The Social Science Jargon Buster : The Key Terms You Need to Know

The Social Science Jargon Buster tackles the most confusing concepts in the social sciences in an easy-to-understand, erudite, and witty way. Zina O’Leary brings impressive clarity and insight to even the most complex terms. This practical, down-to-earth dictionary helps students new to the social sciences gain a thorough understanding of the key terms. Each entry includes a concise core definition, a more detailed explanation, and an introduction to the associated debates and controversies. In addition, the book includes a useful outline of the practical application of each term, as well as a list of key figures and recommendations for further reading. This Volume Tackles The Most Confusing Concepts In The Social Sciences, Breaking Each Down And Bringing Clarity And Insight To Even The Most Complex Terms. Preface -- Action Research -- Aesthetics -- Agency -- Alienation -- Anomie -- A Posteriori/a Priori -- Authority -- Behaviourism -- (the) Body -- Bureaucracy -- Capital -- Capitalism -- Causation -- Chaos Theory -- Class -- Cognitive Dissonance -- Collective -- Colonization -- Commidification -- Communism -- Community -- Conflict Theory -- Conservatism -- Critical/radical -- Cultural Studies -- Culture -- Deconstruction -- Deductive/inductive Reasoning -- Democracy -- Determinism -- Develop/developing Countries -- Deviant Behaviour -- Dialectic -- Dichotomy -- Discourse -- Egalitarianism -- Empiricism -- Epistemology -- Essentialism -- Ethics -- Ethnocentrism -- Ethnography -- Ethnomethodology -- Existentialism -- Fascism -- Feminism -- Functionalism -- Fundamentalism -- Game Theory -- Genealogy -- Globalization -- Governance -- Grounded Theory -- Hegemony -- Hermeneutics -- Historical Materialism -- Historicism -- Human/social Ecology -- Humanism -- Hybridity -- Hypothesis/hypotetico-deductive Method -- Id/ego/superego -- Idealism -- Identity -- Ideology -- Imperialism -- Individualism -- Industrialization -- Instrumentalism -- Justice -- Knowledge -- Labelling Theory -- Labour -- Leadership -- Liberalism -- Marginalization -- Marxism -- Materialism -- Mcdonaldization -- Metanarratives -- Methodology -- Methods -- Micro/macroeconomics -- Modernism/postmoderism -- Modernity -- Multiculturalism -- Nationalism -- Nominalism -- Norms -- Ontology -- Other -- Paradigm -- Patriarchy -- Pedagogy/critical Pedagogy -- Personality -- Phenomenology -- Pluralism -- Positivism -- Postmodernity -- Post-industrial -- Post-positivism -- Power -- Pragmatism -- Praxis -- Prejudice/discrimination -- Protestant Ethic -- Qualitative/quantitative -- Rationalism -- Realism -- Reductionism -- Reflexivity -- Reification -- Relativism -- Research Credibility (positivist) -- Research Credibility (post-positivist) -- Revolution -- Risk Society -- Role -- Scientific Method -- Secularization -- Self -- Semiotics -- Sexuality -- Social Change -- Social Constructionism - Social Control -- Social Darwinism -- Social Mobility -- Social Movements -- Social Science Research -- Social Stratification -- Socialism -- Socialization -- Society -- Sociobiology -- Socioeconomic Status -- Sociolinguistics -- Solidarity -- (the) State -- Structuralism/post-structuralism -- Subject -- Subjectivism -- Symbolic Interactionism -- Systems Theory -- Technology -- Teleology -- Theory/social Theory -- Totalitarianism -- Urbanization -- Utilitarianism -- Bibliography/reading List -- Index. Zina O'leary. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 302-322) And Index. - Are you confused by academic jargon? - Do you know your `discourse′ from your `dialectic′? - Can you tell the difference between `anomie′ and `alienation′? The Social Science Jargon Buster tackles the most confusing concepts in the social sciences, breaking each down and bringing impressive clarity and insight to even the most complex terms. `This book successfully addresses the central task for any teacher of social theory - how to make the material accessible without making it simplistic and banal. The overall effect is a most effective text that hard-pressed students and lecturers will grab with both hands′ - Dave Harris, Senior Lecturer in Social Science This practical, down-to-earth dictionary will help students new to social science discourse gain a thorough understanding of the key terms. Each entry includes a concise core definition, a more detailed explanation and an introduction to the associated debates and controversies. In addition, students will find a useful outline of the practical application of each term, as well as a list of key figures and recommendations for futher reading. This dictionary brings a refreshing clarity to social science discourse, making it essential reading for all students on undergraduate social science courses. This practical, down-to-earth book will help students new to the social sciences gain a thorough understanding of the key terms. Each entry includes a concise core definition, a more detailed explanation, and an introduction to the associated debates and controversies. In addition, the book includes a useful outline of the practical application of each term, as well as a list of key figures and recommendations for further reading Contents......Page 6 Preface......Page 10 A......Page 15 B......Page 29 C......Page 35 D......Page 67 E......Page 85 F......Page 103 G......Page 111 H......Page 121 I......Page 137 J......Page 152 K......Page 155 L......Page 157 M......Page 165 N......Page 186 O......Page 193 P......Page 197 Q......Page 227 R......Page 229 S......Page 251 T......Page 303 U......Page 311 Bibliography/reading list......Page 315 Index......Page 336 Tackling the most confusing concepts in the social sciences, breaking each down and bringing clarity and insight to even the most complex terms, this down-to-earth dictionary will help your students new to social science discourse gain a thorough understanding of the key terms.