Social life is in a constant process of change, and sociology can never stand still. As a result, sociology today is a theoretically diverse enterprise, covering a huge range of subjects and drawing on a broad array of research methods. Central to this endeavour is the use of core concepts and ideas which allow sociologists to make sense of societies, though our understanding of these concepts necessarily evolves and changes.This clear and jargon-free book introduces a careful selection of essential concepts that have helped to shape sociology and others that continue to do so. Going beyond brief, dictionary-style definitions, Anthony Giddens and Philip W. Sutton provide an extended discussion of each concept which sets it in historical and theoretical context, explores its main meanings in use, introduces relevant criticisms, and points readers to its ongoing development in contemporary research and theorizing.Organized in ten thematic sections, the book offers a portrait of sociology through its essential concepts, ranging from capitalism, identity and deviance to globalization, the environment and intersectionality. It will be essential reading for all those new to sociology as well as anyone seeking a reliable route map for a rapidly changing world.

Anthony Giddens is the former director of the London School of Economics and Political Science, a Life Fellow of Kings College, Cambridge, and a member of the House of Lords, UK. He is a very influential sociologist and social theorist, and his many books include The Third Way and The Consequences of Modernity

Philip W. Sutton is an independent researcher formerly of the University of Leeds and Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen

Table of Contents
Introduction
THEME 1: THINKING SOCIOLOGICALLY
Discourse
Globalization
Modernity
Postmodernity
Rationalization
Society
Structure / Agency
THEME 2: DOING SOCIOLOGY
Ideal Type
Qualitative / Quantitative Methods
Realism
Reflexivity
Science
Social Constructionism
THEME 3: ENVIRONMENT AND URBANISM
Alienation
Environment
Industrialization
Migration
Risk
Sustainable Development
Urbanism
THEME 4: STRUCTURES OF SOCIETY
Bureaucracy
Capitalism
Consumerism
Division of Labour
Education
Organization
Religion
THEME 5: UNEQUAL LIFE CHANCES
Class
Gender
Intersectionality
Patriarchy
Poverty
‘Race’ and Ethnicity
Social Mobility
Status
THEME 6: RELATIONSHIPS AND THE LIFE COURSE
Community
Family
Life Course
Network
Sexuality
Socialization
THEME 7: INTERACTION AND COMMUNICATION
Culture
Identity
Ideology
Interaction
Mass Media
Public Sphere
THEME 8: HEALTH, ILLNESS AND THE BODY
Biomedicine
Medicalization
Sick Role
Social Model of Disability
Social Self
Stigma
THEME 9: CRIME AND SOCIAL CONTROL
Anomie
Deviance
Labelling
Moral Panic
Restorative Justice
Social Control
THEME 10: POLITICAL SOCIOLOGY
Authority
Citizenship
Civil Society
Conflict
Democracy
Nation State
Power
Social Movement

About the Author
Anthony Giddens is the former director of the London School of Economics and Political Science, a Life Fellow of Kings College, Cambridge, and a member of the House of Lords, UK. He is a very influential sociologist and social theorist, and his many books include The Third Way and The Consequences of Modernity

Philip W. Sutton is an independent researcher formerly of the University of Leeds and Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen