Sociology and Social Theory
Sociology is a growth area for us and our books in sociology and social theory include exciting work from new authors and well-known academics, as well as undergraduate and postgraduate textbooks.
Our wide range of sociology and social theory books include high quality research and range from textbooks through to specialised monographs. Many also ‘make a difference’ in a tangible way, whether it be informing a key policy or practice debate, or improving the education of students.
Morality and Public Policy
Spanning religion, moral philosophy and scientific understanding of the human conditions, this unique book adds to the latest thinking on morality, proposing ways to enhance the capacity of public policy to respond to morality and associated shifts in social mores in different cultural settings.
Nanny Families
Practices of Care by Nannies, Au Pairs, Parents and Children in Sweden
Using Sweden as a case study, this book combines theories of family practices, care and childhood studies with the personal perspectives of nannies, au pairs, parents and children to provide new understandings of what constitutes care in nanny families.
Narcissistic Parenting in an Insecure World
A History of Parenting Culture 1920s to Present
Harry Hendrick shows how broader social changes, including neoliberalism, feminism, the collapse of the social-democratic ideal, and the 'new behaviourism', have led to the rise of the anxious and narcissistic parent, In this provocative history of parenting.
Negotiating Migration in the Context of Climate Change
International Policy and Discourse
Assessing migration in the context of climate change, Nash draws on empirical research to offer a unique analysis of policy-making in the field. This detailed account is a vital step in understanding the links between global discourses on human mobilities, climate change and specific policy responses.
The New Social Mobility
How the Politicians Got It Wrong
Geoff Payne considers a wide range of dimensions of mobility and life chances to assess the causes and consequences of mobility as social and political processes and challenges well-established opinions of politicians, pressure groups, the press, academics and the public.
The New Working Class
How to Win Hearts, Minds and Votes
Who is working class today and how do political parties gain their support? This insightful book proposes what needs to be done to address the issues of the 'new working class'. It provides practical recommendations for political parties to reconnect with the electorate and regain trust.
Not so New Labour
A sociological critique of New Labour's policy and practice
New Labour has concentrated many of its social policy initiatives in reinvigorating the family, community and work. But just how 'new' are the ideas driving policy and practice?
This book shows how New Labour has drawn on the ideas and premises of functionalism, which dominated British and American sociological thought from the 1940s to the 1960s.
Parental Leave and Beyond
Recent International Developments, Current Issues and Future Directions
This volume provides an international perspective on parental leave policies in different countries, goes beyond this to examine a range of issues in depth, and aims to stimulate thinking about possible futures and how policy might underpin them.
Parenting the Crisis
The Cultural Politics of Parent-Blame
This book examines how pathologising ideas of failing, chaotic and dysfunctional families create a powerful consensus that Britain is in the grip of a ‘parent crisis’ and are used to justify increasingly punitive state policies.
Personhood, Identity and Care in Advanced Old Age
Pushing forward new sociological theory, this book explores the theoretical and practical issues raised by ageing, and the associated problems of mental and physical frailty in later life.
Philosophical Criminology
This accessible book is structured around six philosophical ideas concerning our relations with others: values, morality, aesthetics, order, rules and respect. Using examples from a range of countries, it provides a platform for engaging with important topical issues.
A Philosophy of the Social Construction of Crime
This book situates the social construction of crime and criminal behaviour within the philosophical context of phenomenology and explores how these constructions inform, and justify, the policies employed to address them. It is essential reading for academics and students interested in social theory and theories of criminology.