Is There Sociology after Postmodernism?

A review essay on books by (1) Zygmunt Bauman, Mortality, Immortality and Other Life Strategies (Polity Press, 1992); (2) Ian Craib, Modern Social Theory from Parsons to Habermas (2nd edition, Harvester Wheatsheaf, 1992); (3) Barry Smart, Postmodernity (Routledge, 1993); & (4) Keith Tester, Civil Society (Routledge, 1992). Bauman offers a survey of life, death, sociology, & meaning, viewing death & the horror of its meaninglessness as the underlying current behind dominant cultural trends. Postmodernity is just another life strategy conjured up by contemporary producers of social thought in response to death. Craib provides an introductory social theory text that covers all of the standard theoretical positions, inserting postmodernity into the book's conventional framework. All too often the tone of the work seems to defend theory for its own sake. Smart focuses on postmodernity proper. Postmodernism as a cultural configuration is distinguished from postmodernity, its social context, & social, economic, & political constellations. Options for postmodernity's relation to modernity & the implications of postmodernity's revision of the organizing concept of conventional sociology -- society -- are discussed. Tester begins his discussion of sociology with a lengthy treatment of political philosophers, presenting them as the precursors of sociological questions. The book travels through sociology proper & ends in postmodernity's assault on civil society as a played out tradition. D. Generoli