The Growth of Sociological Theories

In this original book, David Wagner addresses one of the fundamental debates in sociological theory. Are sociological theories cumulative (can new theories be built upon old theories already in existence) or non-cumulative (each theory is completely dependent upon the context and values in existence at the time of its generation). Wagner argues in favour of the former, and says that there are a considerable number of assumptions upon which sociologists can build when developing their own theories.

The book combines a review of basic theory construction with philosophical essays on sociological inquiry, and includes Wagner′s own multidimensional concept of theory development. It will appeal to those interested in sociology, philosophy, sociological theory, and social psychology, and would be suitable as a graduate text book.

`This is a timely book that is relevant for all of us who are concerned about the problem of the cumulativeness of sociological knowledge.′ -- Contemporary Sociology, Vol 15 No 1, January 1986

`...Wagner has written a book... with some new and interesting ideas...The book has some good ideas and suggests an important approach that might reopen the debat about theory construction...′ -- American Journal of Sociology, no 6, 1987.