The Art of Listening

Our culture is one that speaks rather than listens. From reality TV to political rallies, there is a clamour to be heard, to narrate, and to receive attention. It reduces 'reality' to revelation and voyeurism. The Art of Listening argues that this way of life is having severe and damaging consequences in a world that is increasingly globalized and interconnected. It addresses the question: how can we listen more carefully? Social and cultural theory is combined with real stories from the experiences of the desperate stowaways who hide in the undercarriages of jet planes in order to seek asylum, to the young working-class people who use tattooing to commemorate a lost love. The Art of Listening shows how sociology is in a unique position to record 'life passed in living' and to listen to complex experiences with humility and ethical care, providing a resource to understand the contemporary world while pointing to the possibility of a different kind of future. Our culture is one that speaks rather than listens. There is a clamour to be heard, to narrate, and to receive attention. This book presents an argument that this way of life has severe and damaging consequences. It addresses the question of how to listen more carefully. It also shows how sociology is in a position to record life passed in living Our culture is one that speaks rather than listens. From reality TV to political rallies, there is a clamour to be heard, to narrate, and to receive attention. It reduces 'reality' to revelation and voyeurism. This book argues that this way of life is having severe and damaging consequences in this globalised world Introduction : Sociology As A Listener's Art -- Falling From The Sky -- Home From Home -- Inscriptions Of Love -- Listening With The Eye -- London Calling -- Conclusion : Live Sociology. Les Back. Includes Index.