Contested Knowledge: Social Theory in the Postmodern Era

Contested Knowledge: Social Theory in the Postmodern Era

by StevenSeidman (Author)

Synopsis

Contested Knowledge is a sociological theory text designed for undergraduate or graduate courses. From the classical sociologists (Durkheim, Marx and Weber), to contemporary social theories and movements, including feminism, poststructuralism, African-American thought and queer theory ), Professor Seidman presents his approach to the tradition of sociological theory and its established canon. Combining social analysis and moral advocacy, Contested Knowledge shows how social theory can work within the public, political sphere and can contribute to the making of a better world.

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More Information

Format: Paperback
Pages: 376
Publisher: Wiley–Blackwell
Published: 20 Aug 1994

ISBN 10: 1557865086
ISBN 13: 9781557865083

Media Reviews
Uncommonly graceful, richly descriptive, courageous. No-one to date has given so complete an account of social theory - from its Enlightenment origins to the latest postmodern word. Charles Lemert, Wesleyan University.
Contested Knowledge presents a vigorous argument for social theory that is re-connected to public intellectual life and the moral concerns of real people. Along the way Seidman shows how such an understanding of theory provides a closer link to practical research than current alternatives are able to do. Avoiding esoteric jargon, the book describes where social theory stands today in a way that is a pleasure to read. Robert N. Bellah, University of California, Berkeley.
A highly readable and engaging discussion of the canon of social theory (Marx, Durkheim, Weber, Parsons) and the challenges launched by critical theorists and by various postmodern lines of theorizing. Seidman's approach to postmodernism is refreshingly broad, attuned not only to French poststructuralism but also to the new social knowledges developed by feminists, lesbians and gay men, and people of color. Contested Knowledge is an important contribution to current reassessments of the social theory canon. Barrie Thorne, University of Southern California, Los Angeles.
An important book. Thesis Eleven .
Author Bio
Steven Seidman has written extensively in the field of cultural criticism and social theory. He is the author or editor of many books, including Liberalism and the Origins of European Social Theory, Postmodernism and Social Theory, and Culture and Society: Contemporary Debates.