Product Description

The third edition of Fulcher & Scott remains an authoritative and theoretically-ground text for the 'thinking student', providing an intelligent exploration of topical debates that challenge first year students to think for themselves. The book investigates different forms of social inequality, cultural diversity and the processes contributing to social change in a thorough and provocative way, while introducing students to the main methods of sociological research and a range of original writing in the discipline. The text includes major new sections on organised crime and international crime; childhood, ageing and the life course; disability as a social division; and the impact of the Internet and information technologies on social life, to support changes to the first year curriculum. It goes further to introduce a wider range of international comparisons from around the world and provide an increased number of a case examples based on historical and global themes. The concept of the 'sociological imagination' is addressed in depth to demonstrate for students the difference between 'common sense' thinking and 'sociological' thinking, and help them approach sociological problems critically and develop skills in argument. Additionally, the text has been sectioned in such as way as to clearly amplify the links between chapter topics and the common themes that cut across social divisions, to help students approach social issues from a number of diverse viewpoints. Online Resource Centre The following resources have been developed for the third edition of Sociology: Student Site: Case studies supported by case questions and guidance on how to answer case questions, to help students diagnose and explain sociological concepts in a variety of real life situations. Multiple-choice "quiz" questions organised by chapter and including answers, explanations, an ongoing score facility, and page references back to the text. Annotated web links organised by chapter and designed to point students in the direction of relevant sources of information that will help them with their coursework and further reading. Instructor Site: Comprehensive range of essay questions designed to encourage students to synthesise their cumulative knowledge of chapter themes and articulate the linkages between them. Case studies accompanied by critical thinking questions and drawn from a combination of recent sociological studies and the popular media, designed to have high student relevance and appeal (note: the cases for lecturers are different to the cases for students). Instructor's Manual containing practical teaching guidance for new or inexperienced lecturers and including suggested lecture programs, debate topics, tutorial activities, and advice on the implementation and use of text-book cases and questions. PweorPoint slides arranged by chapter and artwork from the book - download images from the textbook to use in your lectures.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #74859 in Books
• Published on: 2007-03-15
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 936 pages

John Horne, Network, Jan. 2000
"The "guide" claims that it is a 'different textbook for a different world' but it would be more accurate to state that it is the most up-to-date textbook currently available... a refreshing textbook made visually attractive by clearly highlighted boxes and figures, cross-references and hints, key concepts, summaries and exercises."

About the Author
Dr James Fulcher is lecturer in Sociology in the Department of Sociology at the University of Leicester.

Customer Reviews

The best of the intro sociology books
This is probably the best and most comprehensive intro Sociology textbook available for students. I really like the style of the cover and the layout of the book. The web-site is a real help for young lecturers too. I can't think of anything that has been left out and the coverage is always clear and easy to understand for my students. The last edition was patchy, but good. This one is close to exemplary.

Excellent introduction
This was one of the best introductory textbooks on sociology that I have ever read and is pitched at about 'A' level standard. It strikes the balance between over simplification on the one hand and too many references and too much detail on the other. It is written in a lucid style that neither insults the reader's intelligence nor tries to baffle the reader with science.

I am an intelligent layman with wide interests and I found it very enjoyable.

Parts (which are themselves subdivided into chapters) are:

1 Thinking sociologically: Theories and methods
2 Social Identities
3 Culture, knowledge and belief
4 Social Organisation and Control
5 Production, Inequalities and social divisions


Highly recommended for students of sociology and may also be of interest to others such as journalists, marketing people and people from other social science and humanities disciplines such as those specialising in economics, history, law, psychology, philosophy and politics.

An excellent source for studying
This book proved to be very helpful when studying a sociology and criminology degree. There is information covering a wide range of topics, and because of the layout of the book, its easier to understand. I would recommend this book to any student studying a sociology degree as its very helpful.