Sociology

Front Cover
Polity, 2006 - Social Science - 1094 pages
This fully revised and updated version of Anthony Giddens's Sociology, 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 Sociology 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. · 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 sociology Please visit the accompanying website at: http://www.polity.co.uk/giddens5/

From inside the book

Contents

2 Globalization and the Changing World
31
3 Asking and Answering Sociological Questions
73
4 Theoretical Thinking in Sociology
101
5 Social Interaction and Everyday Life
127
6 Socialization The LifeCourse and Ageing
161
7 Families and Intimate Relationships
203
8 Health Illness and Disability
251
9 Stratification and Class
293
15 The Media
583
16 Organizations and Networks
635
17 Education
683
18 Work and Economic Life
739
19 Crime and Deviance
791
20 Politics Government and Terrorism
841
21 Cities and Urban Spaces
893
22 The Environment and Risk
937

10 Poverty Social Exclusion and Welfare
339
11 Global Inequality
383
12 Sexuality and Gender
433
13 Race Ethnicity and Migration
481
14 Religion in Modern Society
531
Bibliography
970
Glossary
1007
Index
1045
Copyright

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About the author (2006)

Anthony Giddens, a British sociologist, was educated at Hull, the London School of Economics, and Cambridge, and is a fellow of King's College, Cambridge. His interests have been varied, but they tend to focus on questions related to the macro-order. Much of his theoretical writing deals with stratification, class, and modernity. Although he has concentrated on dynamic issues of social structure, he has also examined how social psychological concerns are part of this broader order of human relations.

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