The Myth of Social Action

The Myth of Social Action is a powerful critique of contemporary sociology and a call to reject the prevailing orthodoxy. Arguing that current sociological theory has lost its way, Colin Campbell mounts a case for a new ‘dynamic interpretivism’ a perspective on human conduct which is more inkeeping with the spirit of traditional Weberian action theory. Discussing and dismissing one by one the main arguments of those who reject individualistic action theory, he demonstrates that this has been wrongly rejected in favour of the interactional, social situationalist approach now dominating sociological thought.