The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels is one of the most influential political and social theory texts of modern times. Published in February 1848, it serves as a programmatic text, a theoretical foundation, and a political call to action all at once. With its concise analysis of
social structure
Ferdinand Tönnies – Community and Society (1887)
Ferdinand Tönnies’ work “Community and Society” (1887) is considered one of the earliest and most important key texts in sociology. In this work, Tönnies introduces the fundamental distinction between two forms of social life: the traditionally rooted, emotionally bound community and the rationally calculated, purpose-driven society. This differentiation continues to
Concept of Anomie (Durkheim)
Durkheim sees anomie as a state of social disintegration. Due to a far-reaching social change (here: industrialisation, introduction of the structural principle of division of labour), social differentiations are increasingly emerging (e.g. poor – rich, urban – rural, religious – secularised, etc.). The disappearance of old principles of structure and
