{"product_id":"transcending-modernity-with-relational-thinking-scholarly","title":"Transcending Modernity with Relational Thinking - Scholarly","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn this review of Transcending Modernity with Relational Thinking, the reviewer finds a rigorous, concept-driven contribution for readers interested in contemporary social theory. Pierpaolo Donati advances a realist relational sociology that frames society as constituted by \u003cstrong\u003esocial relations\u003c\/strong\u003e rather than solely by individuals or structures, and the biggest reason to read this book is its persistent theoretical focus on how relations generate an \"aftermodern\" or relational society. The Open Access orientation and explicit theoretical lineage from Simmel make it particularly suited to scholars seeking a clear account of relational morphogenesis.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eKey Features\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eRelational ontology:\u003c\/strong\u003e Argues that social relations are a distinct reality that reshape the foundations of modern society and lead toward an aftermodern social form.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTheoretical lineage:\u003c\/strong\u003e Draws on the thought of Simmel to extend and clarify the claim that society consists essentially of relations rather than atomized agents.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMorphogenetic focus:\u003c\/strong\u003e Examines the operation of dichotomous forces and the emergence of a \"third\" in social processes, offering a framework for understanding structural change.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eRealist and critical approach:\u003c\/strong\u003e Combines critical sociology with realist commitments to avoid purely idealist or reductionist readings of social dynamics.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOpen Access availability:\u003c\/strong\u003e The book is available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license, improving accessibility for researchers and students.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWho It's For\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis work is aimed at advanced students, researchers, and theorists in sociology and related social sciences who seek a coherent alternative to individualist or purely structural approaches. It will appeal to those interested in conceptual clarity about how relations function as emergent social realities and to readers familiar with classical sociological theory.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReaders looking for empirical case studies, step-by-step methodological guidance, or introductory textbooks on sociology should look elsewhere; this is primarily a theoretical and philosophical intervention that assumes some prior grounding in sociological debate.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003ePros \u0026amp; Cons\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePros\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProvides a sustained, original defense of \u003cstrong\u003erelational sociology\u003c\/strong\u003e that clarifies the ontological status of relations.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEngages classical theory by drawing on Simmel to extend contemporary debates in a disciplined way.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen Access licensing increases reach and makes the text readily available for teaching and research.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCons\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIts theoretical density and limited empirical examples may make the book challenging for readers seeking applied research or practical methods.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTitle\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTranscending Modernity with Relational Thinking\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSeries\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eRoutledge Advances in Sociology\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eAuthor\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePierpaolo Donati\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eAvailability\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eOpen Access via Taylor \u0026amp; Francis with CC BY-NC-ND 4.0\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCore focus\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eRealist relational sociology and morphogenetic processes\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTheoretical influence\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDraws on the thought of Simmel\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eOur Verdict\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTranscending Modernity with Relational Thinking is a valuable theoretical intervention for scholars committed to rethinking society through the lens of relations. Its clarity about relational ontology and morphogenetic dynamics makes it a good value for graduate seminars and researchers, though readers seeking empirical breadth or methodological instruction may need to supplement it with case-based studies.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eFrequently Asked Questions\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs this book freely available?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYes. The Open Access version is available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDoes it include empirical case studies?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe book is primarily theoretical and focuses on relational theory and morphogenetic concepts rather than extensive empirical case studies.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWho is the author?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePierpaolo Donati, who situates the argument in a realist relational sociology and engages classical theorists such as Simmel.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Pierpaolo Donati","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48760410079451,"sku":"0367705125","price":160.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0724\/1043\/1707\/files\/71KENiUf0BL._SL1500.jpg?v=1778437083","url":"https:\/\/gearmusthave.com\/products\/transcending-modernity-with-relational-thinking-scholarly","provider":"GearMustHave","version":"1.0","type":"link"}