Sociology - Neil J. Smelser

In Sociology Neil Smelser conveys the vital essence of the sociological enterprise today within an international framework, avoiding both the artificial format of the standard textbook and the parochial approach of the country–by–country survey. Based on the contributions of 17 leading sociologists from 13 nations, synthesized and given continuity and coherence by the author, Sociology brings sociological ideas to life by treating actual problems and crises in the contemporary world.

Following introductory chapters on sociology's general perspective, its theories, and its methods, Professor Smelser focuses on more than a dozen critical topics, under three main headings:
Polity and Society (including contemporary nationalisms, the state and its vicissitudes, and the fortuned of the welfare state);
Economy and Society (including economic internalization, the reassertion of the market, population and environment, and development);
Institutional and cultural processes (including culture and religion, race and ethnicity, cultural integration, and family and gender).

Simultaneously presenting the basics of sociology and bringing these basics to life, this is a superb companion to the discipline for students and practitioners alike.