{"product_id":"2026200014550-secondhand-the-coming-crisis-of-western-sociology","title":"The Coming Crisis Of Western Sociology","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eCondition remarks:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBook: Good\u003cbr\u003eJacket: No dust jacket\u003cbr\u003ePages: Good\u003cbr\u003eMarkings: Previous owner\u003cbr\u003eCondition remarks: Condition as shown in image\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn one of the most audacious intellectual challenges of the twentieth century, Alvin W. Gouldner argues that Western sociology is not the detached, value-free science it claims to be, but a discipline riddled with hidden assumptions, ideological biases, and internal contradictions that are pushing it toward an inevitable crisis. The Coming Crisis of Western Sociology presents a sweeping and rigorous critique of the sociological establishment — most notably Talcott Parsons' structural functionalism — unmasking the ways in which mainstream sociology serves to legitimise existing power structures rather than interrogate them. Gouldner dissects the relationship between sociological theory and the broader political and cultural forces of the West, revealing how knowledge itself is shaped by the social conditions of its production.\n\nA landmark work in the sociology of knowledge, this volume argues for a reflexive sociology — one that turns its critical gaze upon itself, demanding that sociologists account for their own values, backgrounds, and interests. Gouldner's prose is commanding and erudite, combining the rigour of classical social theory with the passion of a committed intellectual seeking genuine transformation. Praised by John Leonard of *The New York Times* as an enormous achievement — the most important book in this field since C. Wright Mills's 'The Sociological Imagination,' it remains a foundational text for anyone who dares to ask: who guards the guardians of social thought?\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Secondhand Stock","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49203122372827,"sku":"2026200014550-SECONDHAND","price":12.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0523\/7646\/9701\/files\/c1adb6de-b962-455a-bf47-8c5e35a34ead.png?v=1788144607","url":"https:\/\/bookgrocer.com\/products\/2026200014550-secondhand-the-coming-crisis-of-western-sociology","provider":"Book Grocer","version":"1.0","type":"link"}