Ebook: The Growth of Sociological Theories

In this original book, David Wagner addresses one of the fundamental debates in sociological theory. Are sociological theories cumulative (can new theories be built upon old theories already in existence) or non-cumulative (each theory is completely dependent upon the context and values in existence at the time of its generation). Wagner argues in favour of the former, and says that there are a considerable number of assumptions upon which sociologists can build when developing their own theories. Wagner examines the complexity of theory development and has developed his own multidimensional concept of such development. The book combines a review of basic theory construction with philosophical essays on sociological inquiry. The question of how theories are related is explained by using concrete sociological examples. It will appeal to those interested in sociology, philosophy, sociological theory, and social psychology, and would be suitable as a graduate text book. This is a timely book that is relevant for all of us who are concerned about the problem of the cumulativeness of sociological knowledge.' -- "Contemporary Socio