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.
Vital Bodies
Living with Illness
Based on ethnographic research conducted over a year, this book tells the story of twelve people, each living with illness. Focusing on everyday life, it explores ideas of care, vulnerability and choice. Juxtaposing text with illustrations, the book highlights the intimacies of visual sociology and demonstrates the value of sensuous scholarship.
Using Theory to Explore Health, Medicine and Society
This student-friendly textbook uses theoretical perspectives to bring to life social theories relating to health and illness. including binge drinking, obesity, the prominence of therapy and the search for happiness.
Urban Environments in Africa
A Critical Analysis of Environmental Politics
Explores the impact of Africa’s rapidly growing urban population on local resources and the environment, acknowledging the clash between Western focus on sustainable development and the lived realities of residents of often poor, informal settlements.
Unravelling Europe's 'Migration Crisis'
Journeys Over Land and Sea
This important new book provides a framework for understanding the dynamics underpinning recent unprecedented levels of migration across, and loss of life in, the Mediterranean, casting new light on the ‘migration crisis’ and challenging politicians, policy makers and the media to rethink their understanding of why and how people move.
The Unfinished Revolution
Voices from the Global Fight for Women's Rights
The unfinished revolution: Voices from the global fight for women's rights tells the legal and political history of the battle to secure basic rights for women and girls with essays by more than 30 writers, activists, policymakers and human rights experts, and contributions from women who have been victims of human rights abuses.
Understanding Trans Health
Discourse, Power and Possibility
Addressing urgent challenges and debates in trans health, this book interweaves patient voices with social theory and autobiography, offering an innovative look at how shifting language, patient mistrust, waiting lists and professional power shape clinical encounters, and exploring what a better future might look like for trans patients.
Understanding theories and concepts in social policy
This lively textbook, part of the successful Understanding Welfare series, helps us to understand policy, politics and practice. It combines an in-depth exploration of selected theoretical perspectives and concepts with a student-friendly format.
Understanding the Cost of Welfare
A substantial, authoritative, third edition of this important textbook about the impact of economic priorities and pressures on social policies at a time when neo-liberal arguments for reducing the burden of welfare are more dominant than ever before.
Understanding Social Security
Issues for Policy and Practice
The political and economic landscape of UK social security provision has changed significantly since the 2008 financial crisis. This fully revised, restructured and updated 3rd edition of a go-to text book covers all the key policy changes and their implications since the elections of 2010 and 2015.
Understanding Health and Social Care
This engaging and accessible text, now in its third edition, provides a comprehensive introduction to health and social care. This new edition has been updated to cover recent developments, including the integrated care agenda, potential regional devolution and austerity.
Understanding Brexit
A Concise Introduction
Provides a concise introduction to the past, present and future of one of the most important and controversial topics in modern British politics, setting out in a clear and accessible way many of the fundamentals for understanding why Britain voted to leave the European Union and what happens next.
Trusting on the Edge
Managing Uncertainty and Vulnerability in the Midst of Serious Mental Health Problems
This book explores issues central to contemporary theoretical debates around the nature of trust, linking abstract concerns to empirical analysis with interviews with service-users, practitioners and managers.