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Sociology: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) 2nd Edition

by Steve Bruce (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 135 ratings
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Drawing on studies of social class, crime and deviance, education, work in bureaucracies and changes in religious and political organizations, this Very Short Introduction explores the tension between the individual's place in society and society's role in shaping the individual, and demonstrates the value of sociology for understanding the modern world.

In this new edition Steve Bruce discusses the continuing arguments for social egalitarianism, considering issues such as gay marriage, women in combat roles, and the 2010 Equality Act to debunk contemporary arguments against parity. As gender divisions are increasingly questioned he looks ahead to the likely consequences of this for society. Delving into the theory of sociology, Bruce also argues that the habit of dividing sociology into apparently competing 'sects' is misleading, and shows how a new understanding of the disciplinary background of many of the most famous theorists, which shows that much social theory is actually philosophy or literary theory, will prove useful to today's sociologists.

ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
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  1. ISBN-10
    0198822960
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0198822967
  3. Edition
    2nd
  4. Publisher
    Oxford University Press
  5. Publication date
    November 27, 2018
  6. Language
    English
  7. Dimensions
    0.25 x 4.5 x 7 inches
  8. Print length
    144 pages
  9. See all details
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About the Author

Steve Bruce, Professor of Sociology, University of Aberdeen

Steve Bruce is an internationally renowned sociologist of religion. He taught at The Queen's University, Belfast, from 1978 to 1991 and since 2001 he has been Professor of Sociology at the University of Aberdeen. In 2003 he was elected a Fellow of the British Academy and in 2005 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Steve Bruce is the author of a number of books, including Secular Beats Spiritual (OUP, 2017), Bryan Wilson's Religion in Secular Society: Fifty Years On (OUP 2016), and Scottish Gods: Religion in Modern Scotland (Edinburgh University Press, 2014).

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press; 2nd edition (November 27, 2018)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 144 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0198822960
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0198822967
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 1300L
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 0.25 x 4.5 x 7 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 135 ratings

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4.3 out of 5 stars
135 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Michael Hampton
    5.0 out of 5 stars A generalized description of Sociology
    Reviewed in the United States on December 25, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    A really interesting introduction that focuses on real life examples of what sociology is and how it came to be, as opposed to the detailed workings of the topic. However, that is to be expected for an introduction.
    One person found this helpful
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  • SamanthaH
    5.0 out of 5 stars Recommend!
    Reviewed in the United States on February 17, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Very good product if you need a basic introduction to the field.
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars I liked it.
    Reviewed in the United States on May 21, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    It was good.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Charles Catalano
    2.0 out of 5 stars Not user-friendly to beginners
    Reviewed in the United States on July 24, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Overall, I felt this book made for a difficult introduction to sociology. I found the writing style not as clear or straightforward as it might have been with more diligent editing — from sentence structure to the overall structure of the book. In my opinion, the last chapter about what “sociology is not” might have proved unnecessary had the rest of the book provided a more effective and convincing picture of what sociology is. For instance, the section on “modernity” reads as a simplified (understandably) discussion of changes in society, that comes across as broad-strokes historical description with more generalized assumptions on casual factors. But generalities are often high level (e.g. application of postmodernism), and missing for me were compelling examples of how empirical research provided insights to back a particular characterization of society. Notable sociological thinkers are referenced, but their ideas seemed often as not to require qualifications, leaving mostly the overarching sense that — in the words of William Goldman — nobody knows anything. Clearly that is not the case with this author or the field of sociology. But the lack of a clearer and more carefully presented view of sociology as a social science and its increasingly rigorous development of meaningful insights over time left me mostly wondering.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Thomas
    2.0 out of 5 stars A professorial essay. Not an introduction
    Reviewed in the United States on September 11, 2024
    Beware, I read three of the “Very Short Introduction” series and they are a professor’s essay. They are not an Introduction. It seems to me that we’re paying a lot of money for one essay by a professor. Considering the profit from volume compared to writing a true introductory text —pretty good deal. If you’re a student, beware of this perspective. Read with over-boots; professors believe that their outpourings are intellectual fertilizer. Sadly, time-consuming to look for a gem in much ink, So, a better introduction can be found for free on Wikipedia and YouTube for free.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Boutros Ghassibi
    2.0 out of 5 stars Not useful
    Reviewed in the United States on December 23, 2021
    I want to lean some Sociology . Mr Bruce's effort is honest and commendable , but he only talks about the obvious , what we all know and what Sociology is not and how Sociologists should try to remain objective.
    I cannot not feel that the subject is not covered at all ; there must be more to the Science than saying what everybody knows about society .
    Many English authors give unrelated examples to a theory they want to prove ,
    not to elucidate, but to try to be convincing.
    I think it is a weakness : different situations have different paradigms and they should not
    try to say that A causes B because C causes D.
    The situation may not be the same . I expect the argument to convince me without giving unrelated examples.
    I then bought " Heads Up Sociology " : what a big difference . Pleasant , illustrated, good quality paper , but so much more real information and not just definitions and saying what we all know . Get this latter book for information that has value and teach something .
    One person found this helpful
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  • E. Popescu
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great book (not a textbook)
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 27, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    A pleasure to read. But if you are interested in a "textbook" introduction look elsewhere.
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  • ArvindK.
    5.0 out of 5 stars A very well-written book. Highly recommended.
    Reviewed in India on July 26, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    This book is an insightful and readable book on sociology for somebody like me who is not a professional in the field but is keen to get a feel for the kinds of issues sociology deals with and the way it goes about understanding them. I enjoyed reading it and felt enriched.
    The Oxford Very Short Intoductions are indeed a great effort to help readers get authentic overviews of a variety of different fields.
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  • W.S.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Staat op de boekenlijst van m’n favoriete site over enlightenment, www.actualized.org
    Reviewed in the Netherlands on June 13, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Zeer inzichtgevend, goed geschreven. Tip: kijk voor meer beoordelingen eens op www.goodreads.com of op de Amerikaanse site van Amazon, www.amazon.com

    Aanbevolen!
    Report
  • Harry
    2.0 out of 5 stars It's a no from me.
    Reviewed in Australia on March 12, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    The first half was cleanly written and introduced information in a sequential order, and was also able to introduce some of the difficulties in the debate around sociology as science etc. The second half was just the author's anti-postmodern ideology disguised under loose associations to Marx, revealing Bruce's belief that modern humans have a highly externalised locus of control -- which seemed unnecessary given the intention of this series to be Very Short.
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Essential Book
    Reviewed in India on September 23, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    It will very helpful for Sociology students.
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    Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    Essential Book

    Reviewed in India on September 23, 2021
    It will very helpful for Sociology students.
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