Durkheim is Dead!

Sherlock Holmes is Introduced to Social Theory

By (author) Arthur Asa Berger

Publication date:

13 May 2003

Length of book:

176 pages

Publisher

AltaMira Press

Dimensions:

240x160mm
6x9"

ISBN-13: 9780759102996

In this sociology textbook/mystery novel, students can join Sherlock Holmes and Watson as they discover a new area ripe for acrimony and intrigue: social theory. In 1910, the most prominent social theorists in the world gather in London for a conference on the new science of sociology. Things rapidly fall apart, though, as a fight breaks out, a jewel is stolen, and famous sociologist Emile Durkheim disappears. As Sherlock Holmes and Watson investigate, it appears that social theory may not only explain actions—in this case, it may be the cause of them. So Holmes and Watson investigate social theory itself, learning directly from those creating it: W.E.B. Du Bois, Sigmund Freud, Vladimir Lenin, Beatrice Webb, Georg Simmel, Emile Durkheim, and Max Weber. The theories, lives, and passions of each sociologist are revealed as Holmes and Watson learn first-hand just how influential social theory can be.
Evoking the style of Sherlock Holmes mysteries, Durkheim is Dead! is a great way to expose students to social theory. The book is engaging, unique, and well-constructed. Readers will appreciate the easy-to-follow coverage of the major theorists—Durkheim, Freud, and Weber among them—along with the clever mystery that Berger develops. This is a creative and innovative entry into theory, absolutely suitable for introductory courses and anyone interested in social theory.