Mohamed CHERKAOUI, 4. Durkheim and the Puzzle of Social Complexity , Oxford, The Bardwell Press, 2008, , 2008

Mohamed CHERKAOUI

Foreword by Bryan S. Turner

Oxford, The Bardwell Press, 2008

In this remarkable defence of Durkheimian social theory, Mohamed Cherkaoui analyses the relevance of the great French sociologist’s ideas for understanding contemporary society. These range from the discussion of anomie and suicide, to the role of politics in pedagogy and educational organisation.

Professor Cherkaoui subjects many of the central concepts and intuitions to be found in Durkheim to a careful analysis which shows just how relevant they remain, a century after their formulation. By taking a novel interactionist interpretation of Durkheim, he embraces all of the work of the French sociologist and demonstrates the internal coherence of the entirety of Durkheimian theory. This « non-conformist » interpretation of Durkheim’s sociological theory amply demonstrates why it remains influential for a considerable amount of contemporary sociological and educational research.