Explaining Social Life: A Guide to Using Social Theory - Hardcover

Hilary Stanworth; John Parker

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1137487739 ISBN 13: 9781137487735

Publisher: Red Globe Press, 2014

Synopsis

This distinctive text makes social theory accessible to and usable by students. Whereas social theory is often seen as abstract, esoteric and separate from our understanding of the social world, here it is shown to be a flexible and practical resource for anyone wanting to explain social phenomena.

This expanded and updated second edition actively encourages readers to develop and practice their own capacities for social explanation:
- Providing readers with a powerful 'tool kit' of five social theoretical concepts – Individuals, Nature, Culture, Action and Social Structure – that are fundamental to social explanation;
- Drawing on a historically and geographically wide range of examples of social phenomena to show how these theoretical concepts operate and why they're important;
- Offering end of chapter questions that enable readers to put theory into practice and begin theorising for themselves.

Explaining Social Life is ideal for anyone interested in social theory, including students of sociology, anthropology and related social sciences - both those engaging with social theory for the first time, and more advanced students looking to build upon their understanding.

About this title

About the Author

Hilary Stanworth is Honorary Research Associate and former Lecturer in Sociology at Swansea University, UK.; John Parker is Honorary Research Associate and former Lecturer in Sociology at Swansea University, UK.

From the Back Cover

This distinctive text makes social theory accessible to and usable by students. Whereas social theory is often seen as abstract, esoteric and separate from our understanding of the social world, here it is shown to be a flexible and practical resource for anyone wanting to explain social phenomena.

This expanded and updated second edition actively encourages readers to develop and practice their own capacities for social explanation:

- providing readers with a powerful 'tool kit' of five social theoretical concepts - Individuals, Nature, Culture, Action and Social Structure - that are fundamental to social explanation;
- drawing on a historically and geographically wide range of examples of social phenomena to show how these theoretical concepts operate and why they're important;
- offering end of chapter questions that enable readers to put theory into practice and begin theorising for themselves.

Explaining Social Life is ideal for anyone interested in social theory, including students of sociology, anthropology and related social sciences - both those engaging with social theory for the first time, and more advanced students looking to build upon their understanding.

Edition details

• Publisher: Red Globe Press
• Publication date: 2014
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1137487739
• ISBN 13: 9781137487735
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 336