Sociology /
- 5th ed. [fully revised and updated] / Anthony Giddens ; with the assistance of Simon Griffiths.
- Cambridge : Polity, c2006.
- xxiv, 1094 p. : col. ill. ; 32 cm.
Previous ed.: Sociology / Anthony Giddens and Karen Birdsall. Oxford : Polity, 2001.
Includes bibliographical references, bibliography (p. [970]-1006), and index.
1. WHAT IS SOCIOLOGY? The Sociological Perspective. Studying Sociology.The Development of Sociological Thinking. Theories and Theoretical Approaches. Early Theorists. Modern Theoretical Approaches. Theoretical Thinking in Sociology. Levels of Analysis: Microsociology and Macrosociology. How Can Sociology Help Us in Our Lives? Summary. 2. GLOBALISATION AND THE CHANGING WORLD. Types of Society. A Disappearing World: Pre-modern Societies and their Fate. The Modern World: the Industrialised Societies. Global Development.Social Change. Influences on Social Change. Change in the Modern Period. Globalisation. Factors Contributing to Globalisation. The Globalisation Debate. The Impact of Globalisation. Conclusion: The Need for Global Governance. Summary Points. Questions for Further Thought. Further Reading. Internet Links. 3: ASKING AND ANSWERING SOCIOLOGICAL QUESTIONS. Why Hang Out in Public Toilets? Sociological Questions. Taking a Scientific Approach. The Research Process. Defining the Research Problem. Reviewing the Evidence. Making the Problem Precise. Working Out a Design. Carrying Out the Research. Interpreting the Results. Reporting the Findings. Reality Intrudes! Understanding Cause and Effect. Causation and Correlation. Research Methods. Ethnography. Surveys. Experiments. Life Histories. Comparative Research. Historical Analysis. Combining Comparative and Historical Research. Research in the Real World: Methods, Problems, and Pitfalls. Human Subjects and Ethical Problems. Is Sociology Merely a Restatement of the Obvious? The Influence of Sociology. Summary. Questions for Further Thought. Further Reading. Internet Links. 4. THEORETICAL THINKING IN SOCIOLOGY. Max Weber: The Protestant Ethic. Four theoretical Issues. 1. Structure and Action. 2. Consensus and Conflict. 3. The Issue of Gender. 4. The Shaping of the Modern World. Current Sociological Theory. Postmodernism. Michel Foucault. Four Contemporary Sociologists. Jurgen Habermas: Democracy and the Public Sphe
This fully revised and updated version of Anthony Giddens' ??AASociology??AA, now in its fifth edition, offers an unrivalled introduction for students new to the subject - lucid, lively, authoritative and original. Written by one of the world's leading sociologists, this comprehensive textbook manages to be clear, accessible and jargon-free, but without oversimplifying complex debates. Earlier editions of ??AASociology??AA broke new ground by incorporating cutting-edge debates, such as the impact of globalisation, into an introductory text. This fifth edition remains a state of the art textbook, with fresh and engaging new material added throughout. While covering all of the core topics of sociology, the fifth edition also includes a great deal of substantive new material, ensuring that students are introduced to the most recent sociological debates.Throughout, the book weaves together classical and contemporary theory and data, and provides a wide range of everyday examples to which students can easily relate. The fifth edition also benefits from: new discussions of global inequality, disability, ageing and the life course, risk, the network society, and terrorism, as well as many other additional and up-to-date topics; numerous learning aids in every chapter, such as summary points, questions for further thought, and additional reading suggestions, which help to reinforce students' knowledge; lots of extra photographs, diagrams, case studies and cartoons, to bring ideas to life and fire students' imaginations; and high-quality supplementary resources on a dedicated website, including a full instructors' manual and additional student aids, all specially designed to stimulate students' learning and critical thinking.The fifth edition of this classic textbook is an ideal teaching text for first-year university and college courses, and will be essential reading for all students who are looking for an exciting, authoritative and easy-to-follow introduction to sociol