Introduction to the unit: Philosophical contexts

• Best, S. (2003) A beginner's guide to social theory. London: Sage. [Electronic Book]
• Jones, P. (2011) Introducing social theory. 2nd edn. Cambridge: Polity.
• May, T. (2008) 'Chapter 1: The enlightenment and the development of social theory' in Situating social theory. 2nd edn. [Electronic Book]
• McLennan, G. (1999) 'The enlightenment project revisited', in Hall, S. and McGrew, T. Modernity and its futures. Oxford: Polity, pp. 7-35.

Part One: Modernism and modern social theory

Structuralism and Durkheim

• Berberoglu, B. (2005) An introduction to classical and contemporary social theory. Rowman.
• Best, S. (2003) A beginner's guide to social theory. London: Sage. [Electronic Book]
• Craib, I. (1992) Modern social theory. Harvester Wheatsheaf.
• Stones, R. (1998) Key sociological thinkers. Macmillan.
• Sturrock, J. (2003) 'Chapter 2: Social sciences', in Structuralism. 2nd edn. Oxford: Blackwell, pp. 48-73. [Electronic Book]

Structural Marxism - Althusser

• Althusser, L. (2001) 'Ideology and ideological state apparatuses', in Lenin and philosophy and other essays. NLB.
• Benton, T. (1998) 'Louis Althusser', in Stone, R. Key sociological thinkers. Macmillan.
• Berberoglu, B. (2005) An introduction to classical and contemporary social theory. Rowman.
• Craib, I. (1992) Modern social theory. Harvester Wheatsheaf. 
• Cuff, E., Sturrock, J. and Francis, D. (1998) Perspectives in sociology. 4th edn. Routledge.
• Layder, D. (1994) Understanding social theory. Sage, pp. 36-48.
• Leche, J. (2008) Fifty key contemporary thinkers. 2nd edn. Routledge. [Electronic Book]
• Giddens, A. (1979) Central problems in social theory. University of California Press.
• Lindsay, J. (1981) The crisis in Marxism. Barnes & Noble.

Structural Linguistics - De Saussure

• Craib, I. (1992) Modern social work theory. Harvester Wheatsheaf.
• De Saussure, F. (1996) 'Selections from courses in general linguistics', in Kearney, R. and Rainwater, M. The continental philosophy reader.
• Leche, J (1994) Fifty key contemporary thinkers. Routledge.
• Sturrock, J. (1993) Structuralism. Fontana.

Post- structuralism - discourse theory

• Best, S. and Kellner, D. (1991) Postmodern theory: critical interrogations. Macmillan, pp. 20-25.
• Boyne, R. and Rattansi, A. (1994) 'The theory and politics of postmodernism: by way of an introduction', in Postmodernism and society. Macmillan, pp. 9-41.
• Callinicos, A.
• Craib, I. (1992) Modern social theory. Harvester Wheatsheaf.
• Barth, L. (1998) 'Michel Foucault', in Stone, R. Key sociological thinkers. Macmillan.
• Harrington, A. (2005) Modern social theory. OUP.