Understanding Modern Sociology

Wes Sharrock has spent his entire career since 1965 in sociology until his retirement in 2017 at the University of Manchester. His main interests have been in the philosophy of social science and in ethnomethodology, and he has published widely on issues of sociological principle and empirical research in these areas.Wes has explored two central themes—the relevance of fieldwork and an understanding of ordinary language for an understanding of social practice and the respecification of social theory—pursuing them across a huge variety of settings, from ordinary scenes of everyday social life through to complex domains of practical action and reasoning in various academic and industrial work situations. An ethnomethodologist of international reputation, alongside his other contributions, Wes coedited with Mike Lynch the four-volume 2003 Sage collection Harold Garfinkel.

′Continuing their journey after the success of Understanding Classical Social Theory, the authors have provided students with a valuable exposition of the dominant trends in contemporary sociology which is likely to have a wide appeal.′ Tim May Professor of Sociology, University of Salford

• The Background to Modern SociologyFunctionalismThe Frankfurt School and Critical TheoryStructuralismInteractionismConcluding Remarks