisation, and Risk

Transnational Networks and Global Flows

About the author

John Scott is an Honorary Professor at the Universities of Essex, Exeter, and Copenhagen. He was formerly a professor of sociology at the Universities of Essex and Leicester, and pro-vice-chancellor for research at the University of Plymouth. He has been president of the British Sociological Association, Chair of the Sociology Section of the British Academy, and in 2013 was awarded the CBE for Services to Social Science. His work covers theoretical sociology, the history of sociology, elites and social stratification, and social network analysis. His most recent books include British Social Theory: Recovering Lost Traditions before 1950 (SAGE, 2018), Envisioning Sociology. Victor Branford, Patrick Geddes, and the Quest for Social Reconstruction (with Ray Bromley, SUNY Press, 2013), Objectivity and Subjectivity in Social Research (with Gayle Letherby and Malcolm Williams, SAGE, 2011).