BSA New Horizons in Sociology – serie

The importance of the spatial dimension of the structure, organization and experience of social relations is fundamental for sociological analysis and understanding. Space and Social Theory is an essential primer on the theories of space and inherent spatiality, guiding readers through the contributions of key and influential theorists: Marx, Simmel, Lefebvre, Harvey and Foucault. Giving an essential and accessible overview of social theories of space, this books shows why it matters to understand these theorists spatially. It will be of interest to upper level students and researchers of social theory, urban sociology, urban studies, human geography, and urban politics.

Why has nationalism proved so durable? What are the roots of its appeal? This sharp and accessible book slices through the myths surrounding nationalism and provides an important new perspective on this perennial subject.

The book argues that: nationalism is persistent, not merely because of its specific ideological appeal, but because it expresses some of the major conflicts in modernity; nationalism reflects and reinforces four key trends in western social development: state formation, democratization, capitalism and the rationalization of culture; the forms of nationalism can be organized into a comprehensive typology which is outlined in the course of this study; post-nationalism and cosmopolitanism are significant innovations in the debate about nation-states and nationalism; and that the new radical nationalisms have become powerful new movements in the global age.

'Atkinson and Housley have produced a book that is a very competent, interesting and useful addition to other work in the field. Its distinctive contribution for me, lies in the exploration of the relationship between, and developments within interactionist sociologies' - Sociology

What is symbolic interactionism? This refreshing and authoritative book provides readers with:

· A guide to the essential thinking, research and concepts in interactionism

· A demonstration of the use of the interactionist approach

· An explaination of why the interactionist influence has not been fully acknowledged in Britain.

The authors argue that few sociologists in Britain have identified themselves with symbolic interactionism, even though many have engaged with interactionist ideas in their research and methodological work. We are all interactionists now, in the sense that many of the key ideas of interactionism have become part of the mainstream of sociological thought. Currently fashionable approaches to sociology display a kind of collective amnesia. A good deal of today's ideas that are presented as 'novel' or 'innovative' only appear so because earlier contributions - interactionism among them - are not explicitly acknowledged.

'Atkinson and Housley have produced a book that is a very competent, interesting and useful addition to other work in the field. Its distinctive contribution for me, lies in the exploration of the relationship between, and developments within interactionist sociologies' - Sociology

What is symbolic interactionism? This refreshing and authoritative book provides readers with:

· A guide to the essential thinking, research and concepts in interactionism

· A demonstration of the use of the interactionist approach

· An explaination of why the interactionist influence has not been fully acknowledged in Britain.

The authors argue that few sociologists in Britain have identified themselves with symbolic interactionism, even though many have engaged with interactionist ideas in their research and methodological work. We are all interactionists now, in the sense that many of the key ideas of interactionism have become part of the mainstream of sociological thought. Currently fashionable approaches to sociology display a kind of collective amnesia. A good deal of today's ideas that are presented as 'novel' or 'innovative' only appear so because earlier contributions - interactionism among them - are not explicitly acknowledged.

What are the solid achievements of the sociology of economic behaviour? What have been the main failures and omissions? How will the subject develop?

In this assured and timely volume, the author demonstrates how the sociology of economic behaviour was hijacked by the economic sociology which grew out of Parsons' interpretation of Weber. This development meant that the moral considerations of classical sociology only received attention as means to economic ends. Economic sociology is based on insupportable assumptions about the power of economic rationality which also obscures the political nature of economic behaviour.

The book seeks to revitalize the classical approach and introduces students to the essential ideas in the field. It also shows researchers and graduate students how to make use of concepts like demoralization, cheap labour, dignity at work and a fair day's pay to develop critiques of current economic arrangements.

`Sara Delamont eloquently explores the impact of feminism on sociology and powerfully argues that it has been marginalised. A "must read" for all sociologists searching for a complete account of the development of the discipline' - Emma Wincup, School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research, University of Kent at Canterbury

`This is a model of what a textbook should be, for Delamont states what she intends to do, does it with clarity, summarises succinctly and provides interesting and pertinent references' - Sociological Research Online

This book explores the achievements of British feminist sociology in theory, methods and empirical research. It outlines the barriers to the development of feminism and explores contemporary challenges. It provides an unrivalled guide to the origins of feminism in the discipline of sociology, analyses the uneasy relationships between feminists and the founding fathers and elucidates the opportunities and challenges presented by post-modernism. The book was written in the spirit of trying to be even-handed in its discussion of the various schools of feminism. It draws on a variety of empirical areas, from science to stratification and from healths and illness to the professions to illustrate the depth and vitality of feminist perspectives.

"This is a beautifully written book that takes the reader to the heart of ethnography as experience. Readers can walk in the shoes of ethnographers who have travelled before them, and learn as they learned. Sara Delamont is an undisputed expert in both ethnography and education, and here illustrates she is also a tour de force in writing style. All the important ingredients for a recipe to make a good quality ethnography are here, and they are served up with relish!" - Karen O’Reilly, Loughborough University

"This is a  powerful, richly nuanced, evocative work; a stunning and brilliantly innovative  intervention. It provides ground zero - the starting place for the next generation of social scholars of education. A major accomplishment." - Norman K. Denzin, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign   The ethnography of education has been conducted by sociologists and anthropologists, largely in self-contained and self-referential ways. This book celebrates the continuities and the strengths of ethnographic research on education in formal and non-formal settings, deliberately transgressing the sociology/anthropology divide. Education is broadly defined to cover many settings other than schools, in many countries, for many age-groups. The book is structured thematically, including chapters on movement and mobilities, memorials and memories, time and timescapes, bodies, and performativities, multi-sensory research, and narratives. Strategies for designing innovative ethnographic projects, and for fighting familiarity are provided.

Why has nationalism proved so durable? What are the roots of its appeal? This sharp and accessible book slices through the myths surrounding nationalism and provides an important new perspective on this perennial subject.

The book argues that: nationalism is persistent, not merely because of its specific ideological appeal, but because it expresses some of the major conflicts in modernity; nationalism reflects and reinforces four key trends in western social development: state formation, democratization, capitalism and the rationalization of culture; the forms of nationalism can be organized into a comprehensive typology which is outlined in the course of this study; post-nationalism and cosmopolitanism are significant innovations in the debate about nation-states and nationalism; and that the new radical nationalisms have become powerful new movements in the global age.