Communication and Social Impact

Author: Gabriel Tarde
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-06-01
Features: "Contemporary World Academic Classics"
Preface to the Series
has always embraced a broad and inclusive spirit, absorbing the essence of human civilization while creating its own splendid culture. In the era of globalization, the exchange and mutual influence among different civilizations have become even stronger, with more pronounced interactive effects. With a global perspective and an open vision, introducing the cutting-edge achievements of philosophy and social sciences from around the world serves China's socialist modernization and its strategy of revitalizing the nation through science and education. This is an excellent tradition of publishing in New China and also a significant mission for contemporary Chinese publishers.
Our publishing house has always focused on translating and introducing foreign philosophy and social sciences. Series such as "Economic Science Translation Series" and "Business Management Classics Translation Series" have been widely welcomed by society. These series primarily focus on Western classic textbooks, while this new series aims to translate contemporary academic classics from abroad. By "contemporary," we generally refer to works published in the past few decades, and by "classics," we mean those that have had a significant impact in their fields and are frequently cited in academic literature, becoming essential reading for scholars. This series is planned to be divided into several sub-series, and through continuous selection and accumulation, it will become a contemporary "Chinese Translation of World Academic Classics," serving as a spiritual sanctuary for readers.
Given that the selected works are relatively recent and have not yet been fully tested by time, coupled with the subjective nature of judgment standards and the limitations of our selection criteria, this work is unlikely to be perfect. We look forward to active participation from scholars at home and abroad and welcome valuable suggestions and feedback. We firmly believe that through the joint efforts of scholars and publishers, this series will continue to improve. Communication and Social Influence is a selected works of Gabriel Tarde (1843–1904). Tarde, alongside Comte and Durkheim, is one of the founders of 19th-century French sociology. This book is translated from an English edition and was compiled by the renowned contemporary sociologist Professor Terence N. Clark, who teaches at the University of Chicago and currently serves as the president of the International Sociological Association. Clark's lengthy introduction discusses Tarde's achievements in ten aspects, systematically and comprehensively covering Tarde's theoretical framework, core ideas, outstanding contributions, and the debates between him and Durkheim—essentially serving as a critical biography of Tarde. The remaining nine chapters and 17 sections cover all aspects of Tarde's thought, making it a valuable resource for sociologists, social psychologists, criminologists, criminal psychologists, statisticians, and researchers in communication studies. Tarde's discussions on the public and the crowd, public opinion, and mass communication remain as powerful as a bell, with an impact that resonates deeply and inspires profound reflection.