This volume outlines Max Webers comparative-historical sociology of "interpretive understanding" (verstehen) in a manner that clarifies his complex mode of analysis and multi-causal focus. Presenting the central features of his methodology, it demonstrates the strengths of his research strategies through discussions of his major works and overarching concerns. Among other themes, this study addresses the origins of the American political culture, the longevity of its civic sphere, and the multiple causes behind the unique historical pathways followed by several civilizations. Indeed, through summaries of Webers procedures and their application in his own empirical studies, Max Webers Sociology sustains a simultaneous orientation to his "big picture" themes and his rigorous manner of analysis. It demonstrates in so doing the capacity of Webers sociology to ground firmly both 'ideal-type' theorizing and empirically oriented investigations. This volume will appeal to scholars throughout the social sciences with interests in the American civic sphere, the Wests uniqueness, 'the Protestant ethic thesis,' the multiple ways that civilizations develop, and the diverse twists and turns of Webers comparative-historical sociology.
Introduction PART I: "The Protestant Ethic Thesis," the Protestant Sects, and the American Reception 1. "The Protestant Ethic Thesis": The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism 2. The Protestant Sects and the "Breeding" of Ethical Action 3. The Protestant Ethic Revisited: Key Terminological Distinctions and the Debate 4. American Sociologys Neglect of The Protestant Ethic as a Theoretical Treatise: Demarcating the Parameters of Postwar American Sociological Theory PART II: Beyond The Protestant Ethic: The Multi-Causal Sociology of Religion 5. From The Protestant Ethic to the Economic Ethics of the World Religions 6. "Ideas and Interests": From The Protestant Ethic to the Later Sociology of Religion PART III: The Origins, Uniqueness, and Pathway of the American Political Culture 7. Tocqueville and Weber on the Sociological Origins of Citizenship: The Political Culture of American Democracy 8. The Analysis of the Unique American Civic Sphere 9. The Modern World as a Monolithic Iron Cage? Utilizing Max Weber to Define the Internal Dynamics of the American Political Culture Today PART IV: The Sociology of Civilizations 10. Economy and Society and the Sociology of Civilizations 11. The Five Major Civilizations Themes 12. The Nature of Work in Old and New Civilizations 13. On Racism and Its Social Contexts 14. Max Webers Sociology of Emotions: A Preliminary Analysis 15. Routinization Appendix I: Civilizations East and West - An Interview 281 Appendix II: Critical Remarks on the Translation of The Protestant Ethic by Talcott Parsons
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