Full Description
This revised and updated edition of the highly successful sociology textbook, Contemporary Sociology, continues to throw light on key issues and concerns of present-day society. M. Francis Abraham's vast experience and extensive research cuts across conventional themes and geographical boundaries to include:
Theoretical perspectives and research methods
Key concepts and theories
Relevant issues in education, economy, politics, population, stratification, minorities, urbanization, and environment
Social institutions, organizations, and recent trends of change
Examples drawn from numerous cultural contexts
This second edition introduces the following new concepts in a comparative perspective:
Theoretical perspectives in a global age
Crystallization of social interaction
Race, gender, and stratification
New social movements
Gender and deviance
Women's movements and caste-oriented movement
The crucial topics of modern-day sociology such as gender, race, lifestyle changes, ecological issues, and domestic violence are explained separately, distinguishing the book from general sociology textbooks.
Contents
List of Tables and Figures ; Acknowledgements ; Note for Teachers and Students ; I THE FIELD OF SOCIOLOGY ; 1 DEFINING SOCIOLOGY ; What is Sociology? ; Sociology and Other Social Sciences ; The Sociological Perspective ; The Founding Fathers of Sociology ; Auguste Comte ; Karl Marx ; Herbert Spencer ; Emile Durkheim ; Max Weber ; Contemporary Sociology ; 2 THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES IN SOCIOLOGY ; What is Sociological Theory? ; Types of Sociological Theory ; Speculative Theories vs. Grounded Theories ; Grand Theories vs. Miniature Theories ; Macro Theories vs. Micro Theories ; Functions of Sociological Theory ; Mainline Theories in Sociology ; Evolutionary Theory ; Structural-functionalism ; Conflict Theory ; The Frankfurt School and Critical Theory ; Symbolic Interactionism ; Exchange Theory ; Choosing and Using Sociological Theory ; Theoretical Perspectives in a Global Age ; 3 METHODS OF RESEARCH IN SOCIOLOGY ; The Scientific Approach ; Basic Principles ; Steps in the Research Process ; Selection of the Topic ; Review of Literature ; Formulation of Hypotheses ; Selection of Research Design ; Collection of Data ; Analysis of Data ; Writing the Report and Sharing the Results ; Methods of Research ; Surveys ; Experiments ; Observational Studies: Participant and Non-participant Observation ; Analysis of Secondary Data ; Quantitative Vs. Qualitative Research ; Issues in Sociological Research ; II THE FOUNDATIONS OF SOCIETY ; 4 CULTURE ; The Meaning of Culture ; Components of Culture ; Beliefs ; Values ; Language ; Norms ; Technology ; Cultural Orientation ; Cultural Diversity ; Cultural Change ; Towards a Global Culture? ; 5 SOCIALIZATION ; Heredity and Environment ; The Results of Deprived Socialization ; Theories of Socialization ; Sociological Theories ; Psychological Theories ; Agents of Socialization ; The Family ; Peer Groups ; The School ; Mass Media ; Adult Socialization ; Resocialization ; Total Institutions ; SOCIALIZATION BY CASTE, RELIGION, AND GENDER ; 6 SOCIAL INTERACTION ; Verbal and Non-verbal Communication ; Crystallization of Social Action ; Nature of Social Interaction ; Theories of Social Interaction ; Dramaturgical Approach ; Ethnomethodology ; The Structure of Social Interaction ; Status ; Role ; Forms of Social Interaction ; Cooperation ; Competition ; Conflict ; Accommodation ; Exchange ; Virtual Networking ; 7 TYPES OF SOCIETIES AND GROUPS ; Evolution of Societies ; HUNTING AND GATHERING SOCIETIES ; Horticultural Societies ; Pastoral Societies ; Agrarian Societies ; Industrial and Post-industrial Societies ; Three Typologies ; Mechanical and Organic Solidarity: Emile Durkheim ; Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft: Ferdinand Tonnies ; Folk and Urban Societies: Robert Redfield ; Types of Social Groups ; Aggregate ; Societal Group ; Social Group ; Associational Group ; Primary and Secondary Groups ; In-groups and Out-groups ; Reference Groups ; Electronic Communities ; Formal Organizations and Bureaucracy ; Size and Group Dynamics ; Social Organization ; 8 DEVIANCE AND SOCIAL CONTROL ; What is Deviance? ; The Normality of Crime: Durkheim ; Consequences of Deviance ; Theories of Deviant Behaviour ; Biological Theories ; Psychological Theories ; Sociological Theories ; Anomie Theory ; Differential Association Theory ; Labelling Theory ; Conflict Theory ; Gender and Deviance ; Crime and Criminals ; Social Control ; Informal Social Control ; FORMAL SOCIAL CONTROL ; III SOCIAL INEQUALITY ; 9 SOCIAL STRATIFICATION ; Three Systems of Stratification ; The Estate System ; The Caste System ; The Class System ; Race, Gender, and Stratification ; Dimensions of Social Stratification ; Theories of Stratification ; Functional Theory ; Conflict theory ; Global Systems of Stratification ; Caste and Class in India ; Lifestyles and Life-chances ; Social Mobility ; 10 MINORITIES AND WEAKER SECTIONS ; Prejudice and Discrimination ; Patterns of Majority-Minority Relations ; Minority Responses ; Minority Groups in India ; Persons with Disabilities ; The Aged ; Women as a Minority ; Women in India ; Dalits and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) ; Tribes in India ; Minority by Sexual Orientation ; IV SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS ; 11 THE FAMILY ; Types of Families ; Marriage Patterns ; Functions of the Family ; The Future of Marriage and Family ; Marriage and Family in India ; Global Trends in Marriage and Family ; Domestic Violence ; 12 THE POLITICAL ECONOMY ; State and Government ; Functions of the State ; Social Control ; Defence ; Welfare ; Types of States ; Autocracy ; Totalitarianism ; Democracy ; Types of Economy ; Capitalism ; Socialism ; Mixed Economy ; Democratic Socialism ; Power and Authority ; Theories of Power in Societies ; The Power Elite Model ; The Pluralist Model ; The Indian Political Scene ; Globalization and Corporate Capitalism ; 13 EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM ; Functions of Education ; Socialization ; Cultural Transmission ; Social Placement ; Innovation ; Social Integration ; Critical Thinking ; Inequality in Education ; Education and the UN Millennium Development Goals ; Education in India ; 14 RELIGION ; Religions among the 'Primitive' People ; Elements of Religion ; Some Related Concepts ; Magic ; Sect ; Cult ; Contemporary Sociological Perspectives on Religion ; Key Sociological Theories on Religion ; The Functionalist Perspective ; The Conflict Perspective ; Durkheim's Theory of Religion ; Recent Trends in Religion ; Secularization ; Resacralization ; Fundamentalism ; Religion in India ; V SOCIAL CHANGE ; 15 POPULATION AND URBANIZATION ; The Basic Concepts ; Fertility ; Mortality ; Migration ; Theoretical Perspectives ; Malthusian Theory of Population ; Demographic Transition Theory ; Population Explosion: Causes and Consequences ; A Note on Population in India ; Urbanization ; Theoretical Perspectives ; Georg Simmel: Metropolis and Mental Life ; Louis Wirth: Urbanism as a Way of Life ; Urbanization in India ; 16 COLLECTIVE BEHAVIOUR AND SOCIAL MOVEMENTS ; Theories of Collective Behaviour ; Contagion Theory ; Emergent Norm Theory ; Convergence Theory ; Value-added Theory ; Forms of Collective Behaviour ; Crowds ; Dispersed Collective Behaviour ; Rumour ; Fads and Fashions ; Social Movements ; Theories of Social Movements ; Relative Deprivation Theory ; Resource Mobilization Theory ; Political Opportunity/Political Process Theory ; New Social Movements ; The Life-cycle of Social Movements ; Social Movements in India ; Environmental Movements ; Women's Movements ; Caste-oriented Movements ; 17 SOCIAL CHANGE, ENVIRONMENT, AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ; Theories of Social Change ; Evolutionary Theory ; Functional Theory ; Conflict Theory ; Sources of Social Change ; PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT ; Technology ; Cultural Contacts and Diffusion ; Values and Ideology ; The Process of Social Change ; Social Change in India ; Environment ; Sustainable Development ; Further Readings ; Index ; About the Author
