In this accomplished, comprehensive and accessible book Barry Smart explores these questions. The book examines the social and economic processes which have shaped and continue to shape life today. It also provides exemplary critical assessments of the various `modern' and `postmodern' thinkers who have sought to explain these processes. Judicious in its judgements and superbly informed, the text is a major contribution to the debate on Modernity and Postmodernity.

Sociology is an established academic discipline but there has been continuing debate over its status as a science and the nature of its subject matter. This led to the emergence of a phenomenological sociology and to critiques of positivist sociology. This critical reappraisal of the relevance of Marxian analysis for a science of society shows how these developments within sociology have had their counterpart in Marxism. The author analyses the status of Marx's work and the Marxist 'tradition' in sociology. He focuses upon those concerns which are common to both Marxian analysis and sociology - the question of subjectivity; the nature of social reality; and the dialectical relationship of the 'doing' or practice of a science of society to the social world within which such social analyses are situated. Originally published in 1976.

In this work, originally released in 1983, Barry Smart examines the relevance of Foucault's work for developing an understanding of those issues which lie beyond the limits of Marxist theory and analysis - issues such as 'individualising' forms of power, power-knowledge relations, the rise of 'the social', and the associated socialisation of politics. He argues that there exist clear and substantial differences between Foucault's genealogical analysis and that of Marxist theory. Smart thus presents Foucault's work as a new form of critical theory, whose object is a critical analysis of rationalities, and of how relations of power are rationalised.

In this work, originally released in 1983, Barry Smart examines the relevance of Foucault's work for developing an understanding of those issues which lie beyond the limits of Marxist theory and analysis - issues such as 'individualising' forms of power, power-knowledge relations, the rise of 'the social', and the associated socialisation of politics. He argues that there exist clear and substantial differences between Foucault's genealogical analysis and that of Marxist theory. Smart thus presents Foucault's work as a new form of critical theory, whose object is a critical analysis of rationalities, and of how relations of power are rationalised.

At last, a short and authoritative critical introduction to one of the most talked about and most misunderstood concepts of current times. Barry Smart provides a clear and readable discussion for students which also manages to be a shrewd and stimulating contribution to the debate about modernity and postmodernity. Brightly observed and totally trustworthy it will occupy a central place in all introductions to the concept of postmodernity.

In investigating the major works of Michel Foucault, Barry Smart focuses on the analysis of the relations of power and knowledge and modes of objectification through which human beings are made subjects; and addresses controversial issues concerning the state and resistance to power. The development of Foucault's work from the early text on madness to the final studies of sexuality, and the question of the work's methodological value and status as a form of critical analysis, are reviewed comprehensively. Barry Smart's detailed discussion of the contribution of Foucault's work to social analysis and research will promote fresh interest in the stimulating originality of Foucault's project.

Barry Smart offers a coherent and readable discussion of the central aspects of social, cultural, economic, technological and political processes which are transforming everyday life. Specific issues examined include the effect of information technology on social life, transformations in the capitalist mode of production, conceptions of possible alternative post-industrial' social futures, and the impact of modern media and communications on forms of human sensibility. Smart explores the theoretical responses to these developments from social thinkers like Talcott Parsons, Daniel Bell, Alvin Toffler, Andre Gorz, Marshall McLuhan, Walter Benjamin, Jean Baudrillard, Jurgen Habermas, Marshall Berman, Jean Lyotard, Frederic Jameson and David Harvey. The unifying theme of the discussion is modernity and its consequences, the growing uncertainty about the project of modernity' and the possibility that we are witnessing the development of postmodern conditions. The author provides an account of what we mean by "modernity" and "postmodernity" and concludes with a chapter on the connections between postmodernism and Marxism. This book should be of interest to students of sociology and cul

Sociology is an established academic discipline but there has been continuing debate over its status as a science and the nature of its subject matter. This led to the emergence of a phenomenological sociology and to critiques of positivist sociology. This critical reappraisal of the relevance of Marxian analysis for a science of society shows how these developments within sociology have had their counterpart in Marxism. The author analyses the status of Marx's work and the Marxist 'tradition' in sociology. He focuses upon those concerns which are common to both Marxian analysis and sociology - the question of subjectivity; the nature of social reality; and the dialectical relationship of the 'doing' or practice of a science of society to the social world within which such social analyses are situated. Originally published in 1976.

Contents:
Editor's Foreword Preface and Acknowledgements Reconsidering Foucault Introduction 1. Major Themes and Issues 1.1 On Confinement - madness, reason and the asylum 1.2 The birth of the clinic 1.3 An archaeology of the human sciences 1.4 A theory of discourse 1.5 From archaeology to genealogy 2. Questions of Methods of Analysis 2.1 Archaeology 2.2 Archaeology and science 2.3 Genealogy 2.4 Science and critique 2.5 On intellectuals 3. Subjects of Power, Objects of Knowledge 3.1 Discipline and punish 3.2 Power, knowledge and the body 3.3 Power 3.4 Discipline and punishment 3.5 Discipline 3.6 The Carceral network and the formation of the human sciences 3.7 On the subject of sexuality 3.8 Sexuality and repression 3.9 Classes of sex 3.10 Power over life: a summary 3.11 Objectification, subjectification, and the human sciences 3.12 A genealogy of the subject 3.13 The 'culture of self' 4. The State, Resistance and Rationality 4.1 Power and the State 4.2 On the government 4.3 The question of resistance 4.4 Forms of rationality 5. Suggestions for Further Reading Index

At last, a short and authoritative critical introduction to one of the most talked about and most misunderstood concepts of current times. Barry Smart provides a clear and readable discussion for students which also manages to be a shrewd and stimulating contribution to the debate about modernity and postmodernity. Brightly observed and totally trustworthy it will occupy a central place in all introductions to the concept of postmodernity.

What factors are contributing to the continuing growth in consumption of goods and services? At what point do the costs associated with consumerism begin to call our way of life into question? How are the problems of resource depletion, waste and pollution, and environmental impact being addressed? What is to be done about the consequences of our all-consuming way of life? Ever-increasing consumption and a relentless pursuit of growth in output are the twin pillars on which the modern economy and contemporary social life rest. But the consumer way of life is globally unsustainable. We can't all live the consumer dream. This comprehensive, lively and informative book will quickly be recognized as a benchmark in the field. It brings together a huge set of resources for thinking about the development of consumer culture, its defining features, and global consequences. Adept in handling a complex range of classical and contemporary theoretical sources, the book draws on an impressive range of comparative material and provides a variety of contemporary examples to inform and enhance understanding of our consuming way of life. Smart writes with verve and feeling and has produced a stimulating book that enlarges our understanding of consumer culture and provides a timely critical analysis of its consequences. Clear, engaging, and original this book will be essential reading for all those interested in and concerned about our global culture of consumption including researchers and students in sociology, politics, cultural studies, economics, and social geography.

This book is an indispensable resource for anyone interested in the roots, current debates and future development of social theory. It draws together a team of international scholars, and presents an authoritative and panoramic critical survey of the field. The first section, examines the classical tradition. Included here are critical discussions of Comte, Spencer, Marx, Durkheim, Weber, Simmel, Mead, Freud, Mannheim and classical feminist thought, demonstrating not only the critical significance of classical writings, but also their continuing relevance. The second section moves on to examine the terrain of contemporary social theory. The contributors discuss the significance and strengths and weaknesses of structural functionalism, recent Marxian theory, critical theory, symbolic interactionism, phenomenology, exchange theory, contemporary feminism, ethnomethodology, rational choice theory, figurational sociology, the thought of Foucault, multicuturalism and postmodernism. The final section looks at the key debates in current social theory. Questions relating to the body, sexuality, globalism, nationalism, socialism, knowledge, norms, ethics, positivism, post-structuralism, consumption, metatheorizing and cultural studies are fully discussed. The dilemmas and promise of contemporary social theory are revealed with pinpoint accuracy.

George Ritzer's McDonaldization thesis argued that contemporary life is succumbing to the standardization, flexibility and practicability of fast-food service. This book brings together specially commissioned papers by leading social and cultural analysts to engage in a critical appraisal of the thesis.

The contributors discuss the roots of the thesis, the rationalization of late modern life, the effects of increasing cultural commodification, the continuing prominence of American cultural and economic imperialism and the impact of globalization on social and cultural life. The strengths and weaknesses of the McDonaldization thesis are clearly evaluated and the irrational consequences of rationalization are pinpointed and critically developed. The book enlarges our understanding of how everyday life is structured by new standards of bureaucratic control and performance-related criteria and plays a major role in illuminating how identity and practice are structured today. The volume concludes with a response from George Ritzer.