Routledge Critical Sociology

Critical Sociology is a thoroughly revised, updated, and sophisticated introduction to the sociological perspective as a critical lens on society. Much has happened since the first edition: the Great Recession, the Obama presidency, the burgeoning role of social media, and recent global social movements such the Tea Party, Occupy Wall Street, and the Arab Spring. In this second edition, Buechler discusses the changing relationship between social movements and democracy. The book contains chapters on how to think sociologically; an overview of scientific, humanistic, and critical schools of sociology; and a detailed exposition of the critical tradition. Review Praise for the first edition “Critical Sociology is highly accessible and may be suitable as a textbook for undergraduate or graduate level sociology courses. It may otherwise be of interest to sociologists interested in how sociology can contribute to progressive social change.” ―Contemporary Sociology “A well-written and accessible introduction to critical sociology. It manages to be strong theoretically and to deal with some of the most pressing social issues of the day from a well-developed critical perspective.” ―George Ritzer, University of Maryland “Steven Buechler’s new text, Critical Sociology, is a very well written, very well thought out, careful, and sophisticated book. The material is clearly presented, the arguments are well thought through.” ―Michael Kimmel, SUNY Stony Brook About the Author Steven M. Buechler is Professor of Sociology at Minnesota State University, Mankato. His recent books include the critically acclaimed Understanding Social Movements: Theories from the Classical Era to the Present (Paradigm 2011).