ABSTRACT
Marx is one of the great figures of nineteenth-century scholarship whose work spans most of the separate social science disciplines. His work and the work of his followers provided a radical alternative view to other theories of social analysis until the 1960s. More recently its influence has been more significant, particularly in sociological analysis. It is impossible to cover in such a short space as is available here all the intricacies of debate and controversy surrounding Marx’s work in all its breadth. This chapter will therefore be focusing on the key sociological elements of his work and the work of his followers which have most keenly influenced writers on social administration. Even so, this should be recognised as no more than an introduction, to be followed by further reading.
