Social theory has become an increasingly important subdiscipline within sociology. According to social theory, social reality consists of objective institutions, structure, on the one hand, and individuals, agency on the other. It promotes human social relations, insisting that in every instance social reality consists of these relations.

Drawing on the work of Gadamer, the book demonstrates that a sociology which focuses on social relations does not imply a return to idealism, nor a retreat into individualism, nor a rejection of critique. Rather, a hermeneutic sociology which prioritises human social relations is the only coherent paradigm which is available today. The author argues that sociologists studying the dramatic social transformations which are currently occuring should focus on social relations between humans; they should not attempt to understand contemporary changes in terms of structure and agency.