J. E. Goldthorpe – författare

This has proved to be an excellent introduction to what sociology is and what kinds of information and useful knowledge the practice of this discipline provides. In discussing family structure, the relation between the economy and society, social class, social control, and religion, the author uses appropriate examples of African experience. For this third edition, Dr Goldthorpe has thoroughly revised the text to take account of the changes affecting men and women in contemporary societies. Major revisions have been made to the chapter on the family, in the light of recent research on child care. The chapter on social class has been extensively revised to incorporate new material (including work by the author's namesake J. H. Goldthorpe) on social mobility and inequality in contemporary societies, and the debate on socialism has been updated. Changes have been made too in the passages on hunting and food-gathering societies, and on peasants, while there has been a general up dating of statistics, references, and suggestions for further reading throughout.

This book was first published in 1987, offering a masterly review and synthesis of the available literature on family life in western societies. This book presents a distinctive approach to family sociology, focusing on two related questions: Why did we have the kind of family life we did when we did? and why did we have the kind of sociology of family life we did when we did? Goldthorpe employs a doubly historical perspective in which both 'family life', as opposed to 'the family', and sociological thought about family life, are alike seen as processes in time and in relation to each other. He draws on earlier sociological studies which he uses as historical evidence both for more recent changes in family life and for the evolution of sociological thought on the family. Meticulous in presenting both sides of controversies in family studies, and forthright in taking a clear position on all of them, Goldthorpe challenges many widely held preconceptions about family life. The book assumes little previous knowledge of sociology, and is easily accessible to students and other readers interested in understanding this fundamental aspect of human experience.

This is the completely revised and updated version of the immensely successful Sociology of the Third World. The book is about the division of the world into rich and poor countries, and the disparities between rich and poor people, especially in poor countries. Chapters on world population trends, colonialism and questions of race set the historical scene for a detailed analysis of economic conditions and living standards in poor countries. New material on droughts, famines, family change and environmental concerns are fully discussed, along with questions about limits to growth and sustainable development. Theoretical perspectives on development and underdevelopment are reviewed. Later chapters summarize the findings of the different social sciences on fundamental issues of modernisation, including expansion, cultural diversity, religious movements, post-colonial politics, and issues involving aid. This new edition contains updated statistics, and discusses the general shift of emphasis away from industrial policies towards basic needs reflected by the United Nations Development Programme.