Towards a Critical Sociology (Routledge Revivals)

Towards a Critical Sociology (Routledge Revivals)
Author :
Publisher : Routledge
Total Pages : 254
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9781136999420
ISBN-13 : 1136999426
Rating : 4/5 (20 Downloads)

Synopsis Towards a Critical Sociology (Routledge Revivals) by : Zygmunt Bauman

For the better part of its history sociology shared with commonsense its assumption of the ‘nature-like’ character of society – and consequently developed as the science of unfreedom. In this powerful and engaging work, first published in 1976, Professor Bauman outlines the historical roots of such a science and describes how the new trends in sociology emerging from phenomenology and existentialism do not challenge this preoccupation. Rather, he claims, they deepen and extend it by stressing the key role of commonsense, particularly the ways in which it is sustained and embedded in the routines and assumptions of everyday life. Professor Bauman sets out the form of a critical sociology, based on emancipatory reason. His main concerns are the `validity' of commonsense and the truth of a theory which would resolve to transcend the limitations of commonsensical evidence. Aimed at human liberation A Critical Sociology is designed to question the very same routines and assumptions of everyday life informed by commonsense.

Towards a Critical Sociology

Towards a Critical Sociology
Author :
Publisher :
Total Pages : 115
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9780415571647
ISBN-13 : 0415571642
Rating : 4/5 (47 Downloads)

Synopsis Towards a Critical Sociology by : Zygmunt Bauman

For the better part of its history, sociology shared with commonsense its assumption of the 'nature-like' character of society - and consequently developed as the science of unfreedom. This work describes how the various trends in sociology emerging from phenomenology and existentialism do not challenge this preoccupation.

Sociology as Social Criticism (Routledge Revivals)

Sociology as Social Criticism (Routledge Revivals)
Author :
Publisher : Routledge
Total Pages : 222
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9781136923159
ISBN-13 : 1136923152
Rating : 4/5 (59 Downloads)

Synopsis Sociology as Social Criticism (Routledge Revivals) by : Tom B. Bottomore

First published in 1975, this collection of essays embodies a conception of sociological thought as a critical analysis of social theories and doctrines, of social institutions and political regimes, of recent social movements. They deal, in particular, with some conservative versions of sociology and with attempts to develop more radical theories; they extend the author's previous writings on classes, elites and politics; and they analyse some of the problems of socialism in the late twentieth century. There is a close unity of theme througout the book in its critical attempt to formulate new intellectual bases for future radical and egalitarian politics. It is written with that quiet wisdom and impressive command of sources which readers have come to associate with Professor Bottomore's work.

Systematic Mixed-Methods Research for Social Scientists

Systematic Mixed-Methods Research for Social Scientists
Author :
Publisher : Springer Nature
Total Pages : 256
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9783030931483
ISBN-13 : 303093148X
Rating : 4/5 (83 Downloads)

Synopsis Systematic Mixed-Methods Research for Social Scientists by : Wendy Olsen

This textbook provides clear and accessible guidance on the importance and practical application of mixed-methods research. Professor Olsen presents a range of multiple mixed-methods techniques using quantified data. Critical realism underpins key arguments. She offers detailed examples based on wide experience with international applied social-science projects. The book shows readers how to join quantitative and qualitative data together. Detailed methods include: using multiple-level data; constructing new indices based on mixing survey responses and personal interviews; and using focus groups alongside a large survey. The book provides readers with linkages of data between different software packages. It explains the analysis stage in mixed-methods research, interprets complex causality, shows how to transform data, and helps with interpreting social structures, institutions, and discourses. Finally, the book covers some epistemological issues. These include the nature and value of data. The author discusses validity and techniques for ensuring relevant, innovative conclusions. The book also touches on action research as an overarching participatory method. This book is based on clear and explicit definitions, is accessible to students and researchers across disciplines, and shows the appeal of mixed-methods research to those trained in quantitative methods.

Hermeneutics and Social Science (Routledge Revivals)

Hermeneutics and Social Science (Routledge Revivals)
Author :
Publisher : Routledge
Total Pages : 184
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9781136955549
ISBN-13 : 1136955542
Rating : 4/5 (49 Downloads)

Synopsis Hermeneutics and Social Science (Routledge Revivals) by : Zygmunt Bauman

Originally published in 1978, this important work, by one of the leading European social theorists, is arguably the best introduction to the hermeneutic tradition as a whole. It is designed to help students of sociology and philosophy place the problems of "understanding social science" in their historical and philosophical context. It does so by presenting the major current in sociological thought as responses to the challenge of hermeneutics. The idea that true knowledge of social life can be attained only if human conduct is seen as meaningful action whose meaning is accordingly grasped has been presented as a discovery of recent sociology. In fact its history is long and its connections plentiful, reaching beyond the boundaries of sociology itself. Yet it is in sociology that the hermeneutic tradition has attracted most interest but most misinterpretation. The debate is in full swing and there is no attempt to offer "correct" solutions - the emphasis instead is upon revealing the strengths and weaknesses of each of the main approaches. However it is Bauman's view that the theory of understanding may achieve valid results only if it treats the problem of understanding as an aspect of the ongoing process of social life.

The Return of the Native

The Return of the Native
Author :
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Total Pages : 233
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9780197663035
ISBN-13 : 0197663036
Rating : 4/5 (35 Downloads)

Synopsis The Return of the Native by : Jan Willem Duyvendak

An in-depth analysis that demonstrates how and why there has been a resurgence of nativist logic. It was once thought that liberalism and globalization would consign nativist logics to the fringes of societies and eventually to history. But if it ever left, nativism has well and truly returned, spreading across nations, across the political spectrum, and from the fringes back into the mainstream. In The Return of the Native, Jan Willem Duyvendak, Josip Kesic, and Timothy Stacey explore how nativist logics have infiltrated liberal settings and discourses, primarily in the Netherlands as well as other countries with strong liberal traditions like the US and France. They deconstruct and explain the underlying logic of nativist narratives and show how these narratives are emerging in the discourses of secularism (a religious nativism that problematizes Islam and Muslims), racism (a racial nativism that problematizes black anti-racism), populism (a populist nativism that problematizes elites), and left-wing politics (a left nativism that sees religious, racial, and populist nativists themselves as a threat to national culture). By moving systematically through these key iterations of nativism, the authors show how liberal ideas themselves are becoming tools for claiming that some people do not belong to the nation. A unique analysis of the most fundamental political transformation of our days, this book illuminates the resurgence of the figure of the "native," who claims the country at the expense of those perceived as foreign.

Nonreligious Imaginaries of World Repairing

Nonreligious Imaginaries of World Repairing
Author :
Publisher : Springer Nature
Total Pages : 153
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9783030728816
ISBN-13 : 3030728811
Rating : 4/5 (16 Downloads)

Synopsis Nonreligious Imaginaries of World Repairing by : Lori G. Beaman

The world is confronted with multiple intersecting crises including exploitation, inequality, political polarization and climate change. World-repairing work is vitally needed. But just at a time when humans most obviously require robust moral imaginaries on which to draw, it is no longer clear what kinds of beliefs, meanings, stories and encounters inspire them to act. We know that nonreligious identities are on the rise in numerous countries throughout the world. But with so much focus on the “non” part of nonreligion, what we don’t know is what nonreligious imaginaries actually look, sound and feel like. What do nonreligious people believe in? What stories inspire them? In what moments do they find meaning? This book seeks to answer these questions through a series of short essays exploring the nonreligious imaginaries that emerge in a range of world-repairing practices, including ethical consumption, community organizing, eating habits, and environmental activism. In so doing, the book provides a crucial contribution to two areas of increasing social and political concern: First, the need to understand not only what nonreligious people are rejecting but also their sources of meaning and action. Second, the urgent need for cultural tools for mobilizing people towards more compassionate and sustainable practices.

Saving Liberalism from Itself

Saving Liberalism from Itself
Author :
Publisher : Policy Press
Total Pages : 206
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9781529215502
ISBN-13 : 1529215501
Rating : 4/5 (02 Downloads)

Synopsis Saving Liberalism from Itself by : Stacey, Timothy

In the wake of populism, Timothy Stacey’s book critically reflects on what is missing from the liberal project with the aim of saving liberalism. It explains that populists have harnessed myth, ritual, magic and tradition to advance their ambitions, and why opponents need to embrace rather than eschew them. Using examples of liberally oriented activists in Vancouver, it presents an accessible theorization of these quasi-religious concepts in secular life. The result is to provide both a new theoretical understanding of why liberalism fails to engage people, and a toolkit for campaigners, policymakers and academics seeking to bridge the gap between liberal aspirations and lived experiences, in order to promote political engagement and to create unity out of division.

Giddens' Theory of Structuration

Giddens' Theory of Structuration
Author :
Publisher : Routledge
Total Pages : 269
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9781317829225
ISBN-13 : 1317829220
Rating : 4/5 (25 Downloads)

Synopsis Giddens' Theory of Structuration by : Christopher Bryant

Anthony Giddens is one of the most respected and influential social theorists at work today. This wide-ranging and stimulating volume, first published in 1991, provides an authoratative and penetrating critical assessment of social theory. It will be of use to all students of sociology and social theory.

The Sociology of Belief (Routledge Revivals)

The Sociology of Belief (Routledge Revivals)
Author :
Publisher : Routledge
Total Pages : 112
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9781317815501
ISBN-13 : 1317815505
Rating : 4/5 (01 Downloads)

Synopsis The Sociology of Belief (Routledge Revivals) by : Keith Dixon

First published in 1980, this book presents a study of knowledge and the patterns of social and scientific thought. Keith Dixon argues that traditional and contemporary formulations of the sociology of knowledge involve a series of fallacies, and the claim to reduce knowledge to ideology devalues the role of reasoned inquiry. Chapters discuss such areas as the theories of Marx and Mannheim, the sociology of science and of religious belief. With a detailed conclusion analysing the foundations and limits of the sociology of knowledge, this reissue will provide an interesting and useful analysis for students of Sociology.