Touraine’s Thesis: End of Political Sociology

Political Sociology Is Dead. Long Live Political Sociology?

POLITICAL SOCIOLOGY IS DEAD. The old kind, anyway. What counted as political sociology in the past just is not practiced anymore. Generalizing wildly, political sociology used to be the study of how voters, classes, movements, parties, and so on influenced the state—be it political leaders, policy, administration, and so forth. In Canada, this kind of political sociology was represented by both...

of Political and Military Sociology

Elite Theory in Political Sociology

Elite theory‟s origins lie most clearly in the writings of Gaetano Mosca (18581941), Vilfredo Pareto (1848-1923), and Robert Michels (1876-1936). Mosca emphasized the ways in which tiny minorities out-organize and outwit large majorities, adding that “political classes” – Mosca‟s term for political elites – usually have “a certain material, intellectual, or even moral superiority” over those th...

The promise of Bourdieusian political sociology

This essay provides an analytical review of David Swartz’s book on Bourdieu’s political sociology. I argue that among its many virtues, the book presents Bourdieu’s ideas in an accessible and synthetic manner, adding clarity to what is a complex and often contradictory theoretical system. In addition to assessing the book’s contributions, I draw inspiration from Swartz’s work to point out some ...

Using Sociology to End Chemical Dependency

Drawing on participant observations and interventions while counseling 160 heroin addicts over a two-year period, the author explores the possibilities and limitations of using sociology to counter his clients' addictions to heroin and other drugs. Important historical changes have brought about new conflicting viewpoints within the methadone maintenance clinic, where acupuncture and Chinese he...