Conflict and group boundaries; Hostility and tensions in conflict relationship; In-group conflict and group sctructure; Conflict with out-group and group sctructure; Ideology and conflict; Conflict calls forallies.

'Provides an analysis of the evolution of the western intellectual class since the seventeenth century.' - Publisher.

Text book, describing the ideas and life histories of Comte, Marx, Spencer, Durkheim, Simmel, Weber, Veblen, Cooley, Mead, Park, Pareto and Mannheim.

Critical of the view that conflict is dysfunctional, he demonstrates its inadequacies. In a series of basic propositions distilled from the theories of George Simmel, Mr. Coser clarifies the functions of social conflict.

This selection of essays by one of the most eminent sociologists of our time represents a selection of his analytical and moral or political writing over a lifetime of work.