The Promise of Sociology : Classical Approaches to Contemporary Society, Second Edition

Unlike most introductory texts that take a topical approach to studying sociology, this smart, challenging, and accessibly written text looks at the core principles of the discipline, making links to a contemporary context. The second edition of this award-winning book has been substantially revised, making more direct connections between Generation Z, Mills’s concept of the sociological imagination, and the challenges students face in higher education today. The section on popular culture contains a new chapter on the history of popular music from early rock ’n’ roll to contemporary pop and R&B. New chapter objectives, end-of-chapter review and reflection questions, key terms, and glossary, as well as an instructor’s manual, make this text much more useful in the classroom. CONTENTS 7 Preface 9 Introduction 15 Part One Why Think Sociologically? 25 1. Visions and Profiles of Students Today 25 2. Generation Z and the Promise of Sociology 51 3. The Light of Reason: Higher Education’s Challenges 83 Part Two The Classical Tradition 109 4. Marx and the Dialectic of Dynamic, Unstable Social Formations 109 5. Marx, the Communist Manifesto, and Modernity 145 6. From Descartes to Durkheim: Toward a Science of Society 163 7. Durkheim and the Systematic Study of Social Facts 189 8. Weber and the Interpretive Understanding of Social Action 207 9. The Spirit of Capitalism, Modernity, and the Postmodern World 227 Part Three Sociology and Contemporary Popular Culture 259 10. Culture and Critique 259 11. The Dialectics of Popular Culture 285 12. Rock ’n’ Roll as Complex Culture 317 13. The Promise of Sociology 345 Glossary of Key Terms and Names 351 Bibliography 381 Index 403 « Unlike most introductory texts that take a topical approach to studying sociology, this smart, challenging, and accessibly written text looks at the core principles of the discipline, making links to a contemporary context. The second edition of this award-winning book has been substantially revised, making more direct connections between Generation Z, Mills’s concept of the sociological imagination, and the challenges students face in higher education today. The section on popular culture contains a new chapter on the history of popular music from early rock ’n’ roll to contemporary pop and R&B. New chapter objectives, end-of-chapter review and reflection questions, key terms, and glossary, as well as an instructor’s manual, make this text much more useful in the classroom. »-- Résumé de l'éditeur "The second edition of this award-winning book has been substantially revised throughout, including making more direct connections between the discussion of Generation Z and Mills' concept of the sociological imagination. As well, the final section on popular culture has been revised with a new chapter on the history of popular music (from early rock'n roll to contemporary pop and R & B). This last part of the book offers an extended example for students to see sophisticated sociological analysis at work. New end-of-chapter review and discussion questions, and an instructor manual makes this book much easier to use, even for the most time-challenged."-- Provided by publisher