Anthony Giddens's structuration theory, once a mainstay of social science, has come under significant criticism in recent years. Stones (sociology, U. of Essex) introduces structuration from the core and also works to provide a stronger framework for it that draws upon criticism, debates, defenses and refinements within the field. He describes the basic tenets of the theory, its distinctions and the limits of its scope, and its ontology, its influences, critics (friend and foe), and his development of it into a stronger form in terms of ontology, research focus, and the wider picture within the discipline. Stones uses Morawska's Insecure Prosperity and Ibsen's A Doll's House as case studies. Annotation ©2005 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)