Kategoria BISAC: Social Science >> Sociology - General

In this stimulating volume, Larry D. Barnett locates a fundamental defect in widespread assumptions regarding the institution of law. He asserts that scholarship on law is being led astray by currently accepted beliefs about the institution, and as a result progress in understanding law as a societal institution will be impeded until a more accurate view of law is accepted. This book takes on this challenge.

The Place of Law addresses two questions that are at the heart of the institution of law. Why is law an evidently universal, enduring institution in societies...

Human beings are hierarchical animals. Always and everywhere, people have developed social ranking systems. These differ dramatically in how they are organized, but the underlying causal mechanisms that create and sustain them are the same. Whether they are on the top or bottom of the heap, people attempt to be superior to some other persons or group. This is the root of Melvyn L. Fein's thesis presented in Human Hierarchies: A General Theory.

Fein traces the development of changes from hunter-gatherer times to our own techno-commercial society. In moving from small to large...

What are other people like? How do we decide if someone is friendly, honest or clever? What assumptions do we develop about them and what explanations do we give for their behaviour? The Perception of People examines key topics in psychology to explore how we make sense of other people (and ourselves). Do our decisions result from careful consideration and a desire to produce an accurate perception? Or do we jump to conclusions in our judgements and rely on expectations and stereotypes?

To answer these questions the book examines models of person perception and...

The first edition of Sexual Conduct, published in 1973, swiftly became a landmark text in the sociology of sexuality. It went on to profoundly shape the ideas of several generations of scholars and has become the foundation text of what is now known as the "social constructionist" approach to sexuality. The present edition, revised, updated, and containing new introductory and concluding materials, introduces a classic text to a new generation of students and professionals.

Traditional views of human sexuality posit models of man and woman in which biological arrangements...

The twenty-first century finds civilization heavily based in cities that have grown into large metropolitan areas. Many of these focal points of human activity face problems of economic inefficiency, environmental deterioration, and an unsatisfactory quality of life--problems that go far in determining whether a city is "livable." A large share of these problems stems from the inefficiencies and other impacts of urban transportation systems.

The era of projects aimed at maximizing vehicular travel is being replaced by the broader goal of achieving livable cities: economically...