Grand Theory in the Sociological Canon. Scopes, Semantics, and Strategic Usages of a Rhetorical Device Since the 1960s
European Journal of Social Theory
Published online on May 11, 2026
Abstract
European Journal of Social Theory, Ahead of Print.
Since the 1960s, “grand theory” has increasingly been used to categorize and discuss sociological theories. The result of this is, ironically, a discourse in which it is neither clear which theories count as “grand” nor what such a characterization ...
Since the 1960s, “grand theory” has increasingly been used to categorize and discuss sociological theories. The result of this is, ironically, a discourse in which it is neither clear which theories count as “grand” nor what such a characterization ...