The Science of Generosity (original) (raw)
The series, as its name implies, focuses on altruism, morality, and social solidarity and their interrelationships. These phenomena were of major concern in the founding and early years of sociology. Renewed interest in their study has occurred in recent years, not only in sociology but also in related disciplines such as psychology, economics, and philosophy. An awareness of the interdependence of these phenomena is also developing, and this series will expand on this while linking the phenomena to important topical issues and developing their implications for the public discourse and public good. Early, foundational scholarship in this area was grounded largely in the writings of sociologists Emile Durkheim, Jane Addams, and Pitirim A. Sorokin, whose work provides a comprehensive and powerful intellectual foundation for future theories and empirical studies. Contributions to the series will build on the mentioned foundational thinkers and will make use of a range of theoretical approaches, including symbolic interactionism, conflict theory, rational choice theory, personalism, Marxist theory, systems theory, and identity theory.