The Blackwell Companion to Social Theory - Essay Example

The Blackwell Companion to Social Theory Introduction Using his social theory, Bryan Turner wanted to introduce a contemporary and comprehensive provision of major developments witnessed in social theory. This theory is definitely a twentieth century hypothesis as presents, with major emphasis on issues, changes, and developments taking place in and around social theory (Lawrence 1979:3). Its distilled argument indicate that it is not a rehearsal of classical social theory neither does it seeks to provide an overview of the founding philosophers of classical theory but rather provides a cogent argument elaborating and defending classical social theory (Turner, 2009:95). Despite failing to establish the source of the classical social theory’s founding fathers, this companion attempts to provide justification based on the need to have continuity from classical theory changes to contemporary issues (Aune, 2006:87). The theory concludes that there is a need to move from classical social theory issues to a contemporary social theory development mainly because the social science disciplines have changed with time (Lewis-Beck and Bryman, 2007:45). This paper will seek to develop a critique of this theory. Summary of the major points Obviously, it is ultimately hard to understand the aspects of contemporary social theory without having a grasp of the classical social theory disciplines, founding fathers, and its origins. Turner’s chapter 1 gives a description of classical social theory with which he applies a basis of self-consciousness to development his arguments (Turner, 2009:120). Critically, to understand contemporary social theory, Turner refers to the works of other great sociologists such as Max Weber, Gerrard Delanty, and Georg Simmel. In Gerard’s account, classical social theorists continue to appear in various points within the Companion whereby they persist in being relevant to contemporary social theory developments (Ritzer, 2007:50). According to the sociology of action by Max Weber, for instance, his classical social theory developments have a direct relevance to a number of changes including the formulation of rational choice theory. Similarly, an intense outlook into the Georg’s analysis of postmodernism indicates that concrete cultural forms and practices still have a substantial role to play in the modern cultural studies (Lawrence 1979:4). Particularly, Turner points out that “companion” is an emphasis on contemporary developments regarding social thought (Lewis-Beck and Bryman, 2007:66). Further, the choice and usage of the axiom “social theory” indicates Turner’s Companion is an emphasis of social developments, issues, and changes in social theory as opposed to specific reference on political, sociological, and cultural theory (Aune, 2006:94). In his account, Turner maintains that social theory encompasses current issues and goes hand in hand with the developments taking place in the modern society (Lawrence 1979:5). It is a broad spectrum, which incorporates the general concern for modern nature and it provides general insights into social theory in its broadest sense hence covering other theories that describes the political, cultural, and feminism arena (Turner, 2009:146). Elaboration of the points In every chapter, Turner attempts to elaborate the major issues, topics, and perspectives that dominate the twentieth century theoretical debates (Lawrence 1979:6). With reference to the title of this book, there are specific commitments towards the elaboration of social theory. Clearly, the “Blackwell Companion” undertakes criticism, construction, and accumulation to be the main activities surrounding the social sciences of the twentieth century (Ritzer, 2012:69). As elaborated in a number of chapters within this book, particularly in the William Outwaite’s chapter that talk about the philosophy of social sciences, theory in sociology in addition to its related disciplines has peculiar significance. Whereas the book shows that natural science in overall pays comparatively little attention to philosophy and theory growth (Turner, 2009:169). There is yet another expansion, which indicates that sociology relies heavily on theoretical speculations, and this commitment to theoretical speculations relates closes to the problematic nature set forth by social theory as a topic (Turner, 2006:64). Despite being a contemporary approach, the companion also commits to the continuity of not only the theoretical accumulation of social sciences, but also those of humanities (Lawrence 1979:7). After a closer outlook into the chapters of this book, it is conclusive that the Companion dwells much on broad analytical issues and perspectives but avoids any debates or chapters that concern sociology of Y and X (Turner, 2009:199). Exceptionally, Companion deals specifically with certain areas or topics such as John Urry’s critical analysis of time and space. Preferentially, analysis of this book portrays that John’s sociology of space and time could simply assume a connotation commonly depicted as the temporal and spatial analysis of social sciences (Ritzer, 2007:78). However, it is clear that the topic sociology of space has a more precise method of stating the issues of spatial and temporal sociology. Hence showing the Companion provides a succinct understanding of issues and themes rather than specialities and discipline (Turner, 2009:255). A critical evaluation based the validity of this book’s argument states that the Companion is comprehensive with the way it provides its issues, is inevitably clear, and necessarily selective with its choice of disciplines (Lewis-Beck and Bryman, 2007:80). For example, Turner provides chose to involve a concrete discussion based on the contribution made by anthropology towards social theory given that anthropological fieldwork has helped transform our understanding of problems associated with philosophy in many ways. Deficiently, social theory appears in a manner that it has been shaped by problem analysis of economic theory (Lawrence 1979:8). Discussion of the points Profoundly, the analysis of this book helps readers spot the lack or deficiency created by its set of arguments whereby it is unfortunate that the Companion fails to include the discussion between the interaction of social theory and economic theory (Turner, 2009:289). As the book tries to, often indirectly, discuses the nature of social and theory, prospects conforms that the nineteenth century debates viewed and analyzed social in a scientific concept rather than using the idea of natural or nature. This is so because, according to the classical theorists, society and nature were different from each other although there are traces of common aspects (Lawrence 1979:9). With the spread of modernization or the so-called industrial capitalist society, the state of nature appeared unique and at the same time, classical sociology was growing awareness towards the separation of social from other dimensions and spheres of activity (Bynagle, 2006:70). Sensibly, analysis of this book reveals that the Modern community is not the same as the natural society with reference to the way it dealt with satisfaction of human wants as a whole (Ritzer, 2007:100). According to Turner, the modern community came into being as an artificial creation of the modern economy where Karl Max expounds the creation of the modern society and treatment of capitalism created a revolution for both production and satisfaction of human wants within this civil society (Turner, 2009:310). Pertinently, the discussion of this book bears that, out of that traditional enlightenment notion of bourgeois society otherwise known as the civil society, the idea of the social dimension as a specific and the unique product of modernization evolved (Lewis-Beck and Bryman, 2007:96). Equally, a deeper outlook into this book’s discussion points out that sociologists understood that the idea of sociology developed in the wake of the nineteenth century with the aim of explaining the unique phenomenon of an autonomous and separate social world (Snow, Soule, and Kriesi, 2004:98). In this book, the assumptions on which the themes developed follow the notion that social based on the expression that there is a huge and a well-known distinction and contrast between the association and community (Aune, 2006:115). Nevertheless, the sociological tradition described by Robert Nisbet is an influential historical study on sociology, which specifically concerns itself with more than one range of contrast (Turner, 2009:332). The discussion on this discipline focuses on contrasts, which described the industrial modernization and its products, which is a set of opposition between the profane and the scared, authority and power, and preeminent community versus association among others. Further sociological accounts such as that of Talcott Parsons based on the notion of pattern variables explicitly apply the contrast of modern association and traditional community (Lawrence 1979:10). In addition, the original distinction as brought forward by Tonnies eventually developed into a profound nostalgic view that shown loss of real community relationships by bringing forward the evolution of secular association (Snow, Soule, and Kriesi, 2004:112). Critical analysis of contemporary social theory indicates that the implicit contrast that describes the distinction between artificial society and authentic society discussed in the Companion. As of today, there is a large and profound change in the conceptualization of social as it, in fact, reflects a great uncertainty when it comes to the development of modern society (Turner, 2009:381). Pertinently, in cultural studies, just as Steven Connor points out, the social is now identical in a cultural point of view. The standard argument on this point is that, classical sociology, for instance, neglected largely the cultural sphere and instead concentrated majorly on social institutions and structures commonly conceptualized as distinct from culture (Bynagle, 2006:93). Nevertheless, the upsurge and innate research on contemporary sociology proves that there is intense and an about-a-face analytical terms giving priority and prominence to cultural relationships and cultural phenomena (Aune, 2006:130). Sufficiently, this outrageous observation on contemporary sociology with regard to cultural relations and phenomena has come about with the association of arguments presented by different writers who include Fredric Jameson (Turner, 2009:405). The backdrop of their arguments is the effect of transformation of modern community by consumerism that resulted from massive expansion on the field of culture (Turner, 2006:80). With the adjacent growth in cultural production and cultural consumption, social theory is largely turning out to be an aspect of cultural growth, effects, and significance in the modern society (Ritzer, 2007:126). Essentially, it is good to note that, a set of arguments from postmodern theorists are speculating that the end of social is near due to the advent growth coupled with active expansion of modern communication systems. This is so since these systems have led to the paradoxical implosion of produced signs in deluge (Lawrence 1979:11). Concussion In conclusion, Turner recommends that people should follow the moral dimension provided by social theory (Snow, Soule, and Kriesi, 2004:129). Just as classical social theory assumed it would radically transform the social structures of people in addition to their personalities, moral systems, and mentalities to their detriment using capitalist civilization; I find it imperative to adopt a coherent view of traditional communities (Turner, 2009:499). In this book review, I have criticized that classical social theory adopted a nostalgic and pessimistic view regarding social change. Nonetheless, I find it crucial to recommend that any future major moral question based on social theory should probably revolve around the human body, environment, and technology (Lewis-Beck and Bryman, 2007:135). The ongoing changes within the area of medical science especially those related to the field of reproductive technology are raising burning issues regarding the identity of the human body and its nature. Bibliography Aune, D. E. 2006. The Blackwell companion to the New Testament. Oxford: Blackwell. Bynagle, H. E. 2006. Philosophy: a guide to the reference literature. Westport, Conn.: Libraries Unlimited. Lawrence J. A. 1979. Research Reports: Critique and Construction. Western Australia: Murdock University. Lewis-Beck, M. S. and Bryman, A. 2007. The Sage encyclopedia of social science research methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Ritzer, G. 2007. The Blackwell Companion to Major Classical Social Theorists. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons. Ritzer, G. 2012. The Wiley-Blackwell companion to sociology. Malden, MA: John Wiley. Snow, D. A., Soule, S. A., and Kriesi, H. 2004. The Blackwell companion to social movements. Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub. Turner, B. S. 2009. The new Blackwell companion to social theory. Accessed http://doxosophia.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/b-social-theory.pdf on November 6, 2012. Turner, J. H. 2006. Handbook of sociological theory. New York: Springer. Read More