SAGE Studies in International Sociology – serie

The last decade has witnessed a revival of interest in the problems of modernity and modernization. In particular, three major processes have emerged as objects of debate:

"The transformations of capitalism manifested in globalization and

the unfolding of post-industrial society

"The rapid and strong economic development of countries outside the

West

"The political and economic transformations in the post-Soviet countries

of Eastern Europe

In recent social and political theory the term `civil society' has achieved renewed currency. Traditionally used in a normative or `ideal-type' sense, the term describes a form of social organization - that is simply neither economic nor political - where democracy, liberty and widespread solidarity are essential regulatory concepts.

Written from an empirical social-science perspective by some of the world's most important social theorists, this volume is a critical examination of the normative sense of `civil society'. It includes analyses of civil society and democracy, citizenship, race and ethnicity, and post-communism.

This critical analysis of long-term trends and recent developments in world systems examines such questions as: Will the cycles of boom and bust, peace and war of the past 500 years continue? Or have either long-term trends or recent changes so profoundly altered the structure of world systems that these cycles will end or take on a less destructive form?

The noted international contributors to this volume examine the question of future dominance of the core global systems and include comprehensive discussions of the economic, political and military role of the Pacific Rim, Japan and the former Soviet Union.

This critical analysis of long-term trends and recent developments in world systems examines such questions as: Will the cycles of boom and bust, peace and war of the past 500 years continue? Or have either long-term trends or recent changes so profoundly altered the structure of world systems that these cycles will end or take on a less destructive form?

The noted international contributors to this volume examine the question of future dominance of the core global systems and include comprehensive discussions of the economic, political and military role of the Pacific Rim, Japan and the former Soviet Union.

This accomplished book argues that we can only make sense of environmental issues if we consider them as part of a more encompassing process of social transformation. It asks whether there is an emerging consensus between social scientists on the central issues in the debate on environmental change, and if concerns about the environment constitute a major prop to the process of globalization?

The book provides a thorough discussion of the central themes in environmental sociology, identifying two traditions: ecological modernization theory and risk society theory.

`This book is one of several indications that the sociology of tourism is on the move.... these articles raise relevant important themes in the study of tourism.... The contributors to this very readable book provide valuable insights, many of which have been derived from empirical research, that should interest anyone involved in the study of international tourism. And by moving us away from polarised positions over the social impact of tourism toward more complex but also more considered perspectives they have also helped alter the agenda for future research' - David Harrison, University of Sussex

Tourism is becoming an increasingly prominent feature of contemporary life. More of us travel for pleasure than ever before, yet the social scientific literature on tourism is relatively scant. This book provides an original contribution to the field of tourist studies.

The contributors to International Tourism reconceptualize the local and the global, avoiding such crude oppositions as centre v periphery, modern v traditional, macro v micro and North v South. Instead, they demonstrate that the local cannot be understood without the global, and that the global can never be isolated from the regional setting within which it operates.

Providing new insights into theories of touristic practice, this volume places tourism within the same framework as other transnational global studies.

This book assembles an international cast of eminent contributors who focus on issues of social movements and social class from the perspective of collective action. An important addition to current debate, the text discusses such topics as: middle-class radicalism, racism, class, the institutionalization of movements, urban politics, citizenship, education and democracy.

Part One reviews the various analytical approaches used to explain the foundations for collective action. Part Two examines the close links between local power structures, spatial issues and the institutionalization of collective action. Part Three analyzes the ways that social struggles penetrate political life, with further reflections on culture and democracy.

After a decade dominated by `neo-liberal' policies and by increasing managerial pressures towards labour flexibility in industrial relations, the role of labour movements is under challenge. In the light of the experience of the 1980s this volume provides an interdisciplinary reassessment of the traditions and future of collective worker's action in Western states. Contributors assess the roles of labour movements as actors in the economic system through such mechanisms as collective bargaining, and as actors in the political arena. Labour movements and the institutions in which they are embodied, particularly trade unions, are also examined in the light of the broader social movements from which they originate.

Bringing together comparative research from a number of countries, this collection presents a unique source of analysis of recent and future trends in labour movements.

The history of sociology -- outside of accounts of the thought and influence of such founding figures as Marx, Durkheim and Weber -- remains relatively little examined. With an increasing emphasis on the globalization of research and knowledge, there is a growing need for scholars to understand the context of disciplinary development in other countries.

In this book an international team of authors consider the nature of sociology and its development in a range of countries. Concentrating on the period since 1945, they show how the intellectual and institutional history of sociology has varied widely. Key differences in the nature of sociology -- the stress on quantitative methods in American sociology, the growing influence of social philosophy on British and other Western European works, and the specific features of the discipline in the socialist and in the developing countries -- are exposed and assessed. The book will be essential reading for scholars in the history and theory of sociology and for all those interested in the comparative understanding of social scientific research.

This is the first overview of the interface between economics and sociology. Normally considered quite separately, the volume reconciles the disciplines. Amongst the many questions considered are: the formal relationship between the two disciplines; the distinctive ranges of empirical data which each discipline calls into question; how the substantive findings of one discipline can modify the assumptions of the other.

The book explores the historical development of economic theories of society and the concept of the rational economic actor and contextualizes debates on rationality. The contribution of economic sociology is demonstrated through critical assessments of key areas of the literature such as the state\market division in capitalist and socialist economies, the informal economy and the relation of states and economies to the international arena. As a major overview of the dialogue between economists and sociologists, this book will be of interst to a broad range of lecturers and students in the social sciences. Economy and Society is being published simultaneously as Volume 38, issues 2 - 3 of Current Sociology.

This book makes a significant contribution towards understanding the new class structures of post-industrial societies and the changing processes of social stratification and mobility.

Drawing together comparative research on the dynamics of social stratification in a number of key western societies, the authors develop a framework for the analysis of post-industrial class formation. They illustrate the significance of the relations between the welfare state and the household, and the critical interface between gender and class. Case studies of the USA, the UK, Canada, Germany, Norway and Sweden examine the differing application of these ideas in individual welfare states.

"This is an important and thought-provoking collection of contemporary articles on the current crisis in social theory."- Professor Roger Penn, Lancaster University

"With a comprehensive vision, great sociologists from around the world address the challenges of the new century." - Professor Michael Burawoy, University of California, Berkeley Over the past century, the field of sociology has experienced extraordinary expansion and vitality. But is this growth positive or negative - a promise of diversity or a threat of fragmentation?

This critical volume explores the meaning of sociology and sociological knowledge in light of the recent growth and institutionalization of the discipline. A stellar group of international authors powerfully identify, question, and transform key assumptions in sociology.

Leading us through the challenges faced by sociology, and the possible strategies for addressing them in the future, the book includes key issues such as:

globalizationdevelopmentsocial policyinequality.

An important companion for advanced undergraduates, postgraduates and researchers engaged with contemporary sociological theory, sociology of knowledge and sociological analysis.

`This book is one of several indications that the sociology of tourism is on the move.... these articles raise relevant important themes in the study of tourism.... The contributors to this very readable book provide valuable insights, many of which have been derived from empirical research, that should interest anyone involved in the study of international tourism. And by moving us away from polarised positions over the social impact of tourism toward more complex but also more considered perspectives they have also helped alter the agenda for future research' - David Harrison, University of Sussex

Tourism is becoming an increasingly prominent feature of contemporary life. More of us travel for pleasure than ever before, yet the social scientific literature on tourism is relatively scant. This book provides an original contribution to the field of tourist studies.

The contributors to International Tourism reconceptualize the local and the global, avoiding such crude oppositions as centre v periphery, modern v traditional, macro v micro and North v South. Instead, they demonstrate that the local cannot be understood without the global, and that the global can never be isolated from the regional setting within which it operates.

Providing new insights into theories of touristic practice, this volume places tourism within the same framework as other transnational global studies.

Though rich, diverse, unique and engaging, Japan's sociological outputs have been internationally underrepresented. In its thoughtful translation and curation of key Japanese sociological texts, this book redresses this imbalance and treads exciting new ground. Comprising 17 chapters spanning 7 decades, this text introduces you to fundamental themes, from classical studies in post-war Japan to contemporary sociological issues like migration politics, social mobility and gender-based violence. Key Texts for Japanese Sociology is an original, much-needed resource, empowering a foundational, confident understanding of the national, regional and local traditions of Japanese sociology from the latter half of the last century to today.

Though rich, diverse, unique and engaging, Japan's sociological outputs have been internationally underrepresented. In its thoughtful translation and curation of key Japanese sociological texts, this book redresses this imbalance and treads exciting new ground. Comprising 17 chapters spanning 7 decades, this text introduces you to fundamental themes, from classical studies in post-war Japan to contemporary sociological issues like migration politics, social mobility and gender-based violence. Key Texts for Japanese Sociology is an original, much-needed resource, empowering a foundational, confident understanding of the national, regional and local traditions of Japanese sociology from the latter half of the last century to today.

This collection of essays examines the racialized and gendered effects of contemporary politics of belonging, issues which lie at the heart of contemporary political and social lives. It encompasses critical questions of identity and citizenship, inclusion and exclusion, emotional attachments, violent conflicts and local/global relationships. The range - geographically, thematically and theoretically - covered by the chapters reflects current concerns in the world today. A timely contribution to the ongoing debates in the field, it will be a valuable companion to scholars working in the areas of multiculturalism, globalisation and culture, race and ethnic studies, gender studies and studies of post-partition societies.

'At last, a volume on civilization that truly reflects the complexity of multiple civilizations. The wealth of contributions Arjomand and Tiryakian have assembled demonstrates the value of an old concept for understanding the awful dilemmas confronting human kind in the global age. Its thoroughgoing renewal here establishes this book as the essential benchmark for future scholars of civilization' - Martin Albrow, Founding Editor of International Sociology and author of The Global Age - winner of the European Amalfi Prize, 1997

'In our tension filled world, many are heralding, and others fearing, a"clash of civilizations." The contributors to this volume provides a healthy and persuasive argument about why this clash need not, and certainly should not, take place. They do so, moreover, not by rejecting the concept of civilization, but by developing a less primordial, homogenous, and essentialist concept of it. An important collection that provides illumination in this sometimes frighteningly dark time' - Jeffrey Alexander, Professor and Chair of Sociology at Yale University

'The concept of civilization may well replace the notions of globalization and identity as the core component in the vocabulary of 21st century sociology. The authors contribute a great deal to the clarification of fashionable controversies around the "clash of civilizations" and "multiculturalism". They go a long way toward purging the concept of civilization of its ideological overtones, and they suceed admirably in turning it into powerful analytic tool of an emerging fleld of macrosociology, known already as civilizational analysis' - Piotr Sztompka, President, International Sociological Association

Although the concept of 'civilization' has deep roots in the social sciences, there is an urgent need to re-think it for contemporary times. This book points to an exhaustion in using 'the nation state' and 'world system' as the basic macro-units of social analysis because they do not get to grips with the 'soft power' variable of cultural factors involved in global aspects of development. Also, globalization requires us to reconsider the link between civilization and a fixed or given territory.

This book focuses upon the dynamic aspect of civilizations. Among the topics covered are:

· Civilizational analysis and social theory

· Global civilization and local cultures

· Civilizational forms

· Rationalization and Civilization

· Civilizations as zones of prestige

· Historical and comparative dimensions of civilization

· The clash of civilizations.

"Representing the fruit of in-depth dynamics it invites us to give all necessary attention to the concepts of conflict, cooperation and competition. By reflecting on the possible articulations of these concepts and attempting to apply them in diverse fields of social science the editors give voice to those who are studying the world as it is and perform the service of returning a set of concepts, approaches or paradigms to their legitimate place."- Michel Wieviorka, President, International Sociological AssociationThis ISA Handbook presents and tracks the transformation of the societies and social relations that characterize the twenty-first century. The volume is organized around a conceptualization of three processes that are fundamental to the analyses of micro, meso and macro social relations: conflict, competition, and cooperation.In addition to chapters that delve into sociological theory, case studies and overviews of subfields discuss and contextualize debates from an international perspective, incorporating relevant material about North America, Latin America, Europe, Africa and Asia.Chapters on topics and fields crucial to the experience of people around the world include, among others: childhood studies, consumption, hunger, labour studies, peace-keeping, law, health, sport, and welfare.Systematic and informed, the handbook will serve readers in all branches of the social sciences, providing both experienced researchers and novices with the materials to explore the different domains of contemporary life.

Sociology has long lacked the sense of propulsive direction that it possesses in the 1960s and early 70s. The subject has fragmented in a series of interlocking fields and sub-disciplines. Is there a way of revitalizing the subject? Where can we look for guides to build a sociology that combats fragmentation, constantly unites the micro with the macro level, and provides a holistic view of society?

This book argues that the sociology of Georg Simmel is a most promising resource to accomplish these ends. Although Simmel was rediscovered in the 1980s his potential for the design of the subject as a whole and the professional necessities for 'doing good sociology' were not fully realized. Simmel's inspiration for the analysis of money, the mass media and the state showed how sociologists might approach, in an emancipatory perspective, subjective behaviour that arises from social forces that appear to be arbitrary and impenetrable.

Written with a clear eye upon both the needs of contemporary sociologist's and international dilemmas facing the world today, Pietila's book is intended to make a professional and civic contribution. This is a compassionate and stimulating book that will help readers to make sense of their worlds and the worlds of others.

This book tells the story of the principal European intellectual professions from the demise of the ancien régime to the rise of the European Union. A historical study which applies sociological concepts it creates a European-scale picture of the professions spanning over two centuries of change. Uniting the legal, medical, engineering and accounting professions it provides a comparative historical and sociological exploration of 'Professional Europe'.Inspired by Bourdieu it rejects theories of professionalization drawing instead upon the sociology of crisis and theories on the decline of the professions to introduce among others, the topic of the intellectual professions' relationship with the fascist and authoritarian regimes. Detailed, well defined and critical in its application Professional Men, Professional Women also examines the role of women within the professions and includes a devoted chapter conducting a twofold comparison between countries and professions.

Recognizing the deep relations between politics, finance, cities and citizens, this book argues for a rejuvenated account of urban theory. The book emphasises the need to understand the importance of the 2008 global financial crisis and how the crisis affects cities nested in a variety of political economies. Situating urban theory in the current economic climate, it powerfully illuminates the dynamic between history, theory, and practice. Stressing how catastrophic social and economic calamities under the crisis lead to reorganised city structures, city life and city policies and hence new urban experience, it calls for theoretical perspectives that can speak to these challenging changes.  

This groundbreaking title is a must for anyone interested in urban life and its rapid movements. It will be especially useful for students and researchers in urban sociology, planning, geography, urban and regional development and urban studies

This accomplished book argues that we can only make sense of environmental issues if we consider them as part of a more encompassing process of social transformation. It asks whether there is an emerging consensus between social scientists on the central issues in the debate on environmental change, and if concerns about the environment constitute a major prop to the process of globalization?

The book provides a thorough discussion of the central themes in environmental sociology, identifying two traditions: ecological modernization theory and risk society theory.

How can differences be understood in social theory through comparisons, and how should social theory relate to regional studies to do so?

This question has been prevalent within the sociological field for over a century, but is becoming increasingly important in a globalised age in which cultural borders are constantly challenged and rapidly changing. In this collection, Arjomand and Reis illuminate the importance of exploring spatial, cultural and intellectual differences beyond generalizations, attempting to understand diversity in itself as it takes shape across the world. With contributions from internationally renowned scholars, and a focussed emphasis upon sociological key themes such as modernization, citizenship, human rights, inequality and domination, this title provides a rich and convincing discussion that will add significant value to the ongoing debate about alternative modernities, diversity and change within the social sciences.

 Worlds of Difference constitutes an important and timely collection that will be of great inspiration for students and scholars alike.

Recognizing the deep relations between politics, finance, cities and citizens, this book argues for a rejuvenated account of urban theory. The book emphasises the need to understand the importance of the 2008 global financial crisis and how the crisis affects cities nested in a variety of political economies. Situating urban theory in the current economic climate, it powerfully illuminates the dynamic between history, theory, and practice. Stressing how catastrophic social and economic calamities under the crisis lead to reorganised city structures, city life and city policies and hence new urban experience, it calls for theoretical perspectives that can speak to these challenging changes.  

This groundbreaking title is a must for anyone interested in urban life and its rapid movements. It will be especially useful for students and researchers in urban sociology, planning, geography, urban and regional development and urban studies

How can differences be understood in social theory through comparisons, and how should social theory relate to regional studies to do so?

This question has been prevalent within the sociological field for over a century, but is becoming increasingly important in a globalised age in which cultural borders are constantly challenged and rapidly changing. In this collection, Arjomand and Reis illuminate the importance of exploring spatial, cultural and intellectual differences beyond generalizations, attempting to understand diversity in itself as it takes shape across the world. With contributions from internationally renowned scholars, and a focussed emphasis upon sociological key themes such as modernization, citizenship, human rights, inequality and domination, this title provides a rich and convincing discussion that will add significant value to the ongoing debate about alternative modernities, diversity and change within the social sciences.

 Worlds of Difference constitutes an important and timely collection that will be of great inspiration for students and scholars alike.

How can differences be understood in social theory through comparisons, and how should social theory relate to regional studies to do so?

This question has been prevalent within the sociological field for over a century, but is becoming increasingly important in a globalised age in which cultural borders are constantly challenged and rapidly changing. In this collection, Arjomand and Reis illuminate the importance of exploring spatial, cultural and intellectual differences beyond generalizations, attempting to understand diversity in itself as it takes shape across the world. With contributions from internationally renowned scholars, and a focussed emphasis upon sociological key themes such as modernization, citizenship, human rights, inequality and domination, this title provides a rich and convincing discussion that will add significant value to the ongoing debate about alternative modernities, diversity and change within the social sciences.

 Worlds of Difference constitutes an important and timely collection that will be of great inspiration for students and scholars alike.

Recognizing the deep relations between politics, finance, cities and citizens, this book argues for a rejuvenated account of urban theory. The book emphasises the need to understand the importance of the 2008 global financial crisis and how the crisis affects cities nested in a variety of political economies. Situating urban theory in the current economic climate, it powerfully illuminates the dynamic between history, theory, and practice. Stressing how catastrophic social and economic calamities under the crisis lead to reorganised city structures, city life and city policies and hence new urban experience, it calls for theoretical perspectives that can speak to these challenging changes.  

This groundbreaking title is a must for anyone interested in urban life and its rapid movements. It will be especially useful for students and researchers in urban sociology, planning, geography, urban and regional development and urban studies

"A new generation of truly global sociology, grappling with the contemporary world through the lenses of critique, contestation, and social movements. A significant contribution." - Göran Therborn, University of Cambridge "This is a truly global and politically challenging book, bringing together top level researchers and sharply tackling its themes. People from every corner of the planet and from all walks in the social sciences will surely profit from reading it." - Carolina Mera, University of Buenos Aires How can we link contemporary social processes – which have typically been theorized in terms of the concept of modernity – with contemporary social movements, conflicts, and mobilizations which aim at social change? This text:

links the social theory of modernity to critical theory and to recent class and citizenship politics as well as to identity politics uses concrete social processes to illustrate theoretical discussion with relevant empirical studies and applies theoretical analysis to different interactions, tensions and possibilities to provide an integrated understanding of global modernity and social contestation includes contributions from distinguished international scholars working in sociological theory and modernity, as well as social movement studies and political contestation, with a strong emphasis on global issues

This is a key resource for research in both social theory  and the sociology of modernity, as well as social movements and social contestation, and readers interested in globalization and global studies.