Wiley-Blackwell The Blackwell Reader in Contemporary Social Theory (Blackwell Companions to Social Theory)

The Blackwell Reader in Contemporary Social Theory provides a comprehensive and exciting introduction to the major developments, debates, and schools of thought in social theory today. Review "Concise but Comprehensive, Anthony Elliott's Reader is an ideal companion to social theory -a real festival of contemporary social thought." Bryan S. Turner, University of Cambridge <!--end--> "Contemporary social theory is a treasure-house but also a minefield. One has to tread warily to find the gems. Anthony Elliott has done just that in selecting some of the most important and influential writings of the past 20 to 30 years. Here are all the familiar names but also some less familiar ones raising different but no less relevant questions. This reader will be invaluable to senior undergraduates and graduates seeking the path-breaking contributions in contemporary social theory." Krishan Kumar, University of Virginia From the Inside Flap The Blackwell Reader in Contemporary Social Theory provides a comprehensive and exciting introduction to the major developments, debates, and schools of thought in social theory today. This introductory reader is edited and introduced by Anthony Elliott and covers twentieth-century social theory stretching from critical theory, structuralism and psychoanalysis to feminism, post-structuralism and postmodernism. The book includes treatments not only of the traditional lines of orientation in social theory but also of recent controversies surrounding the resurgence of interest in the self, self-identity and subjectivity. The selections are drawn from many of the most prominent figures in current debate and are introduced and contextualized by the editor to make them accessible to those coming to the study of social theory for the first time.The Blackwell Reader in Contemporary Social Theory is an ideal teaching text, and will be of significant interest to students and professionals across the social sciences. From the Back Cover The Blackwell Reader in Contemporary Social Theory provides a comprehensive and exciting introduction to the major developments, debates, and schools of thought in social theory today. This introductory reader is edited and introduced by Anthony Elliott and covers twentieth-century social theory stretching from critical theory, structuralism and psychoanalysis to feminism, post-structuralism and postmodernism. The book includes treatments not only of the traditional lines of orientation in social theory but also of recent controversies surrounding the resurgence of interest in the self, self-identity and subjectivity. The selections are drawn from many of the most prominent figures in current debate and are introduced and contextualized by the editor to make them accessible to those coming to the study of social theory for the first time.The Blackwell Reader in Contemporary Social Theory is an ideal teaching text, and will be of significant interest to students and professionals across the social sciences. About the Author Anthony Elliott is Research Fellow in the Department of Political Sciences at the University of Melbourne. His recent books include Psychoanalytic Theory: An Introduction (1994), Subject to Ourselves: Social Theory, Psychoanalysis, and Postmodernity (1996), and The Mourning of John Lennon (1999). He is the editor of Freud 2000 (1998) and coeditor, with Dr. Stephen Frosh, of Psychoanalysis in Contexts (1995).