An important new appraisal of Alvin W. Gouldner, one of the 20th century's most important activist sociologists. Gouldner (1920-1980) was a leading sociologist of his era who provided groundbreaking analyses in the areas of industrial sociology, critical sociological theory, ideology, reciprocity and class analysis. In Confronting Gouldner, Chriss confronts the larger issue of the place of critical theory, and specifically Marxism, in framing the perspective of sociology as political activism.