Autorentext

Anthony Giddens is the former Director of the London School of Economics and Political Science and is now a member of the UK House of Lords.

Philip W. Sutton is an independent researcher, formerly of the University of Leeds and Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen.

Klappentext

Social life is in a constant process of change, and sociology can never stand still. As a result, contemporary sociology is a theoretically diverse enterprise, covering a huge range of subjects and drawing on a broad array of research methods. Central to this endeavour is the use of core concepts and ideas which allow sociologists to make sense of societies, though our understanding of these concepts necessarily evolves and changes.

This clear and jargon-free book introduces a careful selection of essential concepts that have helped to shape sociology and continue to do so. Going beyond brief, dictionary-style definitions, Anthony Giddens and Philip W. Sutton provide an extended discussion of each concept which sets it in historical and theoretical context, explores its main meanings in use, introduces relevant criticisms, and points readers to its ongoing development in contemporary research and theorizing.

Organized in ten thematic sections, the book offers a portrait of sociology through its essential concepts, ranging from capitalism, identity and deviance to the digital revolution, environment, postcolonialism and intersectionality. Revised and updated for this new Fourth Edition, this book will be essential reading for those approaching sociology for the first time as well as anyone seeking a reliable guide for understanding a rapidly changing world.

Inhalt

Introduction

Theme 1 Thinking Sociologically
Digital Revolution
Globalization
Modernity
Postcolonialism
Postmodernity
Rationalization
Society

Theme 2 Doing Sociology
Ideal Type
Qualitative/Quantitative Methods
Realism
Reflexivity
Science
Social Constructionism
Structure/Agency

Theme 3 Environment and Urbanism
Alienation
Environment
Industrialization
Migration
Risk
Sustainable Development
Urbanism

Theme 4 Structure of Society
Bureaucracy
Capitalism
Consumerism
Division of Labor
Education
Organization
Religion

Theme 5 Unequal Life Chances
Class
Gender
Intersectionality
Patriarchy
Poverty
Race and Ethnicity
Social Mobility
Status

Theme 6 Relationships and the Life Course
Community
Family
Life Course
Network
Sexuality
Socialization

Theme 7 Interaction and Communication
Culture
Discourse
Identity
Ideology
Interaction
Media
Public Sphere

Theme 8 Health, Illness and the Body
Biomedicine
Medicalization
Sick Role
Social Model of Disability
Social Self

Theme 9 Crime and Social Control
Anomie
Deviance
Labelling
Moral Panic
Social Control
Stigma

Theme 10 Political Sociology
Authority
Citizenship
Conflict
Democracy
Nation State
Power
Social Movement