Elias Canetti is a key thinker in the trend towards the renewal of social theory for the 21st century. He is increasingly being recognised in the social and political sciences for the seminal text, Crowds and Power (1960). While this work can sometimes be criticised for its alleged anti-historicity, anti-modernism, fixation on death, and a dark vision of humankind, Crowds and Power can, in fact, be interpreted as a study and a critique of the mono-dimensionality and the obsessiveness of power. In Canetti's own words, it is an attempt 'to find the weak spot of power' and, ultimately, an invitation to recognise and explore the endless richness of human transformations. Elias Canetti and Social Theory argues that the alleged anti-modernism of Canetti actually makes him more contemporary than many contemporary social-political thinkers. It deals with key concepts within socio-political theory including: commands, increase, resistance, and commonality. Each of these ideas is connected with real, lived social realities making this book a compelling argument for Canetti's crucial relevance today.

The book presents aspects of cross-currents of theorizing of self, culture and society in the contemporary Taiwan. Social theorizing has been addressed critically, reflectively and creatively by the philosophical, religious, psychological and literary traditions of one of the world's great civilizations Theorizing is a dynamic movement of self, culture, society and the world as it is related to our actions, reflections, meditations to understand the world more meaningfully and holistically as well as to transform it. But much of social theorizing in the modern world is primarily Euro-American and despite the socalled globalization of knowledge, this condition of one-sided Euro-American valorization of knowledge and neglect of others continues unabated. There is very little attention to theorizing about the human condition emerging from other parts of the world such as Taiwan and its global implication. This book transforms this condition by mapping the field of theorizing in a wider spectrum of philosophy, psychology, religions, social sciences and humanities in contemporary Taiwan.

This study of Weber's sociology, written by an eminent authority, is a clear and illuminating discussion of the most important elements of Weber's thinking. The book concentrates on four main elements of Weber's work: his approach to sociological method, ethical neutrality and historical explanation; his influential work on religion and capitalism; his theory of authority and political power; and his contribution to the analysis of class, status and party.

To rise to the challenges of postmodern culture, Carlson argues, progressives will need to leave the safe harbors of what is familiar and comfortable. A new progressivism can only be forged of a fundamental re-thinking and re-mythologizing of democratic education. Drawing upon cultural studies perspectives, Carlson interrogates philosophy through popular culture for mythologies that might guide such a progressivism. Carlson uses Platonic, Hegelian, Nitzschean, and Heideggerian "mythologies" to elaborate a progressive model that provides powerful ways of "thinking" democratic education and public life.

This book examines Rousseau's conception of freedom and its significance for our modern technological world. Drawing on Rousseau's thought to explore the changing nature of authority, science and technology in modern society, the book's approach points to how Rousseau had a tragic conception of freedom, one that parallels the circumstances that characterize our own desire for freedom and democracy. Rousseau's critique of progress is integral to his thought in general and underrated when it comes to our own studies of science, technology and society. This volume refers to cases from the world of "free software" to consider our own predicament with how a flood of code and algorithms that is being wrapped around everything from our stuff to our food, to our bodies, our brains and - by extension - our freedom. As such, it will appeal to scholars of social and political theory, philosophy and ethics, particularly those with interests in science and technology studies and the implications of modern technology for freedom.

--Riveting accounts of difficult expeditions-some historically famous-offer a unique window onto polar ventures. --Exemplifies historical and social science methods for student readers. --Draws valuable findings that apply to many forms of modern disasters and challenges.

The contemporary world is characterized by the massive use of digital communication platforms and services that allow people to stay in touch with each other and their organizations. On the other hand, it is also a world with great challenges in terms of crisis, disaster, and emergency situations of various kinds. Thus, it is crucial to understand the role of digital platforms/services in the context of crisis, disaster, and emergency situations. The Handbook of Research on Digital Services in Crisis, Disaster, and Emergency Situations presents recent studies on crisis, disaster, and emergency situations in which digital technologies are considered as a key mediator. Featuring multi- and interdisciplinary research findings, this comprehensive reference work highlights the relevance of society's digitization and its usefulness and contribution to the different phases and types of risk scenarios. Thus, the book investigates the design of digital services that are specifically developed for use in crisis situations and examines services such as online social networks that can be used for communication purposes in emergency events. Highlighting themes that include crisis management communication, risk monitoring, digital crisis intervention, and smartphone applications, this book is of particular use to governments, institutions, corporations, and professionals who deal with crisis, disaster, and emergency scenarios, as well as researchers, academicians, and students working in fields such as communications, multimedia, sociology, political science, and engineering.

This lively and engaging text introduces students to the major debates and data on the information society and at the same time teaches them how to research it. It gives an overview of:

* theorists of the information society, particularly Manuel Castells and Daniel Bell
* social research methodologies, including positivist, interpretivist, critical and cultural
* qualitative and quantitative research methods and criteria for social science evaluation.

Drawing on a rich body of empirical work, it explores three core themes of information society debates: the transformation of culture through the information revolution, changing patterns of work and employment and the reconfiguration of time and space in everyday life. In exploring these, the reader is introduced through case-studies, activities, and questions for discussion, to the practicalities of doing social research and the nature of social science argument and understanding.

Social networks as a concept was developed through social psychological work on the communication and leadership structures of small groups, and in sociological and anthropological work on kinship and community relations. From the 1960s, this idea came to be extended to a wider range of social relations (especially economic and political relations) through the formulation of mathematical models of networks. Advances in computing technology allowed the construction of more systematic and more powerful network methods.
The aim of this collection is to bring together the principal sources in the development of the techniques of social network analysis, from early metaphorical statements in Simmel and Radcliffe-Brown, through the more systematic explorations in sociology and social anthropology to contemporary formalizations.
A new introduction explores the history of social networks and highlights the arguments of those who treat social network analysis as a loose, qualitative approach, as well as those who see potential in its technical, mathematical uses.

This book discusses how to develop green transitions which benefit, include and respect marginalised social groups. Diversity and Inclusion in Environmentalism explores the challenge of taking into account issues of equity and justice in the green transformation and shows that ignoring these issues risks exacerbating the gap between the rich and the poor, the marginalised and included, and undermining widespread support for climate change mitigation. Expert contributors provide evidence and analysis in relation to the thinking and practice that has prevented us from building a broad base of people who are willing and able to take the action necessary to successfully overcome the current ecological crises. Providing examples from a wide range of marginalised and/or oppressed groups including women, disabled people, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) people and the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning and others (LGBTQ+) community, the authors demonstrate how the issues and concerns of these groups are often undervalued in environmental policy-making and environmental social movements. Overall, this book supports environmental academics and practitioners to choose and campaign for effective, equitable and widely supported environmental policy, thereby enabling a smoother transition to sustainability. This volume will be of great interest to students, scholars and practitioners of environmental justice, social and environmental policy, planning and environmental sociology.

On its publication in 1957, The Poverty of Historicism was hailed by Arthur Koestler as 'probably the only book published this year which will outlive the century.'
A devastating criticism of fixed and predictable laws in history, Popper dedicated the book to all those 'who fell victim to the fascist and communist belief in Inexorable Laws of Historical Destiny.' Short and beautifully written, it has inspired generations of readers, intellectuals and policy makers. One of the most important books on the social sciences since the Second World War, it is a searing insight into the ideas of this great thinker.

American Sociology has changed radically since 1945, when the field was dominated by young lions attempting to make sociology a science. The 1968 student revolt ended much of this, leaving sociology divided and directionless. By the 1980s, enrolments had fallen and departments were closing. But sociology revived, and at both the graduate and undergraduate level the field became dominated by women. What changed and what didn't, and why? Areas of interest, methodology, and status hierarchies were all affected by the changes, but there were also continuities. Some of the continuities reached back to the nineteenth century, when sociology was closely related to reform movements.
This book focuses on the consequences of the 'near-death' experience of sociology in the 1980s, and its slow revival and transformation, as well as the challenges it faces in the new university environments. Certain to be controversial, the book looks forward to a new kind of discipline.

Masturbation, vampires, cannibalism, bareback pornography, menstruation, sex education, and more. These issues provoke the moral panics of sexuality, the often unspoken and politically charged targets for accusations of deviance and threats to the existing social order. A provocative and path-breaking book, this interdisciplinary edited collection showcases the range of historical and contemporary crises we too often suppress. From closeted gay Republicans and vagina dentata imagery, to cyber pinkwashing and sex surrogates for the disabled, these cutting-edge essays draw from established and emerging scholars and span over three centuries of sexual panics. Provocative, surprising, engaging, and even shocking, this collection pulls together strange bedfellows and unlikely allies in the fight against the hypocritical, reductive, and dismissive voices promoting unnecessary panic. If you're panicking, you're not thinking.

'There is no question of the contemporary importance and relevance of these essays. T. W. Adorno is one of the great critics of the role of irrational authoritarianism in contemporary society.' Douglas Kellner

'This collection demonstrates the continuing relevance of Adorno's work to the analysis and understanding of modern times. A brilliant contribution to the sociology of racism, anti-Semitism and popular culture.' - Bryan S. Turner, co-editor, The Penguin Dictionary of Sociology

'Theodor Adorno returns from the grave to deliver this timely warning about the dangers of superstition.' Review

Strong, salient introduction to a notable 20th century critical theorist Key texts from the corpus provided in new or premiere English translations Provides an introduction that gives a robust, systematic orientation to Freitag's work and legacy Selected primary texts and essays will be attractive for courses and researchers

This book is an immersive ethnographic account of how fighters at a Polish-owned Muay Thai/kickboxing gym in East London seek to reject prior identity markers in favour of constructing one another as the same, as fighters, a category supposedly free from the negative assumptions and limitations associated with prior ascriptions such as race, class, gender and sexuality. It explores questions of subjectivity and identity by examining how and why fighters sought to disavow identity, which involved casting aside pre-established ways of thinking, feeling and acting about constructed differences to forge deep bonds of carnal convivial friendships. Yet, this book argues that becoming a fighter is highly socially contingent and remains subject to rupture due to the durability of taken-for-granted thinking about race, gender and sexuality, which, if drawn upon, could pull people out of the category of fighter and back into longer-standing durable categories. This book deploys Butler's theory of performativity and Bourdieu's conceptualisation of habitus to explore the context-specific ways people transgress identity whilst remaining attentive to the constrained nature of agency. The book is intended for undergraduate and master's students on courses looking at race, racism, gender, social anthropology, sociology and sociology of sport.

Tavistock Press was established as a co-operative venture between the Tavistock Institute and Routledge & Kegan Paul (RKP) in the 1950s to produce a series of major contributions across the social sciences. This volume is part of a 2001 reissue of a selection of those important works which have since gone out of print, or are difficult to locate. Published by Routledge, 112 volumes in total are being brought together under the name The International Behavioural and Social Sciences Library: Classics from the Tavistock Press. Reproduced here in facsimile, this volume was originally published in 1961 and is available individually. The collection is also available in a number of themed mini-sets of between 5 and 13 volumes, or as a complete collection.

Tavistock Press was established as a co-operative venture between the Tavistock Institute and Routledge & Kegan Paul (RKP) in the 1950s to produce a series of major contributions across the social sciences. This volume is part of a 2001 reissue of a selection of those important works which have since gone out of print, or are difficult to locate. Published by Routledge, 112 volumes in total are being brought together under the name The International Behavioural and Social Sciences Library: Classics from the Tavistock Press. Reproduced here in facsimile, this volume was originally published in 1966 and is available individually. The collection is also available in a number of themed mini-sets of between 5 and 13 volumes, or as a complete collection.

Tavistock Press was established as a co-operative venture between the Tavistock Institute and Routledge & Kegan Paul (RKP) in the 1950s to produce a series of major contributions across the social sciences. This volume is part of a 2001 reissue of a selection of those important works which have since gone out of print, or are difficult to locate. Published by Routledge, 112 volumes in total are being brought together under the name The International Behavioural and Social Sciences Library: Classics from the Tavistock Press. Reproduced here in facsimile, this volume was originally published in 1967 and is available individually. The collection is also available in a number of themed mini-sets of between 5 and 13 volumes, or as a complete collection.

Tavistock Press was established as a co-operative venture between the Tavistock Institute and Routledge & Kegan Paul (RKP) in the 1950s to produce a series of major contributions across the social sciences. This volume is part of a 2001 reissue of a selection of those important works which have since gone out of print, or are difficult to locate. Published by Routledge, 112 volumes in total are being brought together under the name The International Behavioural and Social Sciences Library: Classics from the Tavistock Press. Reproduced here in facsimile, this volume was originally published in 1972 and is available individually. The collection is also available in a number of themed mini-sets of between 5 and 13 volumes, or as a complete collection.

Author Biography:
Norman Long works in the Rural Development Sociology Group at Wageningen Agricultural University in the Netherlands. He is the author of An Introduction to the Sociology of Rural Development (Routledge, 1977) and co-editor of Anthropology, Development & Modernities (Routledge, 1999).

ePDF and ePUB available Open Access under CC-BY-NC-ND licence. How can public services and social interventions create and sustain good outcomes for the populations they serve? Building on research in public health, social epidemiology and the social determinants of health, this book presents complexity theory as an alternative basis for an outcome-oriented public management praxis. It takes a critical approach towards New Public Management and provides new conceptual inroads for reappraising public management in theory and practice. It advances two practical approaches: Human Learning Systems (a model for public service reform) and Learning Partnerships (a model for research and academic engagement in complex settings). With up-to-date and extensive discussions on public service reform, this book provides practical and action-oriented guidance for a radical change of course in management and governance.

The current practice of communication in the nutritional economy often produces significant uncertainty in a large fraction of the population. Efficient and comprehensive publicity by entrepreneurs on the industrial production of foodstuffs needs a new concept for communication between producers, processors, wholesalers, retailers, and end users. Without overgeneralizing, the author explains what makes the consumers uncertain and which consequences this uncertainty has for their nutritional behavior. The main aim of this book is the empirical explanation of the connection between the uncertainty concerning the health value of industrially produced foodstuffs and the behavior of consumers in relation to information. It shows how consumers currently perceive the publicity activities of the food industry and what their needs are as far as information is concerned. The practical consequences derived from the empirical results are comprehensibly described.

This book tackles the important task of readdressing and updating the concept of 'society', developing a new theory of society for our times. Taking characteristic elements of our times into account, the book explores society in the context of both globalization and conflict theory and uses Europe as a test case due to its unique position between the nation state and society and between the global and the local. Rejuvenating the concept of society and advancing an original and enhanced understanding of society today, this book will appeal to scholars in Sociology, Politics, Social Theory and European Studies.

Scrupulously based in anthropology and history - and drawing on social theory and critical thought - this book revisits the disciplines, archives, and subjects of modernity. There are at least three interleaving emphases here. To begin with, the work rethinks institutionalized formations of anthropology and history - together with "archives" at large - as themselves intimating disciplines of modernity. Understood in the widest senses of the terms, these disciplines are constitutively contradictory. Moreover, the study interrupts familiar projections of modern subjects as molded a priori by a disenchanted calculus of interest and reason. It tracks instead the affective, embodied, and immanent attributes of our varied worlds as formative of subjects of modernity, sown into their substance and spirit. Finally, running through the book is a querying of entitlement and privilege that underlie social terrains and their scholarly apprehensions - articulating at once distinct elites, pervasive plutocracies, and modern "scholasticisms."