Imagining Society: The Case for Sociology advances on an argument for the simultaneous vulnerability and power of sociology presented in first year sociology subjects, through the use of contemporary examples, from social media to social inequality, big data to the self-help industry.
Re-examining C.Wright Mills' legacy, this bold new textbook introduces students to global concepts, themes and practices that are fundamental to the discipline, and rethinks and re-imagines what a critically committed, politically engaged and publicly relevant sociology should look like in the 21st century. Written and presented in a lively and approachable style, the text is woven through with contemporary examples and case studies. The authors argue for sociology's continued relevance for understanding the contemporary world against the backdrop of rapid changes in higher education and sociology's precarious place in academia.
Table of Contents:
Preface: How to read this book?
Making sense of society
The sociological imagination
What is 'the social'?
Seven key moments in Western sociology
Sociologies in a global world
Decolonising sociology
Structure, agency, power and conflict
Difference, stratification and inequalities
The social self
Sociology in the early 21st century
About the Author :
Daniel Nehring is Associate Professor of Sociology at East China University of Science and Technology in Shanghai.
Dylan Kerrigan is a Lecturer in Criminology at the University of Leicester and a Visiting Lecturer in Sociology at the University of the West Indies.
Review :
"This is a comprehensive and critically engaged review of the discipline written by two passionate authors wishing to remind us all of the beauty of questioning and engaging with the ultimate purpose of sociological debates: to reshape, re-establish and ultimately reignite the reveal of the sociological imagination!" Athanasia Chalari, University of Northampton
"The authors critically reflect on sociology's place in the world and persuasively argue that the 'sociological imagination' is more relevant than ever in this comprehensive account." Jenny van Hooff, Manchester Metropolitan University
"Kerrigan and Nehring help us critically re-imagine society in this provoking and engaging publication which spans Western, global, and decolonising approaches." Adam Baird, Coventry University
"This is an innovative, thoroughly researched and well-written 21st Century introductory sociology text. Your students will love it!" Rhoda Reddock, The University of the West Indies
