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Essential Concepts in Sociology
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Brief Description
Social life is in a constant process of change, and sociology can never stand still. As a result, contemporary sociology is a theoretically diverse enterprise, covering a huge range of subjects and drawing on a broad array of research methods. Central to this endeavour is the...
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Essential Concepts in Sociology
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Description
Social life is in a constant process of change, and sociology can never stand still. As a result, contemporary sociology is a theoretically diverse enterprise, covering a huge range of subjects and drawing on a broad array of research methods. Central to this endeavour is the use of core concepts and ideas which allow sociologists to make sense of societies, though our understanding of these concepts necessarily evolves and changes.
This clear and jargon-free book introduces a careful selection of essential concepts that have helped to shape sociology and continue to do so. Going beyond brief, dictionary-style definitions, Anthony Giddens and Philip W. Sutton provide an extended discussion of each concept which sets it in historical and theoretical context, explores its main meanings in use, introduces relevant criticisms, and points readers to its ongoing development in contemporary research and theorising.
Organised in ten thematic sections, the book offers a portrait of sociology through its essential concepts, ranging from capitalism, identity, and deviance to the digital revolution, environment, postcolonialism, and intersectionality. Revised and updated for this new Fourth Edition, Essential Concepts in Sociology will be essential reading for those approaching sociology for the first time as well as anyone seeking a reliable guide for understanding a rapidly changing world.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781509574179
Publisher: Polity Press
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 19 March 2026
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Polity Press
Edition: 4th edition
Audience: Professional and scholarly
DIMENSIONS
Weight: 250g
Pages: 264
About the Author
Anthony Giddens is the former Director of the London School of Economics and Political Science and is now a member of the UK House of Lords.
Philip W. Sutton is an independent researcher, formerly of the University of Leeds and Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen.
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Essential Concepts in Sociology
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