Literature in the Dawn of Sociological Theory: Stories That Are Telling

Literature in the Dawn of Sociological Theory: Stories That Are Telling explores the connections between novelists from the early 1800s to the early 1900s and Classical Sociological Theory. It also considers the aesthetic, sociological, and literary insights of Theodor Adorno, György Lukács, Fredric Jameson, Raymond Williams, Wolf Lepenies, Franco Moretti, Lucien Goldmann, and John Orr. The main chapters discuss the fiction of Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville, Joseph Conrad, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Virginia Woolf, and Fyodor Dostoevsky, and the concluding chapter reflects on the dawn of modernity. The text highlights the authors of the past who anticipate contemporary social problems and movements, such as the environmental crisis, globalization, Black Lives Matter, #MeToo, "cancel culture," debates about gender nonconformity, and secularization. MacMillen reflects on the need for solidarity in shifting patterns of social existence and rebuilding post-COVID.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 180 pages
Publication date: 15 September 2023
Publisher: Lexington Books

Literature in the Dawn of Sociological Theory: Stories That Are Telling delves into the captivating connections between a select group of novelists from the early 1800s to the early 1900s and the profound insights of Classical Sociological Theory and the sociological imagination. This comprehensive monograph also explores the aesthetic, sociological, and literary perspectives of renowned thinkers such as Theodor Adorno, György Lukács, Fredric Jameson, Raymond Williams, Wolf Lepenies, Franco Moretti, Lucien Goldmann, and John Orr. The main chapters delve into the rich tapestry of fiction by authors like Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville, Joseph Conrad, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Virginia Woolf, and Fyodor Dostoevsky. The concluding chapter offers a thought-provoking reflection on the dawn of modernity, particularly focusing on the birth of capitalism and the plague crisis in Boccaccios Florence, which holds significant relevance to The Decameron. Throughout the text, Sarah Louise MacMillen examines these "stories that are telling" in the context of contemporary social issues. She advocates for highlighting the contributions of these past authors, as their fictional accounts anticipate some of our most pressing social problems and social movements. These dynamics encompass the environmental crisis, the impacts of globalization, Black Lives Matter, #MeToo, "cancel culture," discussions about gender nonconformity, and secularization. Finally, MacMillen reflects on the urgent need for solidarity in navigating the shifting patterns of social existence and rebuilding in the aftermath of COVID-19.

Weight: 286g
Dimension: 230 x 154 x 14 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781793628077