Alexander J.C., Smith P. (eds.) The Cambridge Companion to Durkheim

Cambridge, UK; New York: Cambridge University Press, 2005. — 440 p. — ISBN: 0-521-80672-0.Long recognized as a foundational figure in the development of social scientific thought, Emile Durkheim’s work has been the subject of intense debate over the years. This authoritative and comprehensive collection of essays re-examines the impact of Durkheim’s thought, considering the historical contexts of his work as well as evaluating his ideas in relation to current issues and controversies. Eminent authorities in the field have contributed to this up-to-date overview, giving readers – both students and academics–a chance to engage directly with leading figures in the field about contemporary trends, ideas, and dilemmas. This volume reflects the cross-disciplinary application of Durkheim’s theories and will interest scholars of anthropology, political science, cultural studies, and philosophy, as well as sociology. It is a landmark that redefines the relevance of Durkheim to the human sciences in the twenty-first century, highlighting in particular the significance of his insights for contemporary moral philosophy and his ever-growing centrality for cultural theory.Jeffrey C. Alexander is the Lydia Chavenson Saden Professor of Sociology, Yale University and Co-Director of the Center for Cultural Sociology.
Philip Smith is Assistant Professor of Sociology and Associate Director of the Center for Cultural Sociology, Yale University.Introduction: The New Durkheim / Philip Smith and Jeffrey C. Alexander
Durkheim's life and context: something new about Durkheim? / Marcel Fournier
Durkheim's squares: types of social pathology and types of suicide / Philippe Besnard
Practices and presuppositions: some questions about Durkheim and Les Formes Elementaires de la vie religieuse / Robert Alun Jones
The Durkheimian movement in France and world sociology / Randall Collins
The inner development of Durkheim's sociological theory: from early writings to maturity / Jeffrey C. Alexander
What difference does translation make: Les Formes Elementaires de la vie religieuse in French and English / Karen E. Fields
Durkheim and ritual / Robert N. Bellah
Embodiment, emotions and the foundations of social order: Durkheim's enduring contribution / Chris Shilling
Drag Kings at the Totem Ball: the erotics of collective representation in Emile Durkheim / Roger Friedland
'Renegade Durkheimianism' and the transgressive left sacred / Alexander Riley
Durkheim, solidarity and September 11 / Edward A. Tiryakian
Is Durkheim a class analyst? / David B. Grusky and Gabriela Galescu
Durkheim's society revisited / Zygmunt Baumann
Beyond solidarity? Durkheim and twenty-first century democracy in a global age / Mark Cladis