What Has Sociology Achieved?

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xi

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2. Introduction

   • Christopher G. A. Bryant, Henk A. Becker

   Pages 1-7

3. Achievement in the Analytical Tradition in Sociology

   • Henk A. Becker

   Pages 8-30

4. From Cognitive Style to Substantive Content: Programmatics and Pragmatics in the Development of Sociological Knowledge

   • Robin Williams

   Pages 31-53

5. The Sociological Study of History: Institutions and Social Development

   • Stephen Mennell

   Pages 54-68

6. Tales of Innocence and Experience: Developments in Sociological Theory since 1950

   • Christopher G. A. Bryant

   Pages 69-93

7. Methodological Achievements in Sociology Over the Past Few Decades with Special Reference to the Interplay of Quantitative and Qualitative Methods

   • Peter Abell

   Pages 94-116

8. Successful Applications of Sociology

   • Martin Bulmer

   Pages 117-142

9. Sociology in America

   • Nicholas C. Mullins

   Pages 143-156

10. Sociology in Britain: A Going Concern

    • John Eldridge

    Pages 157-178

11. What Has Sociology Achieved? The French Paradox

    • Philippe Bernoux

    Pages 179-203

12. Sociology in Germany: Institutional Development and Paradigmatic Structure

    • Ansgar Weymann

    Pages 204-220

13. What Dutch Sociology Has Achieved

    • Leo Laeyendecker

    Pages 221-237

14. Strategies for Future Achievement in Sociology

    • Wil A. Arts, Henk A. Becker

    Pages 238-247

15. Conclusions

    • Henk A. Becker, Christopher G. A. Bryant

    Pages 248-258

16. Back Matter

    Pages 259-270

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In an age when continued financial and other support for teaching and research in sociology cannot be taken for granted, sociologists have been surprisingly slow to provide a clear statement of the achievements of sociology in the western world since 1950. What Has Sociology Achieved? does this by assembling twelve essays specially commissioned from distinguished authors, to which the editors add an introduction setting out the issues and a concluding chapter which draws together recurrent themes.

• Institution
• sociological theory
• sociology

• University of Salford, UK

  Christopher G. A. Bryant

• Rijksuniversiteit te Utrecht, Netherlands

  Henk A. Becker

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