Sociology & Criminology for a Changing World
Systems theory in sociology does not understand society as a collection of individuals, but as an autonomous system of communication. Actions, actors, and institutions are not the primary units of analysis—instead, communication itself is the central, self-referential process. With this shift, systems theory departs from both action-oriented and normative-integrative approaches. Society is not explained through
Functionalism (and its structural-functional variant) understands society as a structured system of functionally interconnected elements that contribute to the maintenance of social order. Institutions, roles, and norms are not primarily explained by individual motives or situational meanings, but by the functions they fulfill for stability, integration, and the coordination of action. At the center lies
Classical sociology establishes the central axes of tension in modern social theory. In response to industrialization, capitalism, political revolution, and secularization, the 19th and early 20th centuries produced different answers to a fundamental question: How is social order possible under the conditions of modernity? Sociology emerges as the science of a society that can no
Herbert Mead’s work Mind, Self, and Society is considered a key text of symbolic interactionism and remains one of the most influential contributions to socialization theory. Published posthumously in 1934, the book is not a classic monograph but a compilation of lecture notes that systematically present Mead’s core ideas. Academic Context Mead taught at the
With his major work Economy and Society (1921/22), Max Weber created a foundational text of modern sociology that remains one of the central reference points for sociological theory today. Published posthumously and edited by Marianne Weber and other students based on his lectures and manuscripts, it offers a comprehensive system of categories for analyzing social
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