Peter Kivisto is the Richard Swanson Professor of Social Thought Emeritus at Augustana College.Giuseppe Sciortino is Professor of Sociology at the University of Trento, Italy.

"Accessible and expert, The Civil Sphere introduces an essential perspective on modern democratic life. Kivisto and Sciortino explain Civil Sphere Theory's elements, backgruond, competitors, criqitues, and developments. Their important contribution helps everyone who wants to understand the fraught dynamics of democracy."Lyn Spillman, University of Notre Dame"Jeffrey C. Alexander, one of the most important social theorists of our time, has profoundly recast our understanding of civil society, democracy, and solidarity. Now his ambitious and groundbreaking theory of the civil sphere has the lucid, comprehensive introduction it deserves. Kivisto and Sciortino's masterful guide illuminates Alexander's work in relation to the history of ideas, contemporary debates, and ongoing political struggles."Chad Alan Goldberg, University of Wisconsin-Madison"[This book] is at once an accessible entry point into Civil Sphere Theory, an informative assessment of its past roots and recent developments, and a stimulating invitation to the dialogues it opens with adjacent traditions. For readers interested in thinking seriously about solidarity and democracy in our present moment, the book offers not only significant theoretical vocabulary but also a reminder that the sociological study of civil life remains a vital and unfinished project."Cultural Sociology

• By Way of an IntroductionCivil Society Theory: The TraditionThe Civil Sphere: The BlueprintCriticisms, Questions, and Two AlternativesThe Project: From Author to NetworkCoda: Democracy’s Future and Civil Sphere Theory

Peter Kivisto is the Richard Swanson Professor of Social Thought Emeritus at Augustana College.Giuseppe Sciortino is Professor of Sociology at the University of Trento, Italy.

"Accessible and expert, The Civil Sphere introduces an essential perspective on modern democratic life. Kivisto and Sciortino explain Civil Sphere Theory's elements, backgruond, competitors, criqitues, and developments. Their important contribution helps everyone who wants to understand the fraught dynamics of democracy."Lyn Spillman, University of Notre Dame"Jeffrey C. Alexander, one of the most important social theorists of our time, has profoundly recast our understanding of civil society, democracy, and solidarity. Now his ambitious and groundbreaking theory of the civil sphere has the lucid, comprehensive introduction it deserves. Kivisto and Sciortino's masterful guide illuminates Alexander's work in relation to the history of ideas, contemporary debates, and ongoing political struggles."Chad Alan Goldberg, University of Wisconsin-Madison"[This book] is at once an accessible entry point into Civil Sphere Theory, an informative assessment of its past roots and recent developments, and a stimulating invitation to the dialogues it opens with adjacent traditions. For readers interested in thinking seriously about solidarity and democracy in our present moment, the book offers not only significant theoretical vocabulary but also a reminder that the sociological study of civil life remains a vital and unfinished project."Cultural Sociology

• By Way of an IntroductionCivil Society Theory: The TraditionThe Civil Sphere: The BlueprintCriticisms, Questions, and Two AlternativesThe Project: From Author to NetworkCoda: Democracy’s Future and Civil Sphere Theory

Peter Kivisto is the Richard Swanson Professor of Social Thought Emeritus at Augustana College.Giuseppe Sciortino is Professor of Sociology at the University of Trento, Italy.

"Accessible and expert, The Civil Sphere introduces an essential perspective on modern democratic life. Kivisto and Sciortino explain Civil Sphere Theory's elements, backgruond, competitors, criqitues, and developments. Their important contribution helps everyone who wants to understand the fraught dynamics of democracy."Lyn Spillman, University of Notre Dame"Jeffrey C. Alexander, one of the most important social theorists of our time, has profoundly recast our understanding of civil society, democracy, and solidarity. Now his ambitious and groundbreaking theory of the civil sphere has the lucid, comprehensive introduction it deserves. Kivisto and Sciortino's masterful guide illuminates Alexander's work in relation to the history of ideas, contemporary debates, and ongoing political struggles."Chad Alan Goldberg, University of Wisconsin-Madison"[This book] is at once an accessible entry point into Civil Sphere Theory, an informative assessment of its past roots and recent developments, and a stimulating invitation to the dialogues it opens with adjacent traditions. For readers interested in thinking seriously about solidarity and democracy in our present moment, the book offers not only significant theoretical vocabulary but also a reminder that the sociological study of civil life remains a vital and unfinished project."Cultural Sociology

• By Way of an IntroductionCivil Society Theory: The TraditionThe Civil Sphere: The BlueprintCriticisms, Questions, and Two AlternativesThe Project: From Author to NetworkCoda: Democracy’s Future and Civil Sphere Theory