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Publication Mid-American Review of Sociology, Volume 11, Number 2 (WINTER, 1986): Back Matter(Department of Sociology, University of Kansas, 1986-01-01)Publication Class Analysis and Social Movement Theory: Toward a Synthesis(Department of Sociology, University of Kansas, 1986-01-01) McNall, Scott G.Publication Mid-American Review of Sociology, Volume 11, Number 2 (WINTER, 1986): Front Matter(Department of Sociology, University of Kansas, 1986-01-01)Publication What's New About the "New Social Movements"?: Continuities and Discontinuities with the Socialist Project(Department of Sociology, University of Kansas, 1986-01-01) Kivisto, PeterSince the 1960s, social theorists have sought to explicate factors that contributed to the emergence of the New Left in North America and Western Europe and to the "new social movements" that arose during this tumultuous decade (see, for example, Alberoni, 1984; Birnbaum, 1969; Gamson, 1975; Gorz, 1973; Gouldner, 1979; Habermas, 1970 and 197 5; Jenkins, 1986; Klandermans and Oegema, 1987; Oberschall, 1978; Offe, 1984 and 1985; Tilly, 1978; Touraine, 1971a, 1971b, and 1981; Useem, 1975). There are, as Cohen (1983:97) suggests, "compelling reasons for a renewed reflection on the significance and potentials of social movements." In no small part, this is because these movements served to dispel the conviction that advanced industrial societies had arrived at a stage that marked the "end of ideology," as they reflected instead conflictual tendencies in those societies. This paper explores questions concerning the relationship of these movements to socialism. It does so by reviewing issues raised both in theoretic discourse and in concrete instances of these new contestatory actors.Publication BRINGING THE ECONOMY BACK IN (AGAIN): CONCEPTIONS OF THE CAPITALIST STATE AND THEIR RELEVANCE FOR PUBLIC POLICY(Department of Sociology, University of Kansas, 1986-01-01) Akard, Patrick J.This paper considers one of the central issues in contemporary political sociology--the question of the "autonomy" of the state--in the context of recent political and economic events in the U.S. A number of political theorists have challenged the dominance of what they see as an overly-deterministic conception of the state. They advocate "bringing the state back in" by emphasizing the independent influence of state structures, state manager, political parties, and "political" factors over other social and (especially) economic phenomena. Some of this work stressing the "primacy of the political" addresses the deficiencies of previous mainstream orientations in political science and political sociology--for example, pluralist conceptions, or structural functionalism (Cf. Skocpol, 1985:4-5). But most of it is directed toward the recent body of work on the state within the Marxist tradition--with varying degrees of sympathy.Publication Political Decentraliza tion in Socialist France: Alternative Theories--AIternative Struggles(Department of Sociology, University of Kansas, 1986-01-01) Rousseau, Mark O.; Hunt, ScottA unitary, strongly centralized state has characterized French political thought and practice for centuries. The Socialist Party broke from this tradition during its recent tenure in national office when it passed a comprehensive program of political decentralization. We consider these recent changes in the structure of the French state from pluralist, elitist, and ruling class perspectives, and conclude that each of these traditional conceptualizations limits our understanding of state power in various ways. We explore the utility of a refined ruling class perspective known as social capital, and suggest it offers insights into political decentralization and state structure not provided by alternative perspectives. We conclude by suggesting that social capital holds promise for application to problems of analytical and practical significance.