Sociology Theory

Inequality, social immobility, and political polarization are only a few crucial phenomena driven by the inevitability of social structures. Social structures determine who has power and influence, account for why people fail to assimilate basic facts, and enlarge our understanding of patterns of contagion - from the spread of disease to financial crises. Despite their primary role in shaping our lives, human networks are often overlooked when we try to account for our most important political and economic practices.

In 1890s America Thorstein Veblen attacked a careless acceptance of prevailing social structures, identifying ancient roots for ‘pecuniary culture’ and ‘conspicuous consumption’–realities that promoted materialism and squashed fulfilment. In The Theory of the Leisure Class the worthy Engineer, creating essential products for all, is pitted against the predatory Businessman, exempt from grubby industrial toil and focussed on useless profits.

The goal of Foundations of Social Understanding: A Theory and Institutions Based Introduction to Sociology is to convey the essential aspects of sociology, keeping the focus on the theoretical ideas that form the backbone of the discipline. This book fills a niche for instructors and students who wish to have a rigorously presented, yet low-cost text that covers essential aspects of the field.

Max Weber hat in diesem Vortrag eine komprimierte Fassung seines umfassenden Werkes geschaffen. Themen sind Wirtschaft, Recht, Religion, Gesellschaft, Staat und Herrschaft und eine Fülle historischer Fakten. Dies alles bekommt seine Erwähnung als Bedingung für den Willen zum Beruf als Politiker. Es ist dies fast ein Handbuch Politik. Jeder an Politik Interessierte sollte dies kennen.

Over the past 10 years, urban planners, technology companies, and governments have promoted smart cities with a somewhat utopian vision of urban life made knowable and manageable through data collection and analysis. Emerging smart cities have become both crucibles and showrooms for the practical application of the Internet of Things, cloud computing, and the integration of big data into everyday life. Are smart cities optimized, sustainable, digitally networked solutions to urban problems? Or are they neoliberal, corporate-controlled, undemocratic non-places?

In Die protestantische Ethik und der Geist des Kapitalismus (1904/05) untersucht Max Weber den Einfluss religiöser Überzeugungen – insbesondere des Calvinismus und Puritanismus – auf die Entstehung der modernen kapitalistischen Wirtschaftsordnung. Mit scharfer Analyse verbindet Weber Theologie, Wirtschaftsgeschichte und Soziologie zu einem der bedeutendsten Klassiker der Sozialwissenschaften. Ein wegweisendes Werk über die Verbindung von Glaube, Arbeit, Rationalisierung und kapitalistischer Entwicklung – bis heute hochaktuell und kontrovers diskutiert.

Ao discutir questões perturbadoras como preconceito, cultura da violência e efeitos da comunicação – e da persuasão – de massa, passando por temas tão diversos como atração pessoal, bullying, política, propaganda e ética, Elliot e Joshua Aronson revelam os padrões e motivações que levam os seres humanos a agir de determinada forma. Referência nos estudos de psicologia social, este livro explica por que a pesquisa nessa área é tão relevante e como pode nos ajudar a compreender, e talvez começar a resolver, alguns dos problemas que afligem a sociedade contemporânea.

In four decades, bookended by the Pope’s visits to Ireland in September 1979 and August 2018, Ireland has become one of the wealthiest and most progressive nations in the world. Characteristically brilliant and timely, Renaissance Nation is a thrilling account of Ireland’s vertiginous rise and a timely exploration of its conflicted present, where stark decisions await the next generation of would-be revolutionaries.

Как меняются герои нашего времени? Почему многих притягивает советское прошлое, которое мы так и не сумели понять? Почему мы любим идеализировать бандитов? Почему все больше люди добровольно выставляют свою частную жизнь на публичное обозрение? На примере известных кинофильмов и сериалов – от «Шоу Трумана» до «Доктора Хауса» – социолог, доктор экономических наук, автор исследования о миленниалах Вадим Радаев размышляет о жизненных вопросах, которые волнуют каждого из нас.

Branko Milanovic presents a bold new account of the dynamics that drive inequality on a global scale. Drawing on vast data sets and cutting-edge research, he explains the benign and malign forces that make inequality rise and fall within and among nations. He also reveals who has been helped the most by globalization, who has been held back, and what policies might tilt the balance toward economic justice.

Le monde a tellement changé que les jeunes doivent tout réinventer. Nos sociétés occidentales ont déjà vécu deux révolutions : le passage de l'oral à l'écrit, puis de l'écrit à l'imprimé. Comme chacune des précédentes, la troisième, tout aussi décisive, s'accompagne de mutations politiques, sociales et cognitives. Ce sont des périodes de crises. De l'essor des nouvelles technologies, un nouvel humain est né : Michel Serres le baptise "Petite Poucette" - clin d'œil à la maestria avec laquelle les messages fusent de ses pouces.

A lifelong liberal from the San Francisco Bay Area, David Yamane became a new gun owner as a 42-year-old and embarked on an immersive twelve-year study of American gun culture. Weaving together his personal experiences and sociological observations to explain why guns make sense to those who own them, he illuminates defensive gun ownership, the risk of negative outcomes associated with firearms, and what responsible gun ownership looks like in the twenty-first century. This book lowers the heat on America’s inflamed arguments about firearms and models the civil discussions we desperately need.

Cuteness has taken the planet by storm. Global sensations Hello Kitty and Pokémon, the works of artists Takashi Murakami and Jeff Koons, Heidi the cross-eyed opossum and E.T. - all reflect its gathering power. But what does “cute” mean, as a sensibility and style? Why is it so pervasive? Is it all infantile fluff, or is there something more uncanny and even menacing going on - in a lighthearted way? In The Power of Cute, Simon May provides nuanced and surprising answers.

Como resposta ao golpe de 64 Florestan Fernandes publicou A revolução burguesa no Brasil: ensaio de interpretação sociológica. Não demorou para que o livro se tornasse um dos clássicos do pensamento sociológico crítico no país.

The Theory of the Leisure Class was written by Thorstein Veblen at the turn of the 20th century. It delves deeply into the nature of economics and the social institutions, exploring the forces that create and maintain class division, how these forces evolved through history, and how they influence the economy. In this work, Veblen presents a critique of capitalism on the basis of "conspicuous consumption", a term that he himself coined. He examines economics as a function of evolution, tracking the division of labor and stratification of class during the development of society.

Rapoartele aveau la origine niște articole publicate de Proiectul pentru Raportarea Crimei Organizate și Corupției (OCCRP), un consorțiu neobosit și neînfricat de jurnaliști din toată Europa de Est, care au expus două așa-numite „spălătorii" – scheme sofisticate de spălare a miliarde de euro. În ambele cazuri, infractorii se foloseau de companii britanice fictive pentru a-și ascunde identitatea și de Danske Bank pentru a-și transfera banii.

Hebert Spencer coined the famous expression “survival of the fittest”. Spencer’s theory inspired Andrew Carnegie and William Graham Sumner's visions of unbridled and unrepentant capitalism of the United States in late 19th century. Carnegie interpreted Spencer's social theory as justifying merciless economic competition. Spencer's reputation was not recovered for many years from the interpretative caricatures of many scholars, thus marginalizing him to the hinterlands of intellectual history. Fortunately, recent scholarship has begun restoring and repairing his legacy.

In her previous book, Stoned, Raden asked, “What makes a thing valuable?” In The Truth About Lies, she asks “What makes a thing real?” With cutting wit and a deft touch, Raden untangles the relationship of truth to lie, belief to faith, and deception to propaganda. The Truth About Lies will change everything you thought you knew about what you know, and whether you ever really know it.

Few things feel better than early love. We feel like we are flying. At that time, Nature adds its endorsement and accelerant to make sure survival concerns do not preempt going through the actions that have a high likelihood of making children. This force—the Medulla Obligation—is a compilation of hormones and romantic notions meant to enslave us to loves duties.

Que outra história do Ocidente poderia ser construída se a rainha Njinga de Angola, a poeta escravizada Phillis Wheatley e o intelectual palestino Edward Said fossem vistos como figuras relevantes na história da civilização ocidental? Ao descentralizar o papel da Europa, a autora desafia essa versão já conhecida e desconstrói a história hegemônica do Ocidente, jogando luz em importantes personagens históricos que foram escanteados por todo este tempo.