Steve Matthewman – författare

From the everyday and unnoticed to the newsworthy and cutting edge, technology is undoubtedly a fundamental element of our daily lives. While saving us time and effort, it can also shape our environment, mediate our relationships, and simultaneously solve problems and create new ones. In studying technology we gain an insight into how societyis constructed, maintained and transformed.Unravelling and explaining the complex connections between technology and the social contexts in which it is used, Technology and Social Theory guides the reader through 150 years of thinking in this ever evolving field. The chapters critically evaluate a broad range of theorists, from Marx to Foucault, Orwell to Elias, alongside empirical examples which show theory in action. The significance of technology is assessed within both public spheres and intimate spaces, shedding light on its integral role in society.Showing how theory maps the way for further research, and in turn how new advances in research can inform theory, this book is invaluable reading for students and researchers in Sociology, Social theory, Science and Technology Studies and the Media.

From the everyday and unnoticed to the newsworthy and cutting edge, technology is undoubtedly a fundamental element of our daily lives. While saving us time and effort, it can also shape our environment, mediate our relationships, and simultaneously solve problems and create new ones. In studying technology we gain an insight into how societyis constructed, maintained and transformed.Unravelling and explaining the complex connections between technology and the social contexts in which it is used, Technology and Social Theory guides the reader through 150 years of thinking in this ever evolving field. The chapters critically evaluate a broad range of theorists, from Marx to Foucault, Orwell to Elias, alongside empirical examples which show theory in action. The significance of technology is assessed within both public spheres and intimate spaces, shedding light on its integral role in society.Showing how theory maps the way for further research, and in turn how new advances in research can inform theory, this book is invaluable reading for students and researchers in Sociology, Social theory, Science and Technology Studies and the Media.

Disasters are part of the modern condition, a source of physical anxiety and existential angst, and they are increasing in frequency, cost and severity. Drawing on both disaster research and social theory, this book offers a critical examination of their causes, consequences and future avoidance.

Being Sociological considers the lived experience of sociology, stressing the active nature of social life and highlighting the role that students can play in enacting social change. Fully reworked in this third edition, with five brand new chapter topics and a diverse roster of new contributors, this textbook presents a fresh take on society today.The book encourages readers to examine both enduring challenges and their potential solutions. Dynamic learning features help students unpack key ideas from sociological theory and apply them to today’s problems to cultivate their own sociological imagination. An inspiring read, this textbook will empower students to engage with sociology outside the classroom and embed it in their everyday lives.With new contributors, fresh organisation and a vibrant student-centric focus, this third edition brings Being Sociological fully up to date and reaffirms its place as an invaluable introduction to sociology for students new to the field.New to this Edition:- All chapters completely rewritten to provide a fresh overview of sociology today- Coverage of five new chapter subjects : including social movements, urbanization, migration and sport and leisure, reflecting their centrality in modern life and in introductory sociology courses- A focus on the SHiP framework, moving away from social categories to consider instead society’s structural composition, its historical patterns and power inequalities and their interplay in individual lives- A forward-looking, optimistic orientation, bolstered by new pedagogical features inviting students to consider pathways for changeAccompanying online resources for this title can be found at bloomsburyonlineresources.com/being-sociological. These resources are designed to support teaching and learning when using this textbook and are available at no extra cost.

Elgar Research Agendas outline the future of research in a given area. Leading scholars are given the space to explore their subject in provocative ways, and map out the potential directions of travel. They are relevant but also visionary.With contributions from leading experts in the fields of anthropology, communications, disaster studies, economics, epidemiology, Indigenous studies, philosophy and sociology, this expansive book offers a diverse range of social science perspectives on the COVID-19 pandemic, providing critical insights into what a research agenda for COVID-19 and society resembles across different fields of study. This timely Research Agenda investigates what the social sciences can contribute to COVID-19 scholarship, exploring topics such as the impact of the pandemic on women and Indigenous Peoples, ideas behind herd immunity, drivers of vaccine diplomacy, magnification of existing inequalities, and the ethics of vaccine passports. Driven by a particular focus on the causes and consequences of the pandemic, the book considers the opportunities that research into COVID-19 presents, including how such disasters might be mitigated, as well as how we might change the world for the better and carry out our own work differently in the future. Drawing upon numerous critical theories and methodological approaches, this incisive Research Agenda will be an invaluable tool for academics across the social sciences, particularly disaster scholars. Graduate and undergraduate students will benefit from its wealth of insightful contributions from experts working in their respective fields.

This is a 4th edition of New Zealand's leading sociology textbook. The book introduces sociological concepts and methods before investigating key areas of sociology (class, race, gender, family life, health, death, work, the city, populations, technology, religion, leisure and crime) through the New Zealand experience.The book includes many useful pedagogical features:* key word definitions and push text in the margins* key themes highlighted* study questions* further reading* engaging full colour photography* case studies written by working sociologists.This 4th edition has been revised and rewritten throughout by a renewed author team. Key changes include:* data, examples and case studies completely updated* chapters re-ordered and a new chapter on death added to reflect requests from departments using the bookas a teaching text* more emphasis on tikanga and kaupapa Maori* refreshed photograph selection with a local focus.Exploring Society is an engaging, comprehensive and up-to-date introduction for New Zealand sociology students.

This book critically surveys a decade of disasters in Otautahi Christchurch. The events and the subsequent recovery provide a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn from a series of concatenating urban disasters in order to prepare us for our future on an urban planet facing unprecedented environmental pressures.