A significant contribution to the development of social theory which provides a comprehensive summary of the various traditions. Barnes offers an accessible introduction for undergraduates which presents his own arguments along the way.; It is intended that this work will be adopted on undergraduate and postgraduate courses on social theory within social and political science. It will also appeal to students of social psychology, social anthropology and social geography.

Barry Barnes

Part 1 Traditions of social thoery: individualism; functionalism; interaction; knowledge. Part 2 Social formations and social processes: status groups; social movements; social classes; administrative hierarchies.