In recent years there has been a proliferation of approaches which have redefined our understanding of political power and the state. These contemporary state theories have philosophical and theoretical antecedents that can be traced to post-classical social and political thought: their influences can be traced to feminism, structuralism and poststructuralism, cultural theory, network analysis and globalisation theory. The classical theories of Marx, Weber and Durkheim are altogether less important in contemporary state theory.

In Social Theory, the State and Modern Society, Mike Marinetto considers the philosophical and theoretical heritage of modern state theory and then critiques the theories that have evolved from this legacy.

Topics covered include:

• The poststructural state
• Governance and the decentred state
• The gendered state
• The cultural turn in state theory
• The state in a global context
• The past, present and future of state theory

Social Theory, the State and Modern Society is key reading for students of Sociology, Politics and Public Policy. It is also of interest to researchers and academics with an interest in state theory.