Table Of ContentCritical Sociology
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Critical Sociology
Second Edition
Steven M. Buechler
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First published 2014 by Paradigm Publishers
Published 2016 by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017, USA
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
Copyright © 2014 Steven M. Buechler
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now
known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any
information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from
the publishers.
Notice:
Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered
trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation
without intent to infringe.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Buechler, Steven M., 1951–
Critical sociology / Steven M. Buechler.
pages cm
Revised edition of the author’s Critical sociology published in 2008.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-61205-641-8 (hardcover : alk. paper)
1. Sociology—Philosophy. 2. Critical theory. I. Title.
HM585.B84 2014
301.01—dc23
2013044391
ISBN 13 : 978-1-61205-625-8 (pbk)
ISBN 13 : 978-1-61205-641-8 (hbk)
Designed and typeset by Straight Creek Bookmakers.
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Contents
Preface ix
PART ONE: SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES
1. How to Think Sociologically 3
Sociology and Modernity 3
Thinking Sociologically 6
Sociology’s Double Critique 12
2. The Legacy of the Discipline 17
Scientific Sociology 17
Humanistic Sociology 22
Critical Sociology 26
Conclusion 33
3. Toward a Critical Sociology 35
The Frankfurt School Revisited 35
Habermas’s Contributions 42
Conclusion 51
PART TWO: POWER AND DOMINATION
4. A Late Capitalist World 55
Marx’s Analysis of Capitalism 55
From Liberal to Advanced Capitalism 60
Crisis Tendencies in Advanced Capitalism 61
Capitalism Unbound 71
5. The State of the State 73
Dimensions of the State 74
The Power Structure Debate 77
States in Decline? 88
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6. A Mass-Mediated World 91
Culture 101 91
Culture Meets Critical Sociology 93
The Political Economy of Mass Media 96
News, Propaganda, and Journalism 99
An All-Consuming Culture 103
The Social-Media Complex 106
A Note on Domination and Resistance 111
PART THREE: INEQUALITY AND DIFFERENCE
7. The Crucible of Class 115
Marx’s Model of Class Formation 115
Class or Stratification? 119
Contemporary Class Analysis 122
Enriching the Story 125
Further Complications 129
8. The Social Construction of Race 131
What Is Race? 132
Race vs. Ethnicity 134
Forms of Discrimination 138
Racial Formation 141
The Construction of Whiteness 145
9. Gendered Selves and Worlds 149
A Little History 150
The Sex/Gender System 153
Boyz II Guys 158
Feminist Frameworks 162
New Permutations 166
PART FOUR: SELF AND SOCIETY
10. The Emergence of the Individual 175
From “We” to “I” 176
Too Much of a Good Thing? 178
A Note on Adolescence 181
Individualism and Its Discontents 182
Habits of the Heart 186
11. How We Become Who We Are 191
Cooley’s Contributions 192
Mead’s Synthesis 194
Symbolic Interactionism 199
Identity Theory 201
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Contents vii
People as Reflexive Actors 203
Conclusion 205
12. The Sociology of Everyday Life 207
Phenomenological Sociology 207
The Social Construction of Reality 210
The Ethnomethodological Turn 212
Social Life as Drama 214
The Self as Project, Commodity, and Story 217
PART FIVE: PATTERNS OF CHANGE
13. The Challenge of Globalization 225
The Rise and Fall of Modernization Theory 226
The Global World System 229
Globalization: What’s New? 232
Recent World System Dynamics 235
Globalization: An Assessment 237
14. The Role of Social Movements 243
Sociology and Social Movements: Siblings of Modernity 243
Understanding Social Movements 246
Social Movements and Progressive Politics 251
Tea Partiers and Occupiers 256
The Global Scene 259
Theorizing Global Activism 262
15. The Case for Democracy 267
The Limits on Democracy 267
Toward a Richer Democracy 270
Movements (and Elections) = Democracy 271
Social Movements as Incubators of Democratic Politics 274
Sociology and Democracy 279
References 281
Index 291
About the Author 307
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Preface
The title Critical Sociology has three meanings.
First, it means that the sociological perspective is increasingly critical to human
survival. The good news is that we have developed the material, intellectual, and
technological capacity to address problems that were previously unsolvable. The
bad news is that we have created new problems that will tax these capacities to their
limits. These include, to name a few, thermonuclear annihilation, climate change,
terrorist anarchy, global poverty, environmental devastation, and ethnic cleansing.
Whether our new capacities can meet these challenges is an open question. Given
this, the sociological perspective is increasingly critical if we are to understand clearly,
decide rationally, and act wisely. It is simply the best angle of vision that we have
to capture life’s complexity, to interpret its history, to anticipate its future, and to
guide reasoned action.
A second meaning of critical sociology is that thinking sociologically inevita-
bly involves thinking critically. It is inherent in the very nature of the sociological
perspective that all familiar “truths” and established “facts” come under scrutiny.
Sociology requires a skeptical and restless quality of mind. It continually questions
the self-proclaimed reasons for any social arrangement. To be a sociologist is to
assume that things are not what they appear to be, that hidden interests are at work,
and that no claims can be taken at face value. In this second meaning, the phrase
critical sociology is almost redundant, because even the most generic versions of the
sociological perspective inevitably lead the sociological thinker to adopt a critical
stance toward the world around them.
The third meaning of critical sociology refers to one type of sociology among
others. This type is explicitly based on the values of freedom, equality, and justice.
These values shape both the questions and the answers sought by this sociology.
This sociology examines how social structures create relations of domination among
various social groups. It is committed to exposing their operation and undermining
their stability. This type of sociology is dedicated to progressive social change. The
point of seeking sociological knowledge is to foster change while being as inclusive
as possible about who participates in the process. To promote such change means
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