VOLUME I Reflecting emerging research and ongoing reassessments of social theory, The Wiley-Blackwell Companion to Major Social Theorists offers significant updates and revisions to the original Blackwell Companion published a decade ago. Volume I: Major Classical Theorists presents 18 comprehensive essays on social theorists writing in the classical tradition, more than half all-new for this Companion, written by some of the most eminent contemporary scholars in their field. In addition to detailing the make-up and development of specific social theories, each essay places the theorist and their ideas in personal, social, and historical context; and integrates the most current scholarship to offer assessments as to their continuing relevance. Well-known theorists such as Comte, Spencer, Marx, Durkheim, Weber, Simmel, Mead, Schutz, and Parsons are represented, as well as theorists historically excluded from the sociological canon, including Ibn Khaldun, Martineau, Gilman, and Du Bois. Other essays consider a set of classical theorists chosen for their particular relevance to contemporary theory: de Tocqueville on democracy, Schumpeter on capitalism, Mannheim on the sociology of knowledge, Veblen on consumer society, and Adorno on cultural theory. Edited by one of the most renowned figures in social theory, the Wiley - Blackwell Companion is an indispensable resource and reference to the life and times of the classical thinkers and their relevance to modern theorists and today's social world. VOLUME II Reflecting emerging research and ongoing reassessments of social theory, The Wiley-Blackwell Companion to Major Social Theorists offers significant updates and revisions to the original Blackwell Companion published a decade ago. Transitioning from the classical theorists, Volume II: Major Contemporary Theorists includes 23 comprehensive essays on social theorists writing from the middle of the twentieth century up to the present day -- and features 16 all-new essays written by some of the most eminent contemporary scholars in their field.

In addition to detailing the make-up and development of specific social theories, essays place the theorist and their ideas in personal, social, and historical context. In addition to addressing the central themes of contemporary social theory -- social structure and organization; theories of self and identity; politics and power; culture and representation; epistemology and metatheory -- newly emerging areas of study such as globalization; science, technology; and consumerism are also considered. Along with updates to essays on major figures included in the original volume, coverage of several of the cutting-edge theorists dealing with urgent problems of the increasingly global world is now included -- names such as Zygmunt Bauman, Dorothy Smith, Bruno Latour, Edward Said, Donna Haraway, and Ulrich Beck. Edited by one of the most renowned figures in social theory, the Wiley - Blackwell Companion to Major Contemporary Social Theorists is an indispensable resource and reference to the most significant figures in current social theory.