Weberian Political Sociology and Sociological Disaster Studies

 Abstract

The specialized field of disaster studies seems to be moving farther away from mainstream sociology, to the detriment of both.  For sociologists working in this field, application of Max Weber’s political sociology is proposed as one way to reconnect their research with longstanding concerns of the discipline.  Weber’s political sociology contains a conflict model focusing on structured inequalities of class, status, and power.  Its relevance to both contemporary sociology and sociological disaster studies is illustrated through a re-examination of one of the early classic studies of disaster.  The article concludes with an overview of Weber’s thoughts about the role of values in research and a brief comparison of Weber’s political sociology with alternative theories.

Published as: "Weberian Political Sociology and Sociolgical Disaster Studies," Sociological Forum 17:2 (June 2002): 281-305.