Methods for Social Theory ─ Analytical tools for theorizing and writing

This book constitutes a practical guide to the important skills of both theorizing and writing in social scientific scholarship, focusing on the importance of identifying relations between concepts that are useful for explaining social entities and of producing a text that convincingly advances the theory that has been constructed. Taking as its point of departure the distinction between the research process and the reporting process - between clarifying one’s ideas to oneself and writing to express these ideas clearly to others - this volume concentrates on writing when theorizing as a way of thinking, emphasising the series of relations that exists between ontology, epistemology and rhetoric upon which successful theoretical writing depends. Richly illustrated with practical examples, the book is divided into two sections, the first of which presents techniques for theorizing based upon the connection of ideas, concepts and empirical patterns in both free and systematic ways, with the second section providing techniques for structuring and presenting arguments in essays, papers, articles or books. As such, Methods for Social Theory is offers a toolbox for the development and presentation of social thought, which will prove essential for students and teachers across the social sciences.

Jan Ch. Karlsson is Professor Emeritus of Sociology at Karlstad University, Sweden.

Ann Bergman is Professor of working life research at Karlstad University, Sweden.