SOCIOLOGY

Sociology

Sociology

Introduction

It is quite a challenge to assess Lemert's Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings. At once, one must consider the quality of the readings chosen, the organizational logic of the book, and the unique features of the updated edition. In the case of Charles Lemert's Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings, now in its fourth edition, I suspect that many instructors of undergraduate sociological theory courses will be familiar with the first two dimensions as they apply to this easy reader. The volume is commendable for its unmatched breadth of coverage and its accessibility to a wide range of readers. However, of primary interest to most will likely be the degree to which the fourth edition differs from the third. At the outset, let me say that those satisfied with earlier editions of this reader will probably remain satisfied with the latest edition. Unfortunately, those unsatisfied with previous editions, for whatever reason, will not find much in the fourth edition to change their minds.

Answer 1

The reader aptly titled Social Theory, as it covers material that extends far beyond what typically considered the canon of sociological theory. One hundred six different authors represented in 134 readings, and they range from the usual (worthy) suspects (i.e., Marx, Weber, Durkheim, Parsons, Goffman, and Wallerstein) to theorists who typically receive less attention in readers of this type (i.e., DuBois, Mannheim, Lyotard, and Haraway). In addition, Lemert has given ample space to those who are at the margins of or fall completely outside of what most consider sociological theory. Social reformers, and activists (Jane Addams, Martin Luther King Jr., Students for a Democratic Society), economists (Amartya Sen, John Maynard Keynes, John Kenneth Galbraith), and political leaders (Vaclav Havel, George Kennan), among others included (Lemert, 2009). They also contributed, to a diverse, broad, multilevel, and, in places, deep treatment of social theory and its evolution.

Lemert adds meaningful, original content, including an introductory chapter that makes a strong case for the importance of social theory, which he describes as a “basic survival skill.” Here, the author draws on a range of examples, to demonstrate not only the ubiquity of social processes but also the latent facility with which most people can understand and make sense of them. This essay goes a long way toward demystify social theories and demonstrating their relevance to lived experience. A preface to the latest edition focuses on “change” and the role of social theory in understanding processes of change in a variety of spheres. Lemert introduces each unit (the units roughly follow important historical eras) with an essay that provides the political, economic, historical, social, and cultural context for the selections that follow. He also includes a brief biographical sketch of every author included in the reader (Morrison, 2006).

The strengths of this reader are many. As noted, it covers a broad range of social theories but does not skimp on the classics. The volume contains excerpts from the major works of Marx, Weber, and Durkheim and has a comprehensive focus on ...