Sociology & Criminology for a Changing World
The Power Elite (1956) by C. Wright Mills is one of the most influential works in twentieth-century sociology. It offers a powerful critique of postwar American society by arguing that political, economic, and military leaders form a tightly interconnected ruling class. Unlike pluralist theories that see power as widely dispersed, Mills claims that a relatively
The Theory of Communicative Action by Jürgen Habermas is widely regarded as one of the most ambitious sociological projects of the 20th century. Published in two volumes in 1981, it develops a comprehensive social theory that places language, communication, and rationality at its core. Habermas aims to renew Critical Theory, moving beyond purely economic or
Dialectic of Enlightenment is considered one of the key works of Critical Theory and a milestone in twentieth-century sociological analysis. Originally published in 1944 in exile in the United States under the title Philosophical Fragments, it was not released in its complete form under its current title until 1969. The work explores the dark side
With The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life (1956), the Canadian-American sociologist Erving Goffman published one of the most influential works of modern microsociology. The book established Goffman’s reputation as a pioneer of interaction analysis and remains a foundational text of Symbolic Interactionism. In his central thesis, Goffman describes social life as a kind of
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
Max Weber’s essay “The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism” (1905) is considered one of the most important works in sociology. In it, Weber analyzes the cultural and religious conditions that contributed to the development of modern capitalism. This work enables students to analytically examine the interplay between culture, economy, and society, especially the