Everyday life is the most important dimension of society. Introducing classical and contemporary theory alongside key empirical work, this is a comprehensive exploration of everyday life sociologies. Written by leading experts in the field, each chapter makes concepts from Existentialism to Semiotics accessible for students and scholars alike.

What's the use of sociology? The question has been asked often enough and it leaves a lingering doubt in the minds of many. At a time when there is widespread scepticism about the value of sociology and of the social sciences generally, this short book by one of the world's leading thinkers offers a passionate, engaging and important statement of the need for sociology.

In a series of conversations with Michael Hviid Jacobsen and Keith Tester, Zygmunt Bauman explains why sociology is necessary if we hope to live fully human lives. But the kind of sociology he advocates is one...

This new volume in the Social Thinkers series serves as an introduction to the life, work, and ideas of Erving Goffman.

This cutting-edge edited collection brings together 17 scholarly essays on two of cinema and television s most enduring and powerful themes: law and crime. With contributions by many of the most prominent scholars in law, sociology, criminology, and film, Framing Law and Crime offers a critical survey of a variety of genres and media, integrating descriptions of technique with critical analysis, and incorporating historical and socio-political critique. The first set of essays brings together accounts of the history of the Law and Cinema Movement; the groundbreaking genre of post-apocalyptic...

This book explores the ways in which criminological methods can be imaginatively deployed and developed in a world increasingly characterized by the blurred nature of social reality. Whilst recognizing the importance of positivist approaches and research techniques, it advocates a commitment to understanding the ways in which those techniques can be used imaginatively, at times in combination with less conventional methods, discussing the questions concerning risk, ethics and access that arise as a result. Giving voice to cutting edge research practices both in terms of concepts and methods...

Bringing together leading interpreters of Zygmunt Bauman s sociology, this volume thinks with and beyond Bauman s work in order to show its continued relevance as a theory in its own right, as an object of criticism and as a stepping stone towards a fuller understanding of contemporary society.

The volume deals with some proposed omissions and absences in Bauman s sociology, with chapters comparing Bauman s ideas to those of other prominent social thinkers as well as chapters devoted to teasing out some problems and pitfalls in his work. Paying attention to central concepts...