| Synopsis: |
Twentieth-century social thought ranges widely from the social sciences to philosophy, political theories and doctrines, cultural ideas and movements, and even the natural sciences. This Dictionary aims to provide a reliable and comprehensive overview of the the main themes of social thought, in particular the major concepts, principal schools and movements of thought, and those institutions that have been objects of social analysis or engendered significant doctrines and ideas. Long entries, by a collection of distinguished contributors, cover major currents of thought, philosophical and cultural trends and the individual social sciences are supplemented by shorter accounts of specific concepts and phenomema. Each entry has suggestions for further reading, there is a comprehensive bibliography of all books cited or referred to in the text, a general index, and an appendix covering the major social thinkers with brief biographical notes. |