In Praise of Sociology - Gordon

Explores ten classic studies of British society to demonstrate the valuable qualities of British sociology, and its importance for understanding contemporary society. In each case the text provides a precis of the research undertaken, assuming no prior knowledge on the part of the reader, a series of points that can be made in praise or criticism of the research, and an assessment of the sociological contribution made by the researchers. The ten studies chosen are: Goldthorpe on social mobility; Townsend on poverty; Rex and Moore on race and the inner city; the Affluent Worker project; Wallis on sectarianism; Jackson and Marsden on education and the working class; Brown and Harris on clinical depression among women; Cohen on deviance; Bott on families and social networks; and Burns and Stalker on management and new technology. An introduction for the student to the concerns and values of sociology, the text provides a statement of the achievements of post-war British sociologists, and a manifesto for sociology in the 1990s.