Synopses & Reviews
Liberation sociology is concerned with eliminating social oppressions and creating truly just societies. Liberation sociology takes sides with the oppressed and envisions an end to that oppression. Liberation social scientists featured in this book consciously try to step outside their groups or societies and view them critically. The authors examine theories and research of social scientists who ask, Social science for what purpose? and Social science for whom? Case studies offer humanistic, democratic, and activist answers. Featured researchers provide tools to increase human abilities to understand deep social realities, engage in better dialogues, and increase democratic participation in use of knowledge.Many people of all ages today continue to be attracted to sociology and other social sciences because of their promise to contribute to better political, social, and moral understandings of themselves and their social worlds-and often because they hope it will help them to build a better society. We accent the liberation potential of social science with these social science teachers and students firmly in mind.
Synopsis
Joe Feagin and Hernan Vera argue that citizen action can be assisted by what they call "liberation sociology"--a tool to dramatically increase democratic participation in the production and implementation of knowledge and the creation of better human societies. Liberation sociology takes the perspective of those seeking liberation from oppressive conditions--the majority of the world's people. Its aim is to assist those struggling to eliminate all forms of human oppression.