Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
Sociology addresses challenging social issues, and this involves finding new ways to understand them. However, much sociological terminology suffers from multiple vague or uncertain meanings. This is true of many of the central terms that sociologists use, such as 'power', 'ideology', 'culture', 'social class, ' and even 'society'. The result is that the conclusions reached by sociological investigations are frequently subject to multiple interpretations, and their validity is difficult to assess. The chapters in this book address several of the key terms employed by sociologists, examining the concepts associated with them in depth, from both an historical and analytical perspective. The aim is not to develop a new framework but rather to document the various meanings associated with the terms, and ways in which these could be refined or developed for the purposes of sociological analysis. Troubling Sociological Concepts will be of use to researchers and students across the social sciences, since the concepts addressed are of wide relevance.
Synopsis
1. Introduction.- 2. Ideology.- 3. Culture.- 4. Society.- 5. Social Class.- 6. Sex and Gender.- 7. Ethnicity, Race, and Racism.- 8. Power.- 9. Values, Interests, Goals, and Attitudes.