Social Theory and Social Policy: Essays in Honor of James S. Coleman

by Aage Sorensen, Seymour Spilerman

Overview

Social Theory and Social Practice is a collection of essays theory and research developments that were advanced by a figure at the forefront of contemporary American and international sociology—James S. Coleman. Themes that run through Coleman's diverse body of work are the subject of this volume. Essays focus on his contributions to social theory (emphasizing formulations which have policy implications) and applications of sociology in public affairs. Coleman's contributions have profoundly influenced and, in several cases, defined the agenda for important sub-fields of sociology: sociological theory and methods, sociology of education, sociology of the family, political sociology, mathematical sociology, communications research, and social stratification.

Following an introductory section, Part Two, Policy-Relevant Social Theory, includes essays by some of our most eminent social scientists, including James Buchanan, Arthur Stinchcombe, Raymond Boudon, Gordon Tullock, Benjamin Zablocki, and Gudmund Hernes. Part Three, Sociology of Education contains essays by Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Diane Ravitch, and Sarane Boocock on Coleman's pioneering work in the field. Part Four, Social Structure and Social Policy, discusses the profound influence of Coleman's oeuvre on public affairs. Chapter authors include Seymour Sspilerman, Noah Levin-Epstein and Moshe Semyenov of Tel Aviv University, Michael Hechter and Satoshi Kanazawa, Seymour Martin Lipset, Erik Van Hove, and Henrik Kreutz. Recommended for scholars in the fields of sociology, education, economics, and political science.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780275942359
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	07/30/1993
Pages:	280
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.69(d)
Lexile:	1430L (what's this?)

About the Author

AAGE B. SORENSEN is Professor in the Department of Sociology at Harvard University. He is coeditor of Human Development and the Life Course and author of numerous articles and books in Europe and the United States.

SEYMOUR SPILERMAN is Julian C. Levi Professor of Sociology at Columbia University. He has published extensively in the fields stratitization, collective violence, and mathematical sociology.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Introduction: The Intellectual Contributions of James S. Coleman by Aage B. Sørensen and Seymour Spilerman
Policy-Relevant Social Theory
The Individual as Participant in Political Exchange by James Buchanan
The Conditions of Fruitfulness of Theorizing about Mechanisms in Social Science by Arthur L. Stinchcombe
Beyond the Alternative between the Homo Sociologicus and the Homo Oeconomicus: Toward a Theory of Cold Beliefs by Raymond Boudon
Organizational Puzzles by Gordon Tullock
Rational Models of Charismatic Influence by Benjamin D. Zablocki
Hobbes and Coleman by Gudmund Hernes
Sociology of Education
Educational Goals and Political Plans by Daniel Patrick Moynihan
The Coleman Reports and American Education by Diane Ravitch
Games with Simulated Environments: Educational Innovation and Research Technology by Sarane Boocock
Social Structure and Social Policy
Wealth, Intergenerational Transfers and Life Chances by Seymour Spilerman
The Production of Social Order with Special Reference to Contemporary Japan by Michael Hechter and Satoshi Kanazawa
Two Americas, Two Value Systems: Blacks and Whites by Seymour Martin Lipset
The Practice of Sociology in Public Affairs by Erik Van Hove
Rationality without Responsibility? A Dynamic Model of Responsible Behavior by Henrik Kreutz