Field-theory

This is an important account of the development of the âfield-theoryâ approach in the social sciences. Harald Mey concentrates on the writers from the 1930s to the present day who have used this approach to the study of the individual and of society and gives a clear exposition of such âfield-theoryâ application in its many differing forms. In addition the author shows how a concept which was initially useful in the physical sciences came to be used first by psychologists and subsequently by sociologists and others in related disciplines in their search for answers to the problems presented by the study of society. Mey describes how the use of the âfield-theoryâ perspective has fared when applied to specific areas of social research â education personal relationships group behaviour. He also compares the âfield-theoryâ approach to the study of societies with the structural/functional approach and explains why he believes âfield-theoryâ has a number of advantages over the structural/functional approach especially when it comes to the dynamic problem of social change. . Language: English