Robert K. Merton (1910-2003) was one of the most influential
sociologists of the twentieth century, producing clear theories and
innovative research that continue to shape multiple disciplines.
Merton's reach can be felt in the study of social structure, social
psychology, deviance, professions, organizations, culture, and science.
Yet for all his fame, Merton is only partially understood. He is treated
by scholars as a functional analyst, when in truth his contributions
transcend paradigm.
Gathering together twelve major sociologists, Craig Calhoun launches a
thorough reconsideration of Merton's achievements and inspires a renewed
engagement with sociological theory. Merton's work addressed the
challenges of integrating research and theory. It connected different
fields of empirical research and spoke to the importance of overcoming
divisions between allegedly pure and applied sociology. Merton also
sought to integrate sociology with the institutional analysis of
science, each informing the other. By bringing together different
aspects of his work in one volume, Calhoun illuminates the
interdisciplinary--and unifying--dimensions of Merton's approach, while
also advancing the intellectual agenda of an increasingly vital area of
study.
Contributors: Aaron L. Panofsky, University of California; Alan
Sica, Pennsylvania State University; Alejandro Portes, Princeton
University; Charles Camic, Northwestern University; Charles Tilly,
Columbia University; Craig Calhoun, Social Science Research Council and
New York University; Cynthia Fuchs Epstein, City University of New York;
Harriet Zuckerman, Mellon Foundation; Peter Simonson, University of
Colorado; Ragnvald Kalleberg, University of Oslo; Robert J. Sampson,
Harvard University; Thomas F. Gieryn, Indiana University; Viviana A.
Zelizer, Princeton University
