Social theory has transitioned from its classical European foundations—grounded in historical materialism, social facts, and interpretive sociology—to a multifaceted global discipline. While the traditional canon focused on class conflict and bureaucracy, the field now encompasses diverse American and European perspectives on symbolic interactionism, structural functionalism, and intersectionality. Critical developments in the 20th century introduced the Frankfurt School’s analysis of the culture industry and French postmodernist critiques of power, discourse, and hyperreality. Recent scholarly shifts have prioritised decolonising methodologies and "Southern Theory," integrating indigenous concepts of relationality and non-Western paradigms like Asabiyyah and well-being. Modern analysis further examines globalized cultural flows, dependency theory, and the emergence of societies of control within digital networks.
#SocialTheory #Sociology #CriticalTheory #Decolonisation #Intersectionality #Postmodernism #GlobalSouth #IndigenousMethodologies #SocietiesOfContro