Disasters are part of the modern condition, a source of physical anxiety and existential angst, and they are increasing in frequency, cost and severity. Drawing on both disaster research and social theory, this book offers a critical examination of their causes, consequences and future avoidance.

This book critically surveys a decade of disasters in Otautahi Christchurch. It brings together a diverse range of authors, disciplinary approaches and topics, to reckon with the events that commenced with the 2010-2011 Canterbury earthquake sequence. Each contribution tackles its subject matter through the frame of Critical Disaster Studies (CDS). The events and the subsequent recovery provide a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn from a series of concatenating urban disasters in order to prepare us for our future on an urban planet facing unprecedented environmental pressures. The book focuses on the production of vulnerability, the human dimensions of disaster, the Indigenous response to disasters and the practical lessons that can be drawn from them.

This is a 4th edition of New Zealand's leading sociology textbook. The book introduces sociological concepts and methods before investigating key areas of sociology (class, race, gender, family life, health, death, work, the city, populations, technology, religion, leisure and crime) through the New Zealand experience. The book includes many useful pedagogical features: * key word definitions and push text in the margins * key themes highlighted * study questions * further reading * engaging full colour photography * case studies written by working sociologists. This 4th edition has been revised and rewritten throughout by a renewed author team. Key changes include: * data, examples and case studies completely updated * chapters re-ordered and a new chapter on death added to reflect requests from departments using the book as a teaching text * more emphasis on tikanga and kaupapa Maori * refreshed photograph selection with a local focus. Exploring Society is an engaging, comprehensive and up-to-date introduction for New Zealand sociology students.

Being Sociological considers the lived experience of sociology, stressing the active nature of social life and highlighting the role that students can play in enacting social change. Fully reworked in this third edition, with five brand new chapter topics and a diverse roster of new contributors, this textbook presents a fresh take on society today. The book encourages readers to examine both enduring challenges and their potential solutions. Dynamic learning features help students unpack key ideas from sociological theory and apply them to today's problems to cultivate their own sociological imagination. An inspiring read, this textbook will empower students to engage with sociology outside the classroom and embed it in their everyday lives. With new contributors, fresh organisation and a vibrant student-centric focus, this third edition brings Being Sociological fully up to date and reaffirms its place as an invaluable introduction to sociology for students new to the field. New to this Edition: - All chapters completely rewritten to provide a fresh overview of sociology today - Coverage of five new chapter subjects : including social movements, urbanization, migration and sport and leisure, reflecting their centrality in modern life and in introductory sociology courses - A focus on the SHiP framework, moving away from social categories to consider instead society's structural composition, its historical patterns and power inequalities and their interplay in individual lives - A forward-looking, optimistic orientation, bolstered by new pedagogical features inviting students to consider pathways for change Accompanying online resources for this title can be found at bloomsburyonlineresources.com/being-sociological. These resources are designed to support teaching and learning when using this textbook and are available at no extra cost.