Grand Theories and Ideologies in the Social Sciences

"I am most impressed with this project. It is refreshing to read a book by the next generation of scholars as they develop their positions on these fundamental views of the world and of politics. Wiarda is to be commended for this effort; he has constructed an edited volume that will get the attention of a wide readership. This text will be popular both with the graduate school community and undergraduates as well as instructors in beginning comparative politics courses looking to assign a text as supplementary reading to introduce college students to the world of the key grand theories of social science."---Michael Kryzanek, Professor of Political science and Executive Director of the Center for International Engagement, Bridgewater State College

A Comparative analysis of all the major social science and political science grand theories, this book focuses on developmentalism, dependency theory, the world systems approach, Marxism, institutionalism, rational choice, psychoanalysis, political sociology, sociobiology, environmentalism, neuro-politics, transitions to democracy, and non-Western systems of analysis. To facilitate comparison and analysis, a common framework is employed throughout and an integrating introduction and conclusion tie the book together.

Howard J. Wiarda is Dean Rusk Professor of International Affairs at the University of Georgia; Senior Scholar at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington D.C.; and Public Policy Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. A prolific writer, he is the editor of over one hundred books, including Introduction to Comparative Politics; A Clash of Cultures; Comparative Democracy and Democratization; Political development in Emerging Nations; Divided America on the World Stage; Globalization: Universal Trends, Regional Variation; and Conservative Braintrust.