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.
Climate Change Criminology
Leading green criminologist Rob White asks what can be learned from the problem-solving focus of crime prevention to help face the challenges of climate change. Part of the New Horizons in Criminology series.
Coercion and Women Co-offenders
A Gendered Pathway into Crime
This is the first book to explore coercion as a pathway into crime for co-offending women. It analyses four cases of women co-accused of a crime with their partner who suggested that coercive techniques had influenced their involvement and concludes by exploring the implications for public understanding of coercion and female offending.
Comedy and Critique
Stand-up Comedy and the Professional Ethos of Laughter
Comedy and Critique explores British professional stand-up comedy in the wake of the Alternative Comedy movement of the late twentieth century, seeing it as an extension of the politics of the New Left: standing up for oneself as anti-racist, feminist and open to a queering of self and social institutions.
Community Development
A Critical and Radical Approach
A fully updated edition of this bestselling textbook offers a radical approach to community development taking theories of Gramsci and Freire into the current context. The focus is on putting theory into action for those training, working or managing any social justice practice.
A Companion to Crime, Harm and Victimisation
This is the first accessible, succinct text to provide definitions and explanations of key terms and concepts relating to the expanding field of crime, harm and victimisation. Written by a wide range of experts, it includes theories, ideas and case studies relating to victims of conventional crime and victims outside the remit of criminal law.
The Concept and Measurement of Violence Against Women and Men
Available Open Access under CC-BY-NC licence. The book is a guide to how the measurement of violence can be best achieved. It shows how to make femicide, rape, domestic violence, and FGM visible in official statistics and offers practical guidance on definitions, indicators and coordination mechanisms.
Connecting Families?
Information & Communication Technologies, Generations, and the Life Course
Taking a life course and generational perspective, this collection examines topics such as work-life balance, transnational families, digital storytelling and mobile parenting. It offers tools that allow for an informed and critical understanding of ICTs and family dynamics.
Contemporary Grandparenting
Changing Family Relationships in Global Contexts
This is the first book to take a sociological approach to grandparenting across diverse country contexts and combines new theorising with up-to-date empirical findings to document the changing nature of grandparenting across global contexts.
Contesting Higher Education
Student Movements against Neoliberal Universities
This close investigation of student protests in the UK, Canada, Chile and Italy represents the first comparative review of the subject. Setting the wave of demonstrations within the contexts of student activism, social issues and political movements, it casts new light on their impact on higher education and on the broader society.
Continuity and Change in Voluntary Action
Patterns, Trends and Understandings
Drawing on extensive survey data and written accounts of citizen engagement, this pioneering book charts change and continuity in voluntary activity since 1981. Part of the Third Sector Research Series.
Countering Extremism in British Schools?
The Truth about the Birmingham Trojan Horse Affair
In 2014 the ‘Trojan Horse’ affair, an alleged plot to ‘Islamify’ several state schools in Birmingham, caused a previously highly successful school to be vilified. Holmwood and O’Toole challenge the accepted narrative and show how it was used to justify an intrusive counter extremism agenda.
County Lines
Exploitation and Drug Dealing among Urban Street Gangs
Drawing upon extensive research amongst gang members, dealers and drug users, this timely book provides a comprehensive insight into the ‘County Lines’ phenomenon.
Shedding new light on this urgent topic on government agendas, this is an invaluable contribution to the literature on gangs, youth violence and organised crime.