Written for social theorists and general readers (including undergraduates), David Sciulli's book is the first to explain not only how but also why Amitai Etzioni’s publications evolved from his dissertation to Active Society and Socio-Economics to Communitarianism.

Preface Introduction. Etzioni's Classic Project I. Theoretical Foundations Chapter 1. Order in Organizations Chapter 2. Etzioni's Functionalism and Societal Constitutionalism Chapter 3. Order in Democratic Societies: Etzioni's Three Major Conceptual Decisions II. Expectations for Advanced Democracies Chapter 4. Defining an Active Society: Pushing American Pragmatism and Optimism to the Edge Chapter 5. Overcoming Obstacles to Activeness, I: Extending Consensus and Control Chapter 6. Overcoming Obstacles to Activeness, II: Recruiting and Socializing Leaders Chapter 7. Policy for an Active Society III. Second Thoughts: Trouble At Home Chapter 8. Declining Optimism: An Immodest Agenda in a Global Economy Chapter 9. Ongoing Failure: Breakdowns in Primary Socialization Chapter 10. Increasing Criticism: Corruption in Electoral Politics and National Governance IV. Rebuilding America's Cultural and Social Psychological Infrastructure Chapter 11. The Economy's Normative Capsule: Foundations of Socio-Economics Chapter 12. Interpersonal Community and Institutional Community Chapter 13. Types of Interpersonal Community, I: Shaming and Privileging Community Chapter 14. Types of Interpersonal Community, II: Responsive Community Chapter 15. Moral Commitments of Interpersonal Community Etzioni References References Index

The entire early sociology of professions, from its founding in the 1930s to the end of functionalists' domination of this subfield, in the late 1970s, revolved around two central premises. One was that professions are unique among occupations in the economy and their associations are unique among intermediary associations in civil society or, on the Continent, among direct or indirect agencies of the state. The other premise was that the presence of professions and their associations uniquely helps to establish and consolidate an advanced democracy. Quite remarkably, however, this insight at a conceptual level in the literature of professions was never brought centrally, by Talcott Parsons or anyone else, into the literature of comparative politics. Subsequently, following the eclipse of functionalism in this subfield, the putative connection between professions and democratic quality largely dropped out of sight in the professions literature.

Received wisdom in the sociology of professions employs two approaches, a narrow socio-economic approach (largely in the Anglo-American world) and a much broader cultural and social-psychological approach (largely on the Continent). Both approaches agree on two points. First, professions cannot be distinguished at a conceptual level from other occupations. Second, whatever consequences either successful or failed professionalism introduces into civil society or state administration are confined to the occupational order and stratification system. They do not and cannot affect the direction of social change. The alternative approach outlined and discussed here is structural and institutional. With this approach we distinguish professions proper analytically from other occupations and we identify consequences of professionalism proper that uniquely reflect or anticipate notable shifts in the direction of social change.