Kenneth Allan 
Contemporary Social and Sociological Theory [EPUB ebook] 
Visualizing Social Worlds

Part I: Introductions
Chapter 1: In the Beginning Was Modernity
Modern Society
Modern Knowledge
Theory: The Key to Modern Knowledge
The Classical Theorists
Complexities of Contemporary Theory
Summary
Building Your Theory Toolbox
Summary
Chapter 2: Defining Moments in Twentieth-Century Theory – Talcott Parsons and the Frankfurt School
Talcott Parsons: Defining Sociology
The Frankfurt School: The Problem With Sociology
Building Your Theory Toolbox
Part II: Individuals and Situations
Chapter 3: The Language of the Self – Herbert Blumer
Theorist′s Digest
Concepts and Theory: Emergent Meanings
Concepts and Theory: Self and Action
Concepts and Theory: Society and Sociology
Summary
Taking the Perspective: Symbolic Interactionism
Building Your Theory Toolbox
Chapter 4: Imaging the Self – Erving Goffman
The Big Picture: Self-Image
Theorist′s Digest
Concepts and Theory: Impression Management
Concepts and Theory: The Encounter
Concepts and Theory: Frames and Keys
Concepts and Theory: The Interaction Order
Summary
Taking the Perspective: Dramaturgy
Building Your Theory Toolbox
Chapter 5: Achieving Social Order – Harold Garfinkel
The Big Picture: Social Constructivism
Theorist′s Digest
Concepts and Theory: Achieving Social Order
Concepts and Theory: Reflexivity
Summary
Taking the Perspective: Ethnomethodology
Building Your Theory Toolbox
Chapter 6: Social Exchanges – George Homans, Peter Blau, and Randall Collins
The Big Picture: Agency
Elementary Forms of Social Behavior: George Homans
Theorist′s Digest
Concepts and Theory: Basic Principles of Behavioral Psychology
Summary
Social Exchanges and Power: Peter Blau
Theorist′s Digest
Concepts and Theory: Social Exchanges
Concepts and Theory: Creating Power and Social Structures
Summary
Ritualized Exchanges: Randall Collins
Theorist′s Digest
Concepts and Theory: Emotion – The Generalized
Concepts and Theory: Interaction Ritual Chains
Concepts and Theory: Ritualizing Stratification
Summary
Taking the Perspective: Exchange Theory
Building Your Theory Toolbox
Part III: Social Structures and Systems
The Big Picture: Levels of Analysis
Chapter 7: Structures of Racial and Gender Inequality – William Julius Wilson and Janet Saltzman Chafetz
The Big Picture: Structures
The Declining Significance of Race: William Julius Wilson
Theorist′s Digest
Concepts and Theory: American Racial History
Concepts and Theory: Policy Implications
Summary
Taking the Perspective: American Race Theory
The Structures of Gender Inequality: Janet Saltzman Chafetz
Theorist′s Digest
Concepts and Theory: Coercive Structures of Gender Inequality
Concepts and Theory: Micro-Level Coercive Structures
Concepts and Theory: Changing Gender Inequality
Summary
Taking the Perspective: Feminism
Building Your Theory Toolbox
Chapter 8: Structuring Class – Pierre Bourdieu
The Big Picture: Class
Theorist′s Digest
Concepts and Theory: Structuring Class
Concepts and Theory: Replicating Class
Concepts and Theory: Toward a New Sociology
Summary
Taking the Perspective: Cultural Embodiment
Building Your Theory Toolbox
Chapter 9: Structures of Power – Michel Foucault
The Big Picture: Power
Theorist′s Digest
Summary
Taking the Perspective: Dramaturgy
Building Your Theory Toolbox
Chapter 5: Achieving Social Order – Harold Garfinkel
The Big Picture: Social Constructivism
Theorist′s Digest
Concepts and Theory: Achieving Social Order
Concepts and Theory: Reflexivity
Summary
Taking the Perspective: Ethnomethodology
Building Your Theory Toolbox
Chapter 6: Social Exchanges – George Homans, Peter Blau, and Randall Collins
The Big Picture: Agency
Elementary Forms of Social Behavior: George Homans
Theorist′s Digest
Concepts and Theory: Basic Principles of Behavioral Psychology
Summary
Social Exchanges and Power: Peter Blau
Theorist′s Digest
Concepts and Theory: Social Exchanges
Concepts and Theory: Creating Power and Social Structures
Summary
Ritualized Exchanges: Randall Collins
Theorist′s Digest
Concepts and Theory: Emotion – The Generalized
Concepts and Theory: Interaction Ritual Chains
Concepts and Theory: Ritualizing Stratification
Summary
Taking the Perspective: Exchange Theory
Building Your Theory Toolbox
Part III: Social Structures and Systems
The Big Picture: Levels of Analysis
Chapter 7: Structures of Racial and Gender Inequality – William Julius Wilson and Janet Saltzman Chafetz
The Big Picture: Structures
The Declining Significance of Race: William Julius Wilson
Theorist′s Digest
Concepts and Theory: American Racial History
Concepts and Theory: Policy Implications
Summary
Taking the Perspective: American Race Theory
The Structures of Gender Inequality: Janet Saltzman Chafetz
Theorist′s Digest
Concepts and Theory: Coercive Structures of Gender Inequality
Concepts and Theory: Micro-Level Coercive Structures
Concepts and Theory: Changing Gender Inequality
Summary
Taking the Perspective: Feminism
Building Your Theory Toolbox
Chapter 8: Structuring Class – Pierre Bourdieu
The Big Picture: Class
Theorist′s Digest
Concepts and Theory: Structuring Class
Concepts and Theory: Replicating Class
Concepts and Theory: Toward a New Sociology
Summary
Taking the Perspective: Cultural Embodiment
Building Your Theory Toolbox
Chapter 9: Structures of Power – Michel Foucault
The Big Picture: Power
Theorist′s Digest
Concepts and Theory: The Truth About Truth
Concepts and Theory: The Practices of Power
Concepts and Theory: Disciplining the Body
Summary
Taking the Perspective: Poststructuralism
Building Your Theory Toolbox
Chapter 10: World-Systems Theory – Immanuel Wallerstein
The Big Picture: Globalization
Theorist′s Digest
Concepts and Theory: The Dialectics of Capitalism
Concepts and Theory: The End of the World as We Know It
Summary
Taking the Perspective: World-Systems Theory
Building Your Theory Toolbox
Chapter 11: The Network Society – Manual Castells
The Big Picture: Network Society
Theorist′s Digest
Concepts and Theory: Information Technology
Concepts and Theory: Networks, Identities, and Democracy
The Network Society and the Crisis in Democracy
Summary
Taking the Perspective: Society Writ Large
Building Your Theory Toolbox
Part IV: Modernity – Possibilities and Problems
The Big Picture: Civil Society and Democracy
Chapter 12: Reason and Democracy – Jürgen Habermas
The Big Picture: Social Change
Theorist′s Digest
Concepts and Theory: Capitalism and Legitimation
Concepts and Theory: The Colonization of Democracy
Concepts and Theory: Hope for Democracy
Summary
Taking the Perspective: Critical Theory
Building Your Theory Toolbox
Chapter 13: Civil Society and Democracy – Jeffrey C. Alexander
The Big Picture: Solidarity
Theorist′s Digest
Concepts and Theory: The New Civil Sphere
Concepts and Theory: Civil Institutions
Concepts and Theory: Civil Society Outcomes
Summary
Taking the Perspective: A Strong Program in Cultural Society
Building Your Theory Toolbox
Chapter 14: Runaway Modernity – Anthony Giddens
The Big Picture: Social Ontology
Theorist′s Digest
Concepts and Theory: The Reality of Society
Making Society and Hiding It
Unconscious Motivation
Concepts and Theory: The Contours of Modernity
Concepts and Theory: The Experience of Modernity
Summary
Building Your Theory Toolbox
Part V: Contemporary Political Identities
The Big Picture: Politics of Identities
Chapter 15: Being Black in America – Patricia Hill Collins and Cornel West
The Big Picture: Epistemology
Black Feminism and Intersectionality – Patricia Hill Collins
Theorist′s Digest
Concepts and Theory: The Standpoint of Black Women
Concepts and Theory: Intersectionality and Matrices of Domination
Summary
Commodification of Black Experience – Cornel West
Theorist′s Digest
Concepts and Theory: Black Existence in America
Summary
Building Your Theory Toolbox
Chapter 16: Text, Power, and Women – Dorothy E. Smith
Theorist′s Digest
Concepts and Theory: The Problem With Facts
Concepts and Theory: Lived Experience and Knowing
Summary
Building Your Theory Toolbox
Chapter 17: Exposing Sex – Judith Butler
Theorist′s Digest
Concepts and Theory: What′s the Matter With Bodies?
Concepts and Theory: Haunting, Subversion, and Queer Politics
Summary
Taking the Perspective: Poststructuralism and Queer Theory
Building Your Theory Toolbox

Kenneth Allan received his Ph D in sociology from the University of California, Riverside (1995), and is currently professor of Sociology at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG). Before moving to UNCG, he directed the Teaching Assistant Development Program at the University of California, Riverside, and coedited Training Teaching Assistants, 2nd Edition (1997), published by the American Sociological Association. In addition to teaching classical and contemporary theory at UNCG, Allan also supervised UNCG’s sociology i School program, which offered online introduction to sociology classes to high school students across North Carolina, has designed several online courses for both the college and department, and has regularly taught graduate pedagogy courses. Allan’s research areas include theory, culture, and the self. He has authored several works in the area of theory, including multiple textbooks covering classical and contemporary theory, as well as The Meaning of Culture: Moving the Postmodern Critique Forward, and A Primer in Social and Sociological Theory: Toward a Sociology of Citizenship. His current projects include a social history of American individualism, a sociological analysis of consciousness and self, as well as a novel based in early 20th century American life.