CONTEMPORARY DEVELOPMENTS IN SOCIOLOGICAL-THEORY - CURRENT PROJECTS AND CONDITIONS OF POSSIBILITY

This paper characterizes the field of sociological theory since the mi d-1980s as the site of eight active and diverse intellectual projects. These projects are (I) to construct general analytical tools for use in empirical social research, (II) to synthesize multiple theoretical approaches; (III) to refine existing theoretical research programs; (I V) to stimulate dialogue among different theoretical perspectives; (V) to enlarge and reconstruct current theoretical approaches conceptuall y, methodologically, socially, and politically; (VI) to analyze a rang e of past theoretical ideas; (VII) to offer a diagnosis of contemporar y social conditions; and (VIII) to dissolve the enterprise of sociolog ical theory. We discuss the contours of these projects and identify so me of the major ideas and theorists associated with each. We conclude with a brief discussion of the organizational structure of the contemp orary theory field, observing that most current theoretical projects a re formulated with insufficient attention to their conditions of possi bility.