Social Theory and Social History (Theory and History Series) Book

There is little in contemporary historiographical discussions that gets people going more than 'theory' (except perhaps postmodernism) as many of the more empiricist in the discipline argue that the evidence itself should tell the story - but there is little doubt that the rise since the 1960s of social history has seen a growing explicit interest and reliance on various forms of social theory. This is one of several volumes in a useful series from Palgrave exploring issues to do with history and theory aimed at undergraduates.

MacRaild & Taylor weave together an impressive array of sources and ideas into an engaging and highly readable introductory text to consider and effectively outline social history as linked to historical sociology as well as exploring several of the more discipline specific development - Fernand Braudel's Histoire Totale, comparative histories in a similar Annales School tradition. In addition there is an excellent discussion of the structure-agency debate including that aspect of it running through British social history and cultural studies in the late 1970s and early 1980s. They conclude by considering the more recent developments linked to the rise of post-modern approaches, the emergence of new forms of cultural history and the importance of mentalités and ideas of ritual.

The book is accessibly written and a good way to begin to explore an important strand of debate in contemporary historiography.