Sociology

Description

This ninth edition of Sociology is unique – the irst to be inalized while the world is in the midst of a global health pandemic, as we write this Preface in late-November 2020. Many countries, including the UK, still have an unprecedented number of restrictions in place as governments try to control the spread of a novel coronavirus and the disease it causes, labelled as Covid-19. We hope that, at the time you read this, the worst of the pandemic has passed and something approaching ‘normal life’ has returned. No doubt sociologists and many others will already be making their contribution to learning the lessons from this globally disruptive crisis. The rapid spread of Covid-19 across the world is an illustration of the global interconnectedness of the human world. Before the pandemic there were, on average, 176,000 lights every day carrying more than 4 billion people per year to every continent on Earth, for business, work, migration, tourism and family visits. There is no global government, but today’s world certainly feels smaller and more accessible, and it is increasingly experienced as one single human community. The optimistic advice to all new graduates, ‘the world’s your oyster’, becomes more accurate every year. Yet such fabulous opportunities do not come risk-free. The aviation industry contributes to global warming and uses huge amounts of nonsustainable fossil fuels at a time when global warming is widely accepted as the most serious threat to the long-term future of human societies. How do we balance the opportunities and risks inherent in our love of and need for international travel? Aviation is just one example of the ‘high-risk, high-opportunity’ world that human beings have created. Similarly, we are in the midst of an ongoing digital revolution that connects people together systematically and continuously, offering unprecedented opportunities for communication and networking. But, at the same time, the digital environment brings new possibilities for tracking, surveillance and data gathering that states and corporations use to delve ever deeper into the lives and lifestyles of individuals. Should we accept that forfeiting privacy is necessary in order to reap the beneits of the digital age? Sociological research and theorizing can help us all to think through these questions. Sociology demands that we learn to set aside our personal beliefs and opinions during our work. In this way, learning how to ‘think sociologically’ is a profound intellectual and emotional challenge that can be unsettling, though most students and professional sociologists say they have been changed, for the better, by the experience. The discipline also forces us to look beyond the immediate context of our individual lives to see our society in a new light, as we reach a deeper understanding of the causes and consequences of our own, and other people’s, actions. It also takes us into the ways of life in very different societies, broadening our understanding of the human experience around the world. We invite you to take the irst steps on that journey. Title Page Copyright Preface to the Ninth Edition Acknowledgements Introduction Four central themes The main elements of our approach Interactive features 1 What is Sociology? An introduction to sociology The sociological imagination Studying people and societies The development of sociological thinking The uses of sociology Summary Chapter review Research in practice Thinking it through Society in the arts Further reading Internet links 2 Asking and Answering Sociological Questions Human subjects, ethical issues Science and sociology Understanding cause and effect Sociological research methods The influence of sociology Chapter review Research in practice Thinking it through Society in the arts Further reading Internet links 3 Theories and Perspectives Theories, theorists and perspectives Towards sociology Establishing sociology Challenging mainstream sociology Enduring theoretical dilemmas Societies and sociology in transformation Conclusion: sociological theory in development Chapter review Research in practice Thinking it through Society in the arts Further reading Internet links 4 Globalization and Social Change Early societies and civilizations The transformation of societies Globalization How to govern a global society? Chapter review Research in practice Thinking it through Society in the arts Further reading Internet links 5 The Environment Nature, environment and society Environmental issues The environment in sociological theory An Anthropocene era? Chapter review Research in practice Thinking it through Society in the arts Further reading Internet links 6 Global Inequality Extremes of inequality Global inequality The changing human population Development theories and their critics Prospects for the twenty-first century Chapter review Research in practice Thinking it through Society in the arts Further reading Internet links 7 Gender and Sexuality Gender, sex and sexuality Gender inequality LGBTQ+ civil rights Globalization, human trafficking and sex work Gender and sexuality: all change again? Chapter review Research in practice Thinking it through Society in the arts Further reading Internet links 8 Race, Ethnicity and Migration Key concepts Ethnic diversity, integration and conflict Migration in a global age Conclusion Chapter review Research in practice Thinking it through Society in the arts Further reading Internet links 9 Stratification and Social Class Systems of stratification Theorizing social class Mapping the class structure Class divisions in the developed world Social mobility Meritocracy and the persistence of social class Chapter review Research in practice Thinking it through Society in the arts Further reading Internet links 10 Health, Illness and Disability The sociology of health and illness Health inequalities The sociology of disability Health and disability in a changing world Chapter review Research in practice Thinking it through Society in the arts Further reading Internet links 11 Poverty, Social Exclusion and Welfare Poverty Social exclusion The welfare state New challenges for old welfare states Chapter review Research in practice Thinking it through Society in the arts Further reading Internet links 12 Social Interaction and Daily Life Studying the micro level Non-verbal communication Actors, stage-sets and complementary roles The rules of social interaction Interaction norms for the digital age Conclusion: a need or no need for proximity? Chapter review Research in practice Thinking it through Society in the arts Further reading Internet links 13 Cities and Urban Life Cities Theorizing urbanism Urban trends, infrastructure and sustainable cities The city in a global era Chapter review Research in practice Thinking it through Society in the arts Further reading Internet links 14 The Life Course Self-formation and socialization The life course Ageing Death, dying and bereavement Conclusion Chapter review Research in practice Thinking it through Society in the arts Further reading Internet links 15 Families and Intimate Relationships The family as institution and ideology Family practices Family diversity and intimate relations Families in global context Conclusion Chapter review Research in practice Thinking it through Society in the arts Further reading Internet links 16 Education Theories of education and schooling Social divisions in education Education in global context Education systems in development The digitization of learning Conclusion Chapter review Research in practice Thinking it through Society in the arts Further reading Internet links 17 Work and Employment What is work? Transforming the world of work The gig economy and unemployment The future(s) of work Chapter review Research in practice Thinking it through Society in the arts Further reading Internet links 18 Religion The sociological study of religion Religious organizations and movements Contemporary religion: trends and challenges Conclusion Chapter review Research in practice Thinking it through Society in the arts Further reading Internet links 19 The Media Media diversity Theorizing the media Audiences and representations Ownership, power and alternative media Conclusion Chapter review Research in practice Thinking it through Society in the arts Further reading Internet links 20 Politics, Government and Social Movements Political sociology Democratization and global governance Social movements: beyond formal politics Conclusion Chapter review Research in practice Thinking it through Society in the arts Further reading Internet links 21 Nations, War and Terrorism Nations, national identity and human rights War, genocide and transitions to peace Terrorism Conclusion Chapter review Research in practice Thinking it through Society in the arts Further reading Internet links 22 Crime and Deviance The basic concepts Theories of crime and deviance Patterns of crime Crime in global context Conclusion: globalization, deviance and social order Chapter review Research in practice Thinking it through Society in the arts Further reading Internet links Glossary References Picture Acknowledgements Index End User License Agreement