Sociology

Ageing: A Very Short Introduction discusses the lifelong dynamic changes in biological, psychological, and social functioning involved in ageing. Increased lifespans have created an urgent need to find ways to enhance our functioning and well-being in the later decades of life. This is reflected in relevant policies and action plans from the WHO and the UN. Looking to the future, this VSI considers advancements in provision for our ageing populations, including revolutionary models of nursing-home care. Understanding the process of ageing is not only important for individuals but also for societies and nations if the full potential of those entering later life is to be realized.Less

The human body is thought of conventionally as a biological entity, with its longevity, morbidity, size, and even appearance determined by genetic factors immune to the influence of society or culture. Since the mid-1980s, however, there has been a rising awareness of how our bodies, and our perception of them, are influenced by the social, cultural, and material contexts in which humans live. Drawing on studies of sex and gender, education, governance, the economy, and religion, The Body: A Very Short Introduction demonstrates how our physical being, or embodiment, allows us to affect our material and virtual world, while enabling governments to shape and direct our thoughts and actions.Less

Demography—the study of people—addresses the size, distribution, composition, and density of populations, and considers the impact these factors have on individual lives and the changing structure of human populations. Each generation’s demographic composition influences a person’s life chances; the economic and political structures within which that life is lived; the person’s access to social and natural resources; and life expectancy. Demography: A Very Short Introduction considers how the global population has evolved over time and space and discusses the theorists, theories, and methods involved in studying population trends and movements. It also looks at the emergence of new demographic sub-disciplines and addresses some of the future population challenges.Less

Diaspora: A Very Short Introduction examines the origins of diaspora as a concept, its changing meanings over time, its current popularity, and its strengths and limitations as an explanatory device. The book proposes a flexible approach to diaspora that can provide insights into the motives for migration; the networks through which migrants travel; the political, economic, and cultural connections they form among themselves, with their homelands, and with fellow diasporas in other locations around the world; the idea of return to a homeland; and recent developments concerning refugees and globalization. Diaspora emerges as a concept that helps people to make sense of the experience of migration.Less

Feminism: A Very Short Introduction provides an historical account of feminism, exploring its earliest roots as well as key issues including voting rights, the liberation of the sixties, and its relevance today. How much have women's lives really changed? In the West women still come up against the ‘glass ceiling’ at work, most earning considerably less than their male counterparts. What are we to make of the now commonplace insistence that feminism deprives men of their rights and dignities? And how does one tackle the issue of female emancipation in different cultural and economic environments — in, for example, the Middle East, the Indian sub-continent, and Africa?Less

Thoughts and feelings about home traditionally provided people of all cultures with a firm sense of where they belonged, and why. But the world is rapidly changing: populations are constantly on the move, seeking better opportunities and living conditions, or an escape from violence and war. Despite this, the concept of home remains a central organizing influence in human life. Home: A Very Short Introduction considers the complex meaning of home and the essential importance of place to human psychology. It considers what a dwelling is, the variety of dwellings, and also looks at the politics of the concept of ‘home’, homelessness, refugeeism and migration, and the future of home.Less

In recent years, global migration has transformed in terms of its rising numbers and reach, its political significance, and its impact. The political and media attention on migration and greater public interest and concern feed into an international debate that is all too often poorly informed and one-sided. International Migration: A Very Short Introduction looks at the phenomenon of international human migration—both legal and illegal—and offers an objective stance on the topic, revealing the benefits and challenges that migration presents. Using interviews with migrants from around the world, it presents the human side of issues such as asylum, human trafficking, migrant smuggling, and the international labour force.Less

Multiculturalism: A Very Short Introduction believes that multiculturalism is in terminal crisis. It has been blamed for undermining national identity, diluting social cohesion, creating ethnic ghettos, and cultural fragmentation for providing fertile ground for Islamic radicalism, encouraging perverse ‘political correctness’, and restricting liberal freedoms of expression. The public debate over multiculturalism has polarised opinion amongst the general public, policy makers, and politicians. But how much real evidence, beyond tabloid headlines and anecdotes, exists for these claims? This VSI considers the actual evidence to provide a balanced assessment of the truth and falsity of the charges against multiculturalism. There are dangers that lurk in an uncritical endorsement of multiculturalism, and it is time to move on to a form of ‘interculturalism’.Less

Racism: A Very Short Introduction incorporates the latest research to demystify the subject and to explore its history, science, and culture. But what actually is race? How has racism come to be so firmly established? Why do so few people actually admit to being racist? How are race, ethnicity, and xenophobia related? How has racism evolved since its earliest beginnings? It seems paradoxical that it still exists despite scientific discrediting of the notion of ‘race’ with the latest advances in genetics. From subtle discrimination in everyday life and scandals in politics, to incidents like lynchings in the American South, cultural imperialism, and ‘ethnic cleansing’, racism exists in many different forms, in almost every facet of society.Less

Sexuality: A Very Short Introduction focuses on the social, political, and psychological aspects of sexuality to explore what shapes our sexuality, and how our attitudes to sex have in turn shaped the wider world. The assumptions we have about what is ‘normal’ in sexuality, in reality, vary widely across time and place: from sex education, HIV/AIDS, and eugenics, to religious doctrine, gay rights, and feminism. What shapes our sexuality? Is it a product of our genes, or of society, culture, and politics? How have concepts of sexuality and sexual norms changed over time? How have feminist theories, religion, and HIV/AIDS affected our attitudes to sex?Less

Drawing on studies of social class, crime and deviance, education, work in bureaucracies, and changes in religious and political organizations, Sociology: A 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. It outlines the unique vision of sociology and shows that much social theory is actually philosophy or literary theory. It 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, and looks at the likely consequences for society as gender divisions are increasingly questioned.Less

Work: A Very Short Introduction tells the story of work — how we strive for security, reward, and often, meaning. The image of a job captures our imagination from an early age, usually prompted by the question: ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’. Work, whether it be paid, unpaid, voluntary, or obligatory, is woven into the fabric of human society. For many it forms our identity. For others it is a tedious necessity. What is ‘work’? What cultural and social factors influence work? Globalization and technology both affect the evolution of work. Living is problematic without paid work, and for many it is catastrophic.Less