Читать книгу Sociology - Anthony Giddens - Страница 14

As the academic discipline which studies and tries to make sense of societies and social life, sociology cannot stand still. It must move with society if it is to be relevant to contemporary issues and concerns. Failure to do so would lead to a reliance on outdated and inadequate accounts of the social world. One of our tasks is to provide explanations and frameworks that help everyone to understand the world they are helping to shape. This means that sociologists are always testing their cherished theories and perspectives against the evidence collected in research studies. If we find our theories are wanting, then we have to be prepared to modify them or, as often happens, devise new, more adequate ones. This helps to explain why theories in our discipline seem to change so often.

The ninth edition of Sociology has the same aim as the previous eight, namely to inspire a new generation of sociologists by introducing some of the most exciting research from across the discipline, from the environment, work, inequalities, and the media to war, health and gender issues. As ever, we have tried to avoid abstract discussion and the disciplinary jargon that we know readers find unnecessary. On the other hand, as a scientific subject, sociology does have its own technical language with which students need to become comfortable, and we aim to introduce this carefully and in accessible ways.

The chapters follow a sequence designed to help readers achieve a progressive mastery of the different fields of sociology, but there is also much cross-referencing, so chapters can be tackled as required. We also illustrate ideas, concepts and theories using real-world examples taken mainly from sociological studies. The combination of theory and evidence is, after all, one of the hallmarks of good sociology. Findings drawn from the cutting edge of the discipline are presented alongside contemporary events, issues and data, and we try hard to cover these in an even-handed, though not indiscriminate, way.

Sociology has a central place within the social sciences and a key role in modern intellectual life. Underpinning this book is our shared vision that a general sociological approach is still the best way of setting our personal life experience into a broader context, so we are better able to make sense of the connections between individuals and society.