Key Works in Sociology

Introduction

Sociology is an empirical and theoretical discipline. In addition to its applied topics and theories (presented here), the field is also defined by its engagement with foundational theoretical perspectives. The works collected below can be considered key works of sociology. Spanning over 150 years of theory-building, these texts are considered classics: they have been widely read, debated, and cited, and have profoundly shaped sociology as well as related disciplines such as criminology, political science, psychology, philosophy, and economics. Each of these works marks a milestone in sociological thought and provides essential tools for analyzing megatrends such as demographic change, globalization, migration and integration, social inequality, social roles, and norms and values.

This selection follows a double logic: it is organized both by the historical development of sociological theory and by central thematic lines—from questions of social order, the dynamics of roles and institutions, to the analysis of power, exclusion, and social change.

The key works presented here invite readers to trace the development of sociology, to see both breaks and continuities, and to make connections to contemporary issues. In an age defined by uncertainty, social divisions, and global challenges, these classics help us better understand the world around us—and offer guidance for navigating complex social realities.

Each entry follows the same structure: a brief contextual introduction is followed by the work’s central themes and arguments, its significance for sociological theory-building, and connections to major topics of social reality. Finally, each work is situated within the broader tradition of sociological thought.

Key Works in Sociology

Sociology has more than 150 years of theoretical tradition—from classical thinkers like Marx, Durkheim, and Weber to structuralism, systems theory, critical theory, and contemporary approaches such as practice theory and network research. This overview guides readers through the most important schools of thought and shows how they continue to shape our understanding of society today.

I. Classical Foundations (19th to Early 20th Century)

• Auguste Comte – Course de philosophie positive (1830–1842)
• Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels – The Communist Manifesto (1848)
• Ferdinand Tönnies – Community and Society (1887)
• Émile Durkheim – The Division of Labour in Society (1893)
• Georg Simmel – The Metropolis and Mental Life (1903)
• Max Weber – The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (1905)
• Max Weber – Economy and Society (1921 / 1922)

II. Structural Functionalism, Role Theory and Social Processes (1930–1970)

• Herbert Mead – Mind, Self, and Society (1934)
• Talcott Parsons – The Structure of Social Action (1937)
• Norbert Elias – The Civilizing Process (1939)
• Max Horkheimer and Theodor W. Adorno – Dialectic of Enlightenment (1944)
• Robert K. Merton – Social Structure and Anomie (1949)
• Talcott Parsons – The Social System (1951)
• Erving Goffman – The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life (1956)
• Erving Goffman – Asylums. Essays on the Social Situation of Mental Patients and Other Inmates (1961)
• Claude Lévi-Strauss – The Savage Mind (1962)
• Howard S. Becker – Outsiders (1963)
• Norbert Elias and John L. Scotson – The Established and the Outsiders (1965)
• Peter L. Berger and Thomas Luckmann – The Social Construction of Reality (1966)
• Herbert Blumer – Symbolic Interactionism: Perspective and Method (1969)

III. Critical Theory, Poststructuralism, and Systems Theory (1970–1990)

• Michel Foucault – Discipline and Punish (1975)
• Ralf Dahrendorf – Homo Sociologicus (1977)
• Pierre Bourdieu – Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste (1979)
• Jürgen Habermas – Theory of Communicative Action (1981)
• Niklas Luhmann – Social Systems (1984)
• Ulrich Beck – Risk Society (1986)
• Judith Butler – Gender Trouble (1990)

IV. Contemporary Sociology and Social Diagnoses (from 1990 onwards)

• Bruno Latour – We Have Never Been Modern (1991)
• Zygmunt Bauman – Liquid Modernity (2000)
• Loïc Wacquant – Punishing the Poor (2009)
• Andreas Reckwitz – The Society of Singularities (2017)

The selection of key works presented here is by no means exhaustive. For an overview of further influential contributions, the following references are recommended:

Further Reading and General References

• Giddens, A. (1971). Capitalism and Modern Social Theory. Cambridge University Press.
• Calhoun, C. (ed.) (2007). Classical Sociological Theory (2nd ed.). Wiley-Blackwell.
• Lemert, C. (ed.) (2016). Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings (5th ed.). Routledge.
• Ritzer, G. & Stepnisky, J. (2021). Classical and Contemporary Sociological Theory (7th ed.). Sage.
• Appelrouth, S. & Edles, L. D. (2015). Sociological Theory in the Contemporary Era (4th ed.). Sage.
• Turner, J. H. (ed.) (2001). Handbook of Sociological Theory. Springer.
• Harrington, A. (ed.) (2016). Modern Social Theory: An Introduction. Oxford University Press.
• Stones, R. (ed.) (2008). Key Sociological Thinkers (2nd ed.). Palgrave Macmillan.
• Seidman, S. (2016). Contested Knowledge: Social Theory in the Postmodern Era (6th ed.). Wiley-Blackwell.