The Future of Society [Hardcover]

This important Manifesto argues that we still need a concept of society in order to make sense of the forces which structure our lives.

• Written by leading social theorist William Outhwaite
  
• Asks if the notion of society is relevant in the twenty-first century
  
• Goes to the heart of contemporary social and political debate
  
• Examines critiques of the concept of society from neoliberals, postmodernists, and globalization theorists
  

Preface.

1. The Origins of ‘Society’.

Part I: Critiques of Society.

2. Society and the Individual: Neoliberalism, Social Constructionism and Communitarianism.

3. Postmodernism.

4. Globalisation.

Part II: Reconstructing Society.

5. Modernity and Society.

6. Towards a Synthesis? Theory and Metatheory.

Part III: Implications.

7. Society Lite? Theories of Civil Society.

8. Is There a European Society?.

Postscript: A Defensible Concept of ‘Society’.

Notes.

Bibliography.

Index

Written with the author’s customary elegance and economy, this book invites us to take the concept of society seriously and to think about its future. This is a splendid and spirited work which will provoke a necessary debate. Krishan Kumar, University of Virginia

“An original, challenging, and timely defense of the concept of society, this is an excellent introduction to contemporary sources and debates.” Davlƒ&