Defending the Durkheimian Tradition

Jonathan Fish is at the School of Sociology and Social Policy at the University of Leeds, UK.

’This book offers an important and timely restatement of the rich potentialities of the Durkheimian tradition for contemporary sociologists and social theorists. Not only is his explication of Durkheim’s key arguments detailed and sensitive to its nuances, but Fish's account of Parsons's work makes a significant contribution to the current reassessment of this remoulding of the Durkheimian project. Fish's discussion of the resurgence of, and opposition to, Durkheimian currents in postmodern thought is also helpful and informative. This will be a very useful text for students in sociology and social theory, and should be of considerable interest to other writers in the field.’ Philip A. Mellor, University of Leeds, UK ’This ambitious book goes to the heart of contemporary neo-Durkheimianism. Encounters with Maffesoli, Mestrovic and Baudrillard enable the retrieval of an entire tradition formerly mired in rationalism and scientism. Even Talcott Parsons emerges from the rationalistic shadows. The new emotion-centred, religious sociology of Durkheim that is reclaimed here will set the tone for the next phase of Durkheim scholarship.’ Richard Kilminster, University of Leeds, UK

• Contents: Setting the scene; Émile Durkheim's The Elementary Forms of Religious Life; Émile Durkheim's lectures on Moral Education; Émile Durkheim's lectures on Professional Ethics and Civic Morals; Émile Durkheim's The Division of Labour in Society and The Two Laws of Penal Evolution; Talcott Parsons's The Structure of Social Action; Talcott Parsons's post-war writings on religion; Jean Baudrillard's 'implosive' critique of the Durkheimian tradition; Stjepan MeÅ¡trovic's and Michel Maffesoli's 'implosive' defence of the Durkheimian tradition; Conclusion; Bibliography; Index.