The Rise of Historical Sociology

In the aftermath of its near-demise by fascism and Stalinism, the resurgence of historical sociology has been one of the most important developments in contemporary sociology and history. Dennis Smith traces the spectacular growth of interest in social history in the West in a much-needed survey that combines lively critique of key works with a framework of interpretation for this intellectual field. He locates the 'second long wave' of historical sociology extending from the post-World War II era into the present and provides a reliable and informative guide to the most influential authors who have contributed to this field in recent times.
Describing this discipline as the study of the past to find out how societies work and change, the author identifies three phases of postwar historical sociology. These periods were shaped by the battle with totalitarianism; the protest movements for student rights, Black Power, an end to the Vietnam War; the Women's Movement; and the fragmentation of the stable bipolar world of the Cold War. Within the context of these sociopolitical eras, Smith discusses the work of the following historical sociologists: Parsons, Smelser, Eisenstadt, Lipset, Marshall, Bendix, Bloch, Elias, Moore, Thompson, Skocpol, Tilly, Anderson, Wallerstein, Braudel, Mann, Runciman, and Giddens.