Long recognised as a foundational figure in the development of social scientific thought, Emile Durkheim?s work has been the subject of intense debate over the years. This authoritative and comprehensive collection of essays re-examines the impact of Durkheim's thought, considering the historical co[...]

On March 16, 1998, the CIA's Inspector General, Fred Hitz, finally let?the cat out of the bag in an aside at a Congressional Hearing. Hitz told?the US Reps that the CIA had maintained relationships with companies and?individuals the Agency knew to be involved in the drug business. Even more?astonish[...]

What binds societies together and how can these social orders be structured in a fair way? Jeffrey C. Alexander's masterful work, The Civil Sphere, addresses this central paradox of modern life. Feelings for others - the solidarity that is ignored or underplayed by theories of power or self-interest[...]

Vold's Theoretical Criminology, first published in 1958, was the first book of its kind and is considered "the" standard text in criminological theory by just about every measure. Because of this book, "Vold" is a household name amongst criminologists. Each theory is presented accurately and compreh[...]

Jeffrey Alexander, known for his work in sociological theory, breaks new ground in Action and Its Environments. His emphasis here is directly empirical and normative. He builds models, develops classifications, makes definitions, and offers explanations. He also develops an historical and comparati[...]

Abbott helps social science students discover what questions to ask. This exciting book is not about habits and the mechanics of doing social science research, but about habits of thinking that enable students to use those mechanics in new ways, by coming up with new ideas and combining them more ef[...]

A revised and updated edition of the classic study on witchcraft examines the historical, anthropological, and religious manifestations of witchcraft, from ancient times to the present day, arguing that modern witchcraft in the West is in fact a serious religion that offers valuable insights. Origi[...]

Performativity has emerged as a critical new idea across the humanities and social sciences, from literary and cultural studies to the study of gender and the philosophy of action. In this volume, Jeffrey Alexander demonstrates how performance can reorient our study of politics and society. Alexande[...]

In this book one of the world's leading social theorists presents a critical, alarmed, but also nuanced understanding of the post-traditional world we inhabit today. Jeffrey Alexander writes about modernity as historical time and social condition, but also as ideology and utopia. The idea of moderni[...]