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Social Science and Social Pathology (Routledge Revivals)
by Barbara WoottonOriginally published in 1959, this book critically examines, in the light of numerous research, both the relation between unacceptable behaviour and economic and social status and the validity of several popular hypotheses of the 20th Century: that anti-social attitudes are due to lack of maternal affection in infancy, or that problem families produce problem families generation after generation. The author discusses the factors affecting the growth of modern psychiatry and how this shaped attitudes towards anti-social behaviour and conceptions of social work. The final section of the book considers the wider methodological implications.
Social Science and the Cults: An Annotated Bibliography (Routledge Library Editions: Sociology of Religion #15)
by John A. SalibaThis book, first published in 1990, brings together descriptive, comparative, and theoretical materials on cults and sects in Western culture, focusing on literature published since 1970. A historical section links the rise of the new movements to similar past phenomena in Western culture. Other sections examine the methodology of studying religious movements and the various theories which have been brought to explain them, current studies on traditional sects that are sometimes compared to the new religions, and many studies of individual contemporary cults.
Social Science As Moral Inquiry
by Norma Haan Robert N. Bellah Paul Rabinow William SullivanThe papers in this volume arise out of a sense of unease shared in greater or lesser degree by all the contributors. The unease concerns first of all the relation of social science as presently practiced to the realm of ethics. "Value neutrality," itself a term far from clear, now seems without foundation as a guide in this area, but no forceful alternative has yet gathered a consensus. But the unease, among a number of the contributors, goes deeper than a worry about the moral meaning of social science. It includes a worry about the moral meaning of modern society itself. Social science and modern society were born together and their fates are deeply intertwined.
The Social Science Encyclopedia
by Adam Kuper Jessica KuperThe Social Science Encyclopedia, first published in 1985 to acclaim from social scientists, librarians and students, was thoroughly revised in 1996, when reviewers began to describe it as a classic. This third edition has been radically recast. Over half the entries are new or have been entirely rewritten, and most of the balance have been substantially revised.Written by an international team of contributors, the Encyclopedia offers a global perspective on key issues within the social sciences. Some 500 entries cover a variety of enduring and newly vital areas of study and research methods. Experts review theoretical debates from neo-evolutionism and rational choice theory to poststructuralism, and address the great questions that cut across the social sciences. What is the influence of genes on behaviour? What is the nature of consciousness and cognition? What are the causes of poverty and wealth? What are the roots of conflict, wars, revolutions and genocidal violence?This authoritative reference work is aimed at anyone with a serious interest in contemporary academic thinking about the individual in society.
Social Science Information and Public Policy Making
by Robert F. RichA survey of federal officials reveals the belief that government should make the fullest possible use of social science information-and yet most of the information developed by social scientists winds up in specialized libraries or data banks, where it remains unused. Why don't public officials make greater use of the information social scientists develop? What can social scientists do to ensure that their findings are used? To answer these and related questions, Robert Rich reports the results of a unique experiment designed to facilitate the use of research data by public officials in federal agencies. Rich interviewed both researchers and users of research data over the two-year life of a Continous National Survey (CNS) experiment to discover the extent to which the CNS mechanism was successful and to record the levels and types of use that officials made of the data provided. Rich reveals that factors such as the timeliness, cost, and relevance of data do not guarantee that information will be used. He examines patterns in the actual use of survey data by agency officials and explores key organizational factors, such as the compatibility of information with various bureaucratic interests. He discusses the preoccupation of public officials with bureaucratic issues regarding the ownership and control of information, identifies the incentives that prompt bureaucrats to pass along new information and the government officials' difficulties in developing policies and programs for meeting national needs. Rich notes that studies of knowledge inquiry systems, found in the research literature of many social science disciplines have been dominated by a "rationalistic bias." This "bias" is expressed in terms of the belief that the act of acquiring information will automatically lead to its use, in turn, automatically leading to improved policy or decisions. He contends that empirical studies of how information is actually used do not support the assumptions of rational choice theory. The new chapter also discusses types of information, knowledge, and use; prospects for the development of learning organizations in government; and the politics of expertise. This book will be of interest to social scientists and public policy makers. Robert F. Rich is professor of law and political science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is also professor in the Institute of Government and Public Affairs, and was the director of that Institute from 1986-1997. He is the founding editor of Knowledge: Creation, Diffusion, Utilization (now Science Communication).
The Social Science of Same-Sex Marriage: LGBT People and Their Relationships in the Era of Marriage Equality (Routledge Research in Gender and Society)
by Aaron HoyShowcasing research from across the social sciences, this edited volume seeks to provide readers with an empirically grounded sense of how many lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people marry in the US and Canada, what their marriages look like, and how LGBT people themselves are impacted by marriage and marriage equality. Prior to marriage equality, lawmakers and activists across the political spectrum debated whether same-sex couples should have the legal right to marry, and likewise, academic research to date has focused mostly on the politics of same-sex marriage. However, this edited volume focuses on LGBT people themselves and their intimate relationships in the era of marriage equality. Including both quantitative and qualitative social science research, it features 14 primary chapters that examine a diverse set of topics, including demographic patterns in same-sex marriage and cohabitation, marital aspirations and motivations among LGBT people, arrangements and dynamics within same-sex relationships, and the legal benefits and informal privileges associated with marriage. The edited volume will be of interest to scholars across a wide range of disciplines, including sociology, psychology, child and family studies, communications, social work, and economics, while also offering valuable information for laypeople generally interested in families and/or LGBT studies.
The Social Science of Sport: A Critical Analysis (Sport in the Global Society – Contemporary Perspectives)
by Bo Carlsson and Susanna HedenborgIn this book questions about definitions and demarcations of sport science are discussed. Not the least the many normative ideas of sport as good or as bad are problematized in relation to the academic field. These ideas permeate sport science in ways that are not seen in other academic fields like history, sociology or law. In addition, if and if so, in what ways sport science influence social science in general. Does sport science bring new questions in relation to issues like "what makes a society possible" or "what is a human being"?This book was published as a special issue of Sport in Society.
Social Science of the Syringe: A Sociology of Injecting Drug Use
by Nicole VitelloneThis book addresses the history of harm reduction. It evaluates the consequences and constraints, stakes and costs of the policy of needle exchange for the purposes of harm prevention and health research. Vitellone situates the syringe at the centre of empirical research and theoretical analysis, challenging existing accounts of drug injecting which treat the syringe as a dead device that simply facilitates social action between humans. Instead, this book complicates the relationship between human and object – injecting drug user and syringe – to ask what happens if we see the object as an intra-active part of the sociality that constitutes injecting practices. And what kinds of methods are required to generate a social science of the syringe that is able to measure injecting sociality? Social Science of the Syringe develops material methodologies and epistemologies of injecting drug use to enact the syringe as an object of intellectual inquiry. It draws on the methodologies of social anthropology, Actor-Network-Theory, Deleuze’s empiricism and new feminist materialism to move towards materially-engaged knowledge production. This interdisciplinary approach improves understandings of the causes and effects of injecting behaviour and the problem of needle sharing, as well as providing a more robust empirical framework to evaluate the motivations and consequences of drug use and drug policy. This book will appeal to researchers and students interested in the sociology of health and illness, STS, Actor-Network Theory, empirical sociology, medical anthropology, social and cultural anthropology, addiction theory and harm reduction.
Social Science, Philosophy and Theology in Dialogue: A Relational Perspective
by Pierpaolo Donati Antonio Malo Giulio MasperoThis volume explores the potential of employing a relational paradigm for the purposes of interdisciplinary exchange. Bringing together scholars from the social sciences, philosophy and theology, it seeks to bridge the gap between subject areas by focusing on real phenomena.Although these phenomena are studied by different disciplines, the editors demonstrate that it is also possible to study them from a common relational perspective that connects the different languages, theories and perspectives which characterize each discipline, by going beyond their differences to the core of reality itself. As an experimental collection that highlights the potential that exists for cross-disciplinary work, this volume will appeal to scholars across a range of field concerned with critical realist approaches to research, collaborative work across subjects and the manner in which disciplines can offer one another new insights.
Social Science Quotations: Who Said What, When, and Where (Social Science Quotations Ser. #Vol. 19)
by David L. Sills Robert K. MertonSocial Science Quotations has been prepared to meet an evident, unmet need in the literature of the social sciences. Writings on the lives and theories of individual social scientists abound, but there has been no fully documented collection of memorable quotations from the social sciences as a whole. The frequent use of quotations in scientific as well as literary writings that are mere summaries or paraphrases typically fail to capture the full force of formulations that have made quotations memorable. This book of quotations invites the further reading or rereading of the original texts, beyond the quotations themselves. Sills and Merton draw extensively upon the writings that constitute the historical core of the social sciences and social thought; those works with staying power often described as the "classical texts." Many quotations have been drawn from these classical texts because the quotations contain memorable ideas memorably expressed. Both consequential and memorable, these words have been quoted over the generations, entering into the collective memory of social scientists everywhere and at times diffusing into popular thought and into the vernacular as well. This book is useful to social scientists, anthropologists, economists, historians, political scientists, psychiatrists, psychologists, sociologists and statisticians, and for all who want to learn or verify memorable formulations and phrases concerning social thought and social theories. It is particularly useful for graduate students taking courses that examine the history of their discipline.
Social Science Research in India and the World
by R. K. Mishra Jayasree Raveendran K. N. JehangirA unique and comprehensive study on social science research, this book highlights the status, issues, roadblocks and challenges of the field in India and certain select nations of the world. It conducts key cross-comparisons with existing literature in the area, and discusses aid policies and decisions, funding dynamics and quality of research as well as assessment systems in social science research.
Social Science Research in the Arab World and Beyond: A Guide for Students, Instructors and Researchers (SpringerBriefs in Sociology)
by Mark TesslerThis book presents and discusses the logic and method of social science research adapted mainly for instruction at Arab universities and for research in Arab countries, but with applicability beyond the region. It illustrates major concepts and methods pertaining to research with examples of previous studies carried out in the Arab world and with exercises using Arab Barometer and other datasets. The book situates itself between a regular methods textbook and an annotated list of major concepts and methods, and includes an introduction, three chapters, and four appendices.
Social Sciences: The Big Issues
by Kath WoodwardFully revised and updated, the fourth edition of Social Sciences: The Big Issues explores key debates about how we live our personal, domestic and emotional lives at a time of enormous, previously unimaginable change and disruption, including a pandemic that locked down households and economies. Since the third edition, everyone’s life has changed. The pandemic – at least temporarily – stopped social life as we knew it and virtually forced governments to close down their economies. This is where this edition of The Big Issues starts. Staying at home posed a radical departure from routine life, but reactions to Covid-19 have exposed the endurance of particular social relations – especially inequalities – which characterize societies worldwide. A few of the new big issues covered in this edition include: Changing selves and personal lives in light of racism and sexual and identity politics in a pandemic Changing patterns of consumption in relation to market production and what it means for climate change Changing intersections of citizenship, migration and globalization in the context of the virus crossing borders, and both the opportunities and sources of inequality involved Changing ideas about power, politics and populism in the aftermath of Brexit Building on the strong foundation of this well-loved text, this fully revised fourth edition explores how big issues and social forces intersect to create both change and evidence of continuity, especially of social inequalities. It provides a clear, accessible introduction to the ideas and approaches of the social sciences across a range of disciplines, including sociology, psychology and politics.
The Social Sciences and Rationality: Promise, Limits, and Problems
by Hudson MeadwellIn recent decades, rational choice theory has emerged as the single most powerful, controversial claimant to provide a unified, theoretical framework for all the social sciences. In its simplest form, the theory postulates that humans are purposive beings who pursue their goals in a rational, efficient manner, seeking the greatest benefit at the lowest cost. This volume brings together prominent scholars working in several social science disciplines and the philosophy of science to debate the promise and problems of rational choice theory.As rational choice theory has spread from its home base in economics to other disciplines, it has come under fierce criticism. To its critics, the extension of the explanatory model mistakenly assumes that the logic of economic rationality can explain non-economic behavior and, at its worst, commits the ethnocentric error of imposing Western concepts of rationality on non-Western societies and cultures. This volume includes strong advocates as well as forceful critics of the rational choice approach. However, in contrast to previous debates, all the contributors share a commitment to open, constructive and knowledgeable dialogue. Well-known advocates of rational choice theory (Michael Hechter, Michael Smith, Chris Manfredi) explicitly ponder some of its serious limitations, while equally well-known critics (Ian Shapiro, Mario Bunge) strike a surprisingly conciliatory tone in contemplating its legitimate uses. Vociferous critics of neoclassical economics (Bunge) favorably discuss sociological proponents of rational choice theory while two economists who are not particularly anti-mainstream (Robin Rowley, George Grantham) critically assess the problems of such assumptions in their discipline. Philosophers (Storrs McCall) and sociologists (John Hall) alike reflect on the variable meaning of rationality in explaining social behavior. In the introduction and conclusion, the editors survey the current state of the debate and show how open, constructive dialogue enables us to move beyond hackneyed accusations and dismissals that have characterized much previous debate.
Social Sciences for an Other Politics
by Ana Cecilia DinersteinThis book opens up a unique intellectual space where eleven female scholar-activists explore alternative forms of theorising social reality. These'Women on the Verge' demonstrate that a new radical subject- one that is plural, prefigurative, decolonial, ethical, ecological, communal and democratic- is in the making, but is unrecognisable with old analytical tools. Of central concern to the book is the resistance of some social scientists, many of them critical theorists, to learning about this radical subject and to interrogating the concepts, methodologies and epistemologies used to grasp it. Echoing the experiential critique of capitalist-colonial society that is taking place at the grassroots, the authors examine how to create hope, decolonise critique and denaturalise society. They also address the various dimensions of the social (re)production of life, including women in development, the commons, and nature. Finally, they discuss the dynamics of prefiguration by social movements, critiquing social movement theory in the process. This thought-provoking edited collection will appeal to students and scholars of gender studies, social, Marxist and Feminist theory, postcolonial studies and politics.
The Social Sciences in the Looking Glass: Studies in the Production of Knowledge
by Didier Fassin and George SteinmetzIn recent years, social scientists have turned their critical lens on the historical roots and contours of their disciplines, including their politics and practices, epistemologies and methods, institutionalization and professionalization, national development and colonial expansion, globalization and local contestations, and public presence and role in society. The Social Sciences in the Looking Glass offers current social scientific perspectives on this reflexive moment. Examining sociology, anthropology, philosophy, political science, legal theory, and religious studies, the volume’s contributors outline the present transformations of the social sciences, explore their connections with critical humanities, analyze the challenges of alternate paradigms, and interrogate recent endeavors to move beyond the human. Throughout, the authors, who belong to half a dozen disciplines, trace how the social sciences are thoroughly entangled in the social facts they analyze and are key to helping us understand the conditions of our world.Contributors. Chitralekha, Jean-Louis Fabiani, Didier Fassin, Johan Heilbron, Miriam Kingsberg Kadia, Kristoffer Kropp, Nicolas Langlitz, John Lardas Modern, Álvaro Morcillo Laiz, Amín Pérez, Carel Smith, George Steinmetz, Peter D. Thomas, Bregje van Eekelen, Agata Zysiak
The Social Scientific Gaze: The Social Question and the Rise of Academic Social Science in Sweden (Public Intellectuals and the Sociology of Knowledge)
by Per WisselgrenThe social sciences have, ever since they were first established as academic disciplines, played a foundational role in most spheres of modern society - in policy-making, education, the media and public debate - and hence also, indirectly, for our self-understanding as social beings. The Social Scientific Gaze examines the discursive formation of academic social science in the historical context of the 'social question', that is, the protracted and wide-ranging discussions on the social problems of modernity that were being debated with increased intensity during the nineteenth century. Empirically, the study focuses on the Lorén Foundation, a combined private funding agency and early research institute, which was set up in 1885 to promote the rise of Swedish social science and to investigate the social question. Comprising an heuristic case, the close analysis of the Foundation makes it possible not only to reconstruct its basic ideas and practices, but also to situate its activities in broader historical and sociological context. The Social Scientific Gaze argues that the rise of Swedish social science may be seen not only as an 'answer' to the social 'question', but also as one attempt alongside others - including contemporary social literature, the philantropic reform movement, and the introduction of modern social policy - to conceptualize, mobilize and regulate the social sphere. In this process it is furthermore shown how an ambigious yet distinct 'social scientific gaze' was discursively articulated.
The Social Scientific Study of Exorcism in Christianity (Popular Culture, Religion and Society. A Social-Scientific Approach #3)
by Giuseppe Giordan Adam PossamaiThis book presents an academic analysis of exorcism in Christianity. It not only explores the crisis and drama of a single individual in a fight against demonic possession but also looks at the broader implications for the society in which the possessed lives. In recognition of this, coverage includes case studies from various geographical areas in Europe, North and South America, and Oceania. The contributors explore the growing significance of the rite of exorcism, both in its more structured format within traditional Christian religions as well as in the less controlled and structured forms in the rites of deliverance within Neopentecostal movements. They examine theories on the interaction between religion, magic, and science to present new and groundbreaking data on exorcism. The fight against demonic possession underlines the way in which changes within the religious field, such as the rediscovery of typical practices of popular religiosity, challenge the expectations of the theory of secularization. This book argues that if possession is a threat to the individual and to the equilibrium of the social order, the ritual of exorcism is able to re-establish a balance and an order through the power of the exorcist. This does not happen in a social vacuum but in a consumer culture where religious groups market themselves against other faiths. This book appeals to researchers in the field.
Social Scientist in South Asia: Personal Narratives, Social Forces and Negotiations
by Achla Pritam Tandon Gopi Devdutt Tripathy Rashi BhargavaThis book is a collection of autobiographical narratives by leading social scientists working across South Asia. It explores the linkages between their personal experiences and academic pursuits and analyzes how personal, political, and professional choices shape knowledge production and effect social transformation. The narratives revisit long-standing debates on objectivity, subjectivity, self, and other and attempt to collapse the binaries that have informed the social sciences until now. Highlighting the state of research and pedagogy in the social sciences in the region, the book questions the conventional understanding of the task of the social scientist and, in doing so, blurs the distinction between theory, research, pedagogy, and activism. A unique and compelling contribution, this volume will be indispensable to students and researchers of sociology, anthropology, history, creative writing, education, politics, biography studies, and South Asian studies. It will also be of interest to general readers.
Social Scientists Confronting Global Crises
by Jean M. BartunekThis book arose out of a "rant" by Ed Schein in 2020 arguing that Social Scientists need to address global crises. That is, social scientists develop knowledge that is directly pertinent to global challenges and crises, and need to be included in initiatives taken to address them. They must present our knowledge in in public forums and our voices need to be heard by others. This book is a step towards such presentation and involvement. Social scientists understand ways global crises are crucially intertwined with our relationships, groups, organizations, communities, institutions, how they collaborate with each other, how they compete with each other, and the dynamics intermingled with these. These dimensions are inadequately addressed by scientists and insufficiently recognized by other stakeholders. The social scientists whose work is included in this book are associated with management, and have foundational training in all the social science disciplines. They are highly respected internationally. Their work highlighted here contributes to deep understandings of social phenomena associated with global crises. It also demonstrates skilled ways of intervening among those dealing with challenges and crises first-hand. Finally, it also shows the ongoing personal development required to address global crises in productive ways. This book will be of interest to social scientists, researchers, academics and students in the fields of management, especially those focusing on global challenges and crises. It will also be a useful resource for practitioners and policy makers.
Social Scientists in the Civic Space: Ethical Perspectives on Democratic Involvement (Ethics, Human Rights and Global Political Thought)
by Arundhati Virmani, Jean Boutier, and Manohar KumarThe book explores the stakes for the social sciences around four central problems: the challenges of context; modes of intervention; involvement; and the ethical dilemmas for the scholar in a democratic space. The first, challenges of the context, examines the variety of situations confronted by scholars since the beginning of the 20th century. These include their interventions in key judicial affairs, the impact of technological developments like the introduction of big data, or even the positionality of the scholar. Second, the book investigates the modalities according to which social scientists may intervene in the civic space: in particular as specialists, as experts, or in the media. A third problem brings together some cases illustrative of researchers’ involvement in critical issues, such as food policies, major social reforms, or gender-related questions. Finally, the book concludes with a reflection on the modes of exercising critique or dissent in democratic societies and on the ethical dimensions of involvement in the civic space.A searing examination of the role of social scientists, as they are called upon to address the multiple critical issues faced by contemporary societies, from pandemics to climatic change, sustainable development, migration, ethnicity, or the place of religion. This volume will be of great interest not just to scholars, students, and researchers of the social sciences but to the general reader as a concerned citizen.
Social Scientists Meet the Media
by Alan Bryman Cheryl Haslam"Part chronicle, part analysis and part advice manual, Social Scientists Meets the Media combines the thoughts of academics and media people to produce a vivid and valuable series of accounts that will prove of service to all academics seeking a wider audience but wary of the terra incognita they face in finding one" Ellis Cashmore, Staffordshire UniversitySocial Scientists know they are in a dilemma: their work may fall prey to sensationalism, but at the same time they don't want to be overlooked. Social Scientists Meet the Media collects the experiences of academics who have sought to publicize their research. It contains personal accounts from social scientists with extensive media contact and representatives from radio, television and the press. Based on these often humorous and sometimes chastening accounts, the editors suggest ways to achieve a more fruitful relationship between social scientists and the media.
The Social Scientist's Soapbox: Adventures in Writing Public Sociology
by Karen SternheimerWhether your goal is to share little-known or misunderstood information, work to create policy changes, or raise awareness about a pressing social issue, this book will help you start communicating with the public and share your research with a broader audience. Using examples from social scientists who have successfully navigated the public sphere, as well as firsthand accounts of the ups and downs of the writing, publishing, and promoting process, The Social Scientist’s Soapbox: Adventures in Writing Public Sociology presents readers with a step-by-step guide to get started, stay motivated, and complete both large and small writing projects for public audiences. Now, more than ever, social scientists need to share our ideas with the public, as misinformation, disinformation, and outright lies have filtered into the public discourse and policymaking.
Social Sec: Beveridge And After (International Library of Sociology)
by George VictorFirst Published in 1998. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.
Social Sector Communication: Concepts, Strategies and Case Studies
by Jaishri JethwaneyCommunication, advocacy, and outreach are germane to the success of any organisation working in the social sector. This book provides a robust conceptual framework that is required to understand the demands of the sector and suggests strategies and tools for those engaged in social sector communication.This book not only highlights the theoretical underpinnings, practice, and skill of social sector communications in India but also provides an understanding of various skills and approaches required in communication including social marketing, media advocacy, social mobilisation, grassroots communication, and corporate social responsibility (CSR). With the aid of case studies, it offers suggestions on how to plan campaigns; write a concept note, field report, and press release, and effectively use social media to achieve developmental programme goals. This revised edition discusses the different perspectives of NGOs and programme implementers and helps in understanding the corporate–NGO interface vis-à-vis CSR projects.This book will be useful to students of social work, business, and management preparing for roles in social enterprises. It will also be of use to working professionals in the social sector.